Christian Yoga??!!

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste,

The Hindu American Foundation launched its "Take Yoga Back" campaign a few months ago. This was after the great yoga debate between Aseem Shukla and Deepak Chopra. The Hindu roots of yoga are undeniable, and I was taken aback at Mr. Chopra denying that.

http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/takeyogaback

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/o...ga_debate.html

I wrote to everyone of them. I must say, they won't reply, but maybe will read. I believe that since there are enough Christians who openly says that Hinduism is sooo bad & so evil & so made by devil, that they should not take something from Sanathana Dharma and not even give credit OR say that yoga predates Hinduism OR that it's secular without any religion!
What next - Christian ayurveda?

Vannakkam: It is truly appreciated from here when you walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I'm really glad you put words into action. I shall follow your lead. if either of us gets a response let's share it. This is the message I sent them.

"My prayer is that you stop using a Hindu theological system and calling it your own. Yoga is Hindu. Not only that, but when someone dives deep into yoga, they will surely encounter truths that will confuse them, being contradictory to Christianity. Are you in the business of confusing people? "

Aum Namasivaya

Great idea. I'm going to write to them as well. Even if they don't respond, all of these people contacting them will surely give them something to think about.

Jai Sri Krishna

[saidevo]

namaste.

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India, has a Website named Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) that seeks to curb such practices. Since the Website mentions Yoga as one of their active areas, I have sent the following mail to the two authorities whose email-ids are given in their 'Contact Us' link:
http://www.tkdl.res.in/tkdl/langdefa...tus.asp?GL=Eng

My mail:
Since I find that TKDL also deals with Yoga, whose roots are undeniably in Hinduism, I would request you to kindly look into the following Websites that try to hijack and dilute our Yoga practices with an eye on their business promotion.
http://yahwehyoga.com/about/christian-yoga/
http://www.christianyoga.com/index.htm

[Sahasranama]

Namaste,

The Hindu American Foundation launched its "Take Yoga Back" campaign a few months ago. This was after the great yoga debate between Aseem Shukla and Deepak Chopra. The Hindu roots of yoga are undeniable, and I was taken aback at Mr. Chopra denying that.

I am not suprised about Deepak Chopra, his interests in Hinduism and ayurveda are purely commercial. I have read some chapters of his books and they are full with new age quackery.

Agreed. I quit teaching yoga after my first child and quit practicing all together after my second. This may be just the kick in the rear I need to get me going again.

This is the best thing you can do as a Hindu to keep yoga pure. Yoga need to be thaught from a Hindu perspective, otherwise it loses it's power. The problem is that the Hindu perspective is getting lost in classes and are replaced with other themes, like physical fitness or christianity.

I don't think sending letters to the Christians is going to change anything! They will not listen, when did Christians ever listen to logic and reason? While Hindus are sending angry letters, the Christians are giving yoga classes and taking over our heritage. Meanwhile, what are we doing to spread yoga from a Hindu perspective? Sending letters to the "Christian Yogis" will only motivate them further, because they will know they are making an impact. Let's not encourage them with our frustration.

Maybe a better idea, is to write calm and sensible comments on their blog whenever they misrepresent yoga and keep remembering them of the Hindu origin of yoga. The blog comments can be read by everyone visiting the website. http://yahwehyoga.com/

http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/takeyogaback

[Paris-Izi]

Namaste.

I don't think 'western yoga' with it's emaphasis upon asana rather than samadhi is necessarily bad. God works in misterious ways to spiritually develop human beings - perhaps asana emphasised 'western yoga' is something that appeals to the western mind according to its current level of spiritual advancement. As a westerner myself, I became strongly drawn to this type of yoga which appeals to a lot of UK woman based on the coverage it gets in woman's magazines emphasising its weight loss and de-stressing benefits. Although my primary occupation with 'yoga' was also in relation to how it could benefit my body, this occupation gradually diminished as I progressed in asana and I found myself becoming more and more interested in meditation and the true meaning of yoga.

