Meera Nanda on Yoga not being Hindu

**Sahasranama** · 16 February 2011, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Pietro Impagliazzo

I guess westerners even invented the term right? It must be derived from Yogurt.

Yes, they did. We can trace yoga back to the ancient tribe of grizzly bears.

**Eastern Mind** · 16 February 2011, 09:37 AM

Vannakkam Pietro: .... Hmmm... Yoghurt Yoga .. a catchy phrase maybe ... or Toga Yoga?

Seriously though, I think it really helps if Hindus actually practice hatha yoga. I know very few who do. I do know the Ganesha temple in Queens NYC offers a weekly class (in the basement, or separate hall, not in the temple itself) (maybe more) and then the correct context is right there in front of your eyes. When we claim that Yoga belongs to Hinduism, and then are asked directly, "Do you practice it (meaning the popular 'yoga' of the west) and we say, "No" it tends to diminish the original statement.

I think the temples should all have programs, and include a short aarti or chanting before, after, throughout, etc.

I'm curious as to how many people on HDF do yoga asanas as part of daily routine? I have just started again after a 25 year hiatus. Mostly because I'm worried about my arthritis becoming more crippling as the wretched bag of bones ages.

Aum Namasivaya

**Sahasranama** · 16 February 2011, 09:47 AM

I practice asanas regularly, not every day though.

I have a video of the Anusara yoga workshop "the grand gathering" I was pleasently surprised to see that they did kirtana chanting aum namah shivaya, shivaya namah aum and sita rama sita rama.

**mohanty** · 16 February 2011, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Sahasranama

Yes, they did. We can trace yoga back to the ancient tribe of grizzly bears.

Unimpeachable evidence this. Meera Nanda should have included this in her article.

**Ramakrishna** · 16 February 2011, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Eastern Mind

Vannakkam Pietro: .... Hmmm... Yoghurt Yoga .. a catchy phrase maybe ... or Toga Yoga?

Seriously though, I think it really helps if Hindus actually practice hatha yoga. I know very few who do. I do know the Ganesha temple in Queens NYC offers a weekly class (in the basement, or separate hall, not in the temple itself) (maybe more) and then the correct context is right there in front of your eyes. When we claim that Yoga belongs to Hinduism, and then are asked directly, "Do you practice it (meaning the popular 'yoga' of the west) and we say, "No" it tends to diminish the original statement.

I think the temples should all have programs, and include a short aarti or chanting before, after, throughout, etc.

I'm curious as to how many people on HDF do yoga asanas as part of daily routine? I have just started again after a 25 year hiatus. Mostly because I'm worried about my arthritis becoming more crippling as the wretched bag of bones ages.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste Eastern Mindji,

I agree, it doesn't help our cause if most Hindus themselves don't actually do hatha yoga. I do yoga asanas a few times a week, and I am trying to incorporate it into my daily routine.

Jai Sri Ram

**mohanty** · 17 February 2011, 02:59 AM

Ok. Not to put too much emphasis on this, but here is something interesting.

Meera Nanda is a John Templeton Foundation Fellow in Religion and Science (2005-2007). She is the author of �Prophets Facing Backward: Postmodernism, Science and Hindu Nationalism� (Rutgers University Press, 2004), �Postmodernism and Religious Fundamentalism: A Scientific Rebuttal to Hindu Science� (Navayana, 2003) and �Breaking the Spell of Dharma and Other Essays� (Three Essays, 2002). Source: http://www.threeessays.com/titles.php?id=4

Recently, she wrote against the atheist writer Sam Harris for advocating meditation and Buddhist and Hindu traditions: https://www.readability.com/articles/2la3ga5w/

And this: http://newhumanist.org.uk/973/spirited-away

Do read the comments too. It's good fun!

Someone told me the Templeton Foundation has Southern Baptist leanings, but I don't know for sure.

**PARAM** · 21 February 2011, 08:33 AM

Yoga (yOg)is old Vadic product, even Bhagwan Krishna was a Yogi; during the time of Buddhism rise yoga was declined, and with the time of Pushyamitra Shung it was restarted with Pushyamitra's Purohit Pantjali.

**TatTvamAsi** · 14 March 2011, 02:39 PM

Meera Nanda is the epitome of the so-called Hindu "Hindu-basher". She supports abrahamic viewpoints; that's enough to say what type of person she really is; scum.

**mohanty** · 14 March 2011, 02:43 PM

Okay. The Meera Nanda vs Yoga debate continues. I have compiled a link-filled summary here on my blog.

http://www.vmohanty.com/2011/meera-n...s-yoga-part-2/