|
I’ve met a number of people who are quite wary about practicing
Yoga not for its difficulty, but for its philosophical and
“religious” roots. The practice of Yoga has a philosophy and a
way of life behind it. There are a number of people who avoid taking
the practice for fear that “It might take them away from their
faith.”
Yoga has its roots from Indian traditions. A lot
of their positions or “asanas” are explained in such a way that
it connotes a spiritual connection of sorts. This “spirituality”
in Yoga is what makes many religious types wary of the practice and
are often prejudicial.
“Yoga” means union. In the deeper sense of
the word, anything that makes one united in mind, body and even
spirit is considered Yoga. It goes beyond standing on one’s head.
Unity and oneness are also words used in the Yoga tradition. So if
one wants to avoid Yoga all together, one should avoid activities
that unite and create health and oneness. The following is a short
list of things to do to avoid practicing Yoga.
1. Don’t breathe. According to Yoga tradition,
the breath alone when done correctly is Yoga. Breathing techniques
are numerous in the Yoga traditions. Yoga breathing has been known
to relax the body and calm the mind Medical science has also
confirmed that slow deep breathing has many health benefits from
lower blood pressure and managing anxiety. If you want to avoid
Yoga, don’t do deep breathing.
2. Be stressed. Yoga is known to be a great
stress reliever. It teaches many ways, not just through physical
pose but also thru meditation and teachings. Feelings of anger,
jealousy and frustration are non-Yoga emotions.
3. Don’t live a healthy lifestyle. Yoga
lifestyle admonishes no alcohol, smoking and food that doesn’t
keep your body healthy. Yoga teaches that body, mind and spirit are
one. To have an unhealthy body is totally non-Yoga.
4. Don’t value friendships and relationships.
Yoga is about valuing people for who they are and what we can learn
from each other. The “Union” of Yoga goes beyond getting in
touch with our bodies. Unity with mankind is part of the Yoga
philosophy.
Fear of practicing Yoga because it might
“violate” one’s belief stems from a lack of understanding. We
often look at other cultures and philosophies with mistrust because
their ways are not familiar to us Instead of making an effort to
understand first, we go into the default of judgement and bias. Who
knows, if the people who are wary of Yoga open up a little and try
to understand what it really is, they may one day do head stands
without feeling they are doing something wrong.
|
