Hello my friend!
Welcome back! Sorry for the late post - I'm in India and jet lag kicked my butt hehe... :) But, here I am!
Today’s post is inspired by a conversation I had with a new friend about Yoga through the lens of practicing for exercise vs. as a part of one's spiritual journey. This arose through a fundamental difference in the way asana was being taught to my friend (from a yoga studio in the US) vs. how it was taught to me (from a yoga school in Rishikesh, India): the same Surya Namaskar flow was performed incredibly quickly in one school and incredibly slow in another… which brings the question, where does this difference come from?
It boils down to the intention of the practice. In the West, asana is primarily a form of exercise; while mindfulness is tied into it at the end and into certain periods within the practice, it is more focused on moving and strengthening the muscles with a good workout. In the East, asana is a part of the spiritual journey; it is essential to keep the mindfulness throughout the practice, but the asanas are still meant to strengthen and purify the physical body. Practicing asana as a form of exercise has spread into the East as well, since this new day and age has created a world where exercise and movement is such a priority over spiritual well-being, but traditionally, asana in the East was practiced as a part of the Yogic Path.
So, for someone new to Yoga or not very familiar with Yoga, this might beg the question: which one is right? This is where it gets a bit controversial, so I’ll simply give you certain facts and let you decide for yourself. Yoga originated in the Indian Himalayas ~5000 years ago. The Indian Himalayas are known and esteemed for their immense spirituality, and as such, Yoga is said to have originated from the Hindu god Shiva, who resided in the Himalayas and is known for his meditation in the extremely harsh climate of those great mountains.
Hence, when you look at the original Yogic texts, including the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Gheranda Samhitha, or the Hatha Yoga Pradipika among others, they heavily emphasize the use of asanas and Yogic practices in connection to attaining oneness with the Universe. A key point to note here is that Yoga is not just asana; asana is just one step, one part, of the path to Yoga.
Take Ashtanga Yoga for example; in modern yoga, Ashtanga Yoga flows are taught as a series of asanas followed by breathwork and/or meditation, but what is Ashtanga Yoga? When you look at the actual philosophy and scriptures, Ashtanga Yoga is the 8 limbs of Yoga, which have a certain order and play a key role in the Yogic experience. The 8 limbs include asana within it, but before that, it focuses on the mindset of the Yogi and the cleansing of the physical body, and after asana, it goes into pranayama and turning the mind inward to essentially reach the last limb, which is samadhi - the total absorption into the Universe.
To say Yoga is simply the practice of the asanas is like saying an engine is just the moving of motors; just like the motors move only when they’re maintained well and the motors must also have a control scheme that enables it to move in its ideal functional state for the engine to run, the asanas only serve their purpose well when the mindset and physical body are cleansed and purified regularly and helps one reach oneness when the asanas are performed in conjunction with the turning inward of the mind.
As a result of all this, when performing Yoga asana, in its different manifestions in India over its thousands of years of practice, it is performed with slow, intentional movements; deep, controlled breaths; and a pranayama or meditation practice at the end of asana practice.
In the present day, “Yoga” has become a widespread industry with yoga studios in many big cities across the world. In the US specifically, it is usually taught with fast-moving “Vinyasa” flows and heated rooms to increase sweat levels. It is marketed as a way for you to connect with and move your body to help you connect with yourself and release stress, but while certain elements of Yoga are intertwined in all these classes, there are many that objectively, don’t include the essence of Yogic philosophy in its asana practice or closing meditation.
So, back to the question: which is right? I’ll let you make your own decision.
Personally, I get quite irritated when anyone, Western or Eastern, dub themselves a “yogi” without truly embodying Yoga philosophy; it’s like calling yourself a monk because you meditate 5x a week - just meditating doesn’t make you a monk! (Just for the record, I'm a student of Yoga, not a Yogi). And to call some of the asana practices a "Yoga asana" practice also doesn’t seem right because while inspired by asana flows, it isn’t conducted in the Yogic way (with spirituality at its center and heartbeat). I don’t think that means it should no longer be taught in this form because even these flows benefit the mind and body, but rather, they shouldn’t be advertised as Yoga. Maybe say “adapted from Yoga asana flows” or just simply call it asana practices, but to connect these superficial practices with such a deep, encompassing philosophy diminishes the true value of Yoga itself, which to me, is simply unjust.
Hopefully my ramblings have given you some food for thought. I know my personal opinion may seem very controversial, but it's my opinion for a reason. I'm simply interpreting the facts through my lens of right and wrong, so feel free to make a different judgement for yourself. I think the discussion and open-minded debate over different perspectives is much more fruitful for everyone, and I do believe this is a discussion that should be had more often as Yoga spreads widely across the globe.
Shreya
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