Yoga Reflections

People don't all agree, but yoga is not a religion; it is a way of life. Rather like Druidism, devoted practicers of Yoga (called "yogis") consider Yoga a "path of life" rather than the more restricting term religion. Yoga relies on practice and discipline to relax and calm the mind and body. This is achieved by a series of poses, from the easy and relaxing "child's pose" to the more challenging and complex "lion's pose."

The goal of Yogis is to achieve spiritual repose, calm in the face of pain and discomfort, and physical and mental strength. These goals are the ambitions of a true Yogi, however there is a difference between being a true Yogi and just practicing yoga. Some people practice yoga just because they want less physical discomfort and more calm and peace. They do it as an exercise.

Some people disagree with this idea. For example, a Southern Baptist preacher says that yoga is sacrilege because it is self-centered and not centered on God. He believes that the body is not a vehicle to the divine. Do you think Christians can or should practice yoga? What about Muslims? Here is an article about this debate.

We recently attended our first yoga class. We did some poses, like Warrior, Savasana (corpse pose), Child's Pose, and Downward Facing Dog. Yoga can be very relaxing, so relaxing that one of us came very close to falling asleep at the end during the Savasana pose. In our opinion, there is no conflict between the goals of yoga and religion.