5 Myths About Yoga
Yoga has become more popular in the United States in recent years, with the number of people taking part in the discipline almost doubling between 2002 and 2012.
Today, nearly 10 percent of Americans have tried it, and few of us have to travel farther than a neighborhood strip mall to practice our chaturangas. Yoga’s burgeoning trendiness isn’t restricted to the United States, either. In December, the United Nations declared June 21 the International Day of Yoga.
The first celebration saw colossal gatherings of yogis worldwide, as hundreds, sometimes thousands, contorted their bodies into downward dogs and other poses en masse. Yoga has become one of the most fashionable practices in the world, yet a number of myths have grown up around it.
(This article is interesting in that it posits a broader acceptance of Yoga, from a more diverse background and origin than is otherwise presented in the majority of teachings. To do so however, one must be very clear in their own definitions such as the term Hinduism, Religion and so forth.
The danger exists that when one seeks to explore a subject at a surface level and seeks to not dig deeper into the origin of the origins so to speak, that they will sail many degrees away from center in their assessment. For instance, the first explored myth indicates that Yoga is not as such of a Hindu origin alone. Yes and no.
To state this is equivalent to saying that Christianity is a Jewish based religion. It does have links as such, but inevitably Christianity is Jewish in origin, but Greek in nature and form. This is known to all the metaphysical and inner plane students who step outside the realm of pre-conceived thought and explore deeply.
So, back to our note. Yoga is Indian in origin and enough evidence suggest this to be so. It’s form and function have adapted over the centuries away from what has been some traditional ancient Indian practices as it has adapted to different cultural perceptions and requirements. Not the least of which has been the adaptation in the West to commercial purposes, which alone has been responsible for its rapid spread. The same can be said of the essence, form and function of Christianity which has morphed many times from its fundamentals as differing groups sought to make it their own. Trackback far enough and the results will be surprising to even the most ardent believer. Apply this principle to any major thought process and you have the pathway to a deeper knowing. Enjoy a great article though. Nigel)
1. Yoga is exclusively of Hindu origin.
Yoga’s advocates and critics alike perpetuate the myth of its ancient Hindu origins. High-profile conservative pastors have warned
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