Is Yoga a Religion?
Tuesday October 28, 2008
The recent case in which a high school decided to suspend an in-classroom yoga program instructing students in breathing and relaxation techniques because of parental objections to their kids being taught Hinduism in school has brought this issue to the fore. Is yoga a religion? Yoga was allowed back into the school's program under the name Raider Relaxation, by the way.
Comments
Oh, brother! Once again, people allow fear and ignorance to rule their actions. I am a member of a conservative Christian religion/community. When I first started telling people how much I love yoga and depend on it for stress and pain relief, I got some very odd looks and comments. Once I educated them, they calmed down. Whether or not yoga is a religion, I think, is determined by the heart of the person practicing it. If you’re in it for exercise and relaxation, the answer would be no. If you use it as a means of prayer/worship, then yes.
I have to say that while I agree with the heart of Maria’s comment, I don’t agree with the last sentence. As a yoga teacher, I believe that students can use their yoga practice as a tool to enhance their own spiritual/religious beliefs in the form meditation and prayer. Yoga is a personal and private journey. The teacher is a guide on a journey. The path the individual takes is up to them. You can practice yoga to stretch, increase strength and flexibility, reduce stress AND meditate and pray and it’s still not a religion. It’s a tool to evolve on your own spiritual journey, whereever that may take you and however you choose to take it. Shanti
I think we must differentiate here between organized worship (religion) and spirituality. Yoga is not an organized religion, although many Hindus do practice yoga. However, it can be a very spiritual practice, though that can mean many things to people. Almost anything can be a spiritual practice if it connects the person doing it to a deeper or more universal sense in the world.
anne
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One definition of religion is “A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.” While in yoga we may look to the teachings of other yogis, eventually the only teacher we need pay heed to is the one that resides within each of us. In essence we each follow our own inner teacher. So is yoga a religion?
If it is, 6 billion people practicing yoga would mean 6 billion religions!
As the ultimate goal of yoga is self-realisation, or realisation of one’s connection with the divine… it could be perceived as a religion as it does compromise a path to God… but it’s not exclusive so one can both be Catholic and practice yoga. Does this mean one has two religions?
When human beings use the mental force to try to define, explain, convey, or rationalize a divine experience it does, to say the least, leave a lot to be desired.
The features that commonly define religion (as opposed to the words that commonly define it) is that a pathway to divinity is crafted, it is crafted in only one way, that way but be specifically employed by the aspirant (or they do not “get there”) and that is the only way for each and every person.
It’s not prose, I admit. But it is a fairly solid and functional definition which withstands several tests. And from it we can clearly see that Yoga does not fit into the parameters of the definition. Why? Because there are infinite pathways for the aspirant to evolve in Yoga. There is no one right way and no two aspirants are required to follow an even remotely similar path.
When “religion” unifies and spiritualizes the human race, then we can have a discussion:-)
Yoga in America right now is a transplant, meaning it’s a long way from what is practiced in India. We think it is what we want it to be. In India, it is not confusing at all; Yoga is part of an unbroken lineage going all the way back to the basic texts of Hinduism. Ever chanted in a Yoga class? It becomes very clear, even with clever translations taking Krishna out, that there is a religious component.
Good luck re-interpreting Yoga as a philosophy. It’s been going on for centuries and that works for some - until you see how connected it is to Indian culture. Then it is what it is - Yoga.
It’s true that we in the west are doing a yoga that is far different from that in India. I see that as a natural evolution of this branch of hatha-centric yoga. There are many instances in world history of religious practices and rituals becoming more secular over time, for instance the Olympic Games.
Yoga predates Hinduism.
Saying yoga is Hindu is like saying praying is Catholic.
Just as prayer is a tool used by many religions but “owned” by none, so too is yoga a tool that was used by Hindus, among others.
Dogma, dogma, dogma, how dangerous you are.
yoga was invented by the hindus but still in yoga you are not suppose to worship all the hindu gods etc . you are suppose to see your inner self and get immortal , realesed from rebirth and death. and to understand this world is an illusion (maya) to see you in god and god in you and all other living creature. this they call atman. thats the goal with yoga. to get immortal and not being rebirth to earth again.