[NetiNeti]

If one wants to practice yogic postures for health benefits, I see no problem with that. It is a good way to spend time and exercise. One need not chant or be Hindu to enjoy its physical benefits. The practice is a gift from god and when it is done PURELY as exercise, like at the ymca, it is cool in my book. It also has amazing results as a tool for physical rehabilitation after injury

I do take issue with people denying yoga's roots though. When one begins to sell it as a spiritual path but totally forgets that it is not a free-for-all practice that fits any way of life. When you diverge from the physical aspect you begin to dwell in an ancient and very specific tradition that, IMO, belongs to Hindus. Using yoga spiritually outside of its original intentions is making a mockery of a religious science that was fine-tuned thousands of years ago and specifically prescribed by Krishna in the Gita.

When I meet new-age people who "go to yoga" and they tell me how they had fun chanting mantras and burning nag champa, I ask them if they are aware that yoga extends far beyond the walls of a yoga studio. In order to use Yoga to attain God-awareness, they must practice all forms of yoga and refine themselves into a true yogi. Without that, they are simply stretching and then rattling of some meaningless foreign language. Doing that is silly. Simply focus on the stretching is a worthwhile practice but it is not "yoga" in its true form. Its exercise. Its like kung-fu being taught without Taoism as its defining truth.

I do, on the other hand, feel that some yoga studios help Americans understand Hinduism better. By being exposed to Murti, mantras, etc, the average American gets a small taste of what we are about and becomes either
A) Curious
or
B) Tolerant


I don't mind either.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam NetiNeti: I totally agree about it being very useful as a stretching exercise. In fact it is quite in harmony with stretching dome by athletes. Most people don't realise how much stretching is in a world class athlete's routine. Swimming, track, football, you name it.. there's a ton of stretching. Mostly it is prevention of injuries.

But clearly some groups take it further,

Aum Namasivay

[Shanti]

Sorry to disappear for a bit, just got back in town..

Saidevo, I too am going to send a message to TKDL. I remember sometime back listening to a radio show on NPR about a program/company in India that translates our heritage's yogic scriptures in order to make sure that traditional yoga would not get patented by yoga instructors in the States and elsewhere. There are apparently thousands of applications with the US patent office regarding yoga postures, techniques, etc. I'm wondering if this is the same company.

I will also send emails to these "x-tian yoga" promoting countries, nothing long, just if they are being honest with themselves and their jesus.

As sad as this is, it's also a bit laughable in the sense that this just highlights their religious delusions.

[Sahasranama]

Most of these pansies couldn't handle the hardships of the Indian yogis if their life depended on it. They can all go to their fashionable yoga studio and do some stretching and toning, but don't have the cahonies to discipline themselves like real yogis. Yogis are tough, they don't come in groups to act so hypersensitive about the origins of yoga.

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast�

I remember sometime back listening to a radio show on NPR about a program/company in India that translates our heritage's yogic scriptures in order to make sure that traditional yoga would not get patented by yoga instructors in the States and elsewhere. There are apparently thousands of applications with the US patent office regarding yoga postures, techniques, etc. I'm wondering if this is the same company.

Today Bikram Choudhury has copyrights on 26 yogic postures. He has trademarked the name of his company, Bikram's Yoga College of India. He now owns or franchises Bikram Yoga studios in the USA and other countries.

I am saddened this occurred. Who can say they 'own' this knowledge? He says he doesn't own it, but copyrights the techniques, sequencing, approach, name, etc.

praṇām

[Eastern Mind]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast�




Today Bikram Choudhury has copyrights on 26 yogic postures. He has trademarked the name of his company, Bikram's Yoga College of India.

He now owns or franchises Bikram Yoga studios in the USA and other countries.

I am saddened this occurred. Who can say they 'own' this knowledge? He says he doesn't own it, but copyrights the techniques, sequencing, approach, etc.

praṇām

Vannakkam: Silly stuff. So he's wandering around looking into the windows at various yoga studios to see if he can sue some poor humble yoga teacher because she's using his postures? Sounds like a pervert to me. Nuts, I say.

Sounds like when Harley-Davidson tried to patent the sound of a Harley. Wonder if they patented the oil leaks too.

I think someone should just go on TV and do some of his copyrighted postures and have him try to sue. A decent lawyer and a wise judge would have all this nonsense tossed out.

I think I'll try to patent air. Sheesh.

Aum Namasivaya