Reflective tag:

This assignment from my comparative religion class gave me the opportunity to explore yoga within contemporary life. I wanted to write my paper on yoga because of physical well-being. I soon discovered yoga’s deeper spiritual and mental aspects. Exploring its roots in Hinduism and its evolution into a global practice, I gained insight into its appeal. My personal journey mirrored this evolution, shifting from a mere exercise routine to self-discovery and inner peace. Addressing objections, I debunked misconceptions and championed yoga’s inclusivity and adaptability to diverse beliefs. Through this assignment, I’ve not only deepened my appreciation for yoga’s holistic benefits but I also found solace and resilience.

In a world with everything going on in it so chaotic and fast paced, I find the Hindu’s religious practice of yoga to be very relaxing. In this essay I will explain why someone should appreciate yoga by discussing my appreciation for the practice, why/how the practice relates to religion, why I appreciate the practice and how it has impacted my daily life, common objections and reply to these objections.

Starting off, when most people think of yoga, they think that it is just a physical and easy exercise, but it is way more than just that. According to Yoga Basics, “Yoga aim is to yoke or create a union of the body, mind, soul, and universal consciousness” (Burgin 1). Moreover, the practice of yoga isn’t just physical. The practice of yoga has a mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects to it where someone can experience deep states of freedom, peace, and self-realization. I believe that more people should be aware and appreciate yoga because its goal is to help someone understand themselves better by making someone aware of their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

Yoga is a practice that can be traced all the way back to ancient India. The practice originates from Hinduism, and it reflects many philosophical and religious tendences. The practice has been documented in seminal Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita and say that yoga is not only a physical exercise, but it is also a mental journey towards self-realization (Clarke). In the Bhagavad Gita it also describes how yoga is a path that unites the individual soul with universal consciousness, promotes a philosophy that goes beyond physicality, personal observance, and meditative practices leading to spiritual enlightenment. Over the past thousand years, yoga has also been adopted by other religions, such as Buddhism and Jainism in order to enhance their own paths to enlightenment. Moreover, yoga is a religious practice that helps guide someone to finding themselves while also strengthening their relationship to the divine. Today, yoga culture has developed into its own thing that offers a unique set of beliefs, values, and practices that focuses on finding inner peace and enlightenment. Yoga also emphasizes a holistic approach to health. Yoga emphasizes a holistic approach because of physical exercise, meditation, and by following a vegetarian diet (Clara). With this, meditation is the most important part of yoga because it helps those practicing reduce stress and improve their focus. Overall, this cultural evolution makes Yoga a historical practice, spiritual practice, and a modern lifestyle that helps someone strengthen their mind and body connection while also offering many benefits like flexibility and strength to reduced stress and enhanced concentration.

I am now going to talk about my experience with yoga and why I like and believe in the practice. My journey with yoga started out not being a spiritual pursuit but more as a physical activity in order to increase my flexibility. I started taking yoga as my gym class this past semester. Over the semester my focus changed from just getting the physical benefits to also getting the spiritual part of yoga. Moreover, as I started to get more into the practice of yoga, I found myself starting to approach it holistically. After a few weeks of getting into yoga I started to practice outside of class in my room before bed. I found that doing yoga before bed has helped me relax/reduce my stress, become more present, and get better sleep. Yoga has helped me relax and reduce my stress before bed because it allows me to think about my day and what went good or bad. Yoga has also helped me be more present because thinking of the moments throughout my day helped me reflect and think that my life is not as bad as I think it can be sometimes. Lastly, doing yoga before bed has helped me get to sleep faster because it slows my heart rate down and after I’m done practicing, I just get on my bed without turning on my phone. Overall, my experience with yoga began as a mandatory and physical pursuit because it was my gym class that I had to take but after practicing regularly I started to get more of the physical and spiritual aspects.

Next, I am going to be addressing common objections towards the practice of yoga and reply to these objections. The main objection to yoga is that it is part of Hinduism. The question from here asks that since the practice is religious to Hindus, should non-Hindus practice yoga? Some people do believe that non-Hindus should not do yoga because it is unique to only them. I argue that they are wrong by saying that non-Hindus should be unable to do yoga because yoga is no longer only unique for Hindus. In a reading assigned to my class it discussed this same problem. With this, the reading was in support of anyone being able to practice yoga because, “These techniques are not unique to India and are found in other parts of the world. There are now signs of a revival of interest in the mystical dimension of Christianity, a development which has been triggered at least in part by the contemporary interest in Indian spirituality” (Keown, D.). Moreover, by embracing yoga in a broader context it shifts the focus to physical health, mental well-being, and spiritual growth no matter what religion it is affiliated with. From here there are four objections that I am going to bring up with regards to yoga. The first is people who say that they are not flexible for yoga. “Most images of asanas (Yogic postures), in the media, focus on extreme examples of headstands, deep backbends, and Yogis who sit in lotus position for years at a time” (Jerard). As someone who used to think of themselves as not being flexible at all I used to think this. However, in yoga you are free to do whatever positions feel best. With this, many positions have alternating poses which are easier on the body, and they will help you get more flexible. The second objection is that yoga is boring. At first, I thought that yoga was easy and boring until we started to do some crazy poses in my gym class. From there, my classmates and I would attempt the poses and sometimes we would fail them but at the end of the day we would laugh about it. The third objection to yoga is that it is too hard to remember all of the names. I agree that it can be hard to know the names but over time it starts to flow and come together nicely. With this, “Every Sanskrit name has an English name too” (Jerard). Moreover, if you are willing to learn you can pick up on the names of the positions and if you still are confused most studios will have someone leading the session who will be able to walk you through each pose and from that point all you will have to do is follow along. The fourth and last objection to yoga is that it feels “foolish” to do the poses. Yes, some of the poses make you get into positions that you may have never been in before and it can be uncomfortable or make you feel foolish. However, “Stretching the brain cognitively will literally improve your health. Abbott Northwestern’s stroke program director, in the Neurocritical Care Unit, Dr. Ronald Tarrel, DO, advises that forging new neural pathways makes a person happier and healthier” (Jerard). In turn, you might feel weird or out of place but the science behind the practice has shown that there are so many benefits when it comes to practicing yoga. Overall, after going over common objections towards yoga it becomes clear that yoga is a practice that has many benefits for both the body and mind regardless of what religious practice it falls under.

All in all, my experiences with yoga have shown me the significance of the practice and I have learned to follow it holistically. I have also learned more about the practice by exploring the origins and by reflecting on my own experiences with the practice. In turn, I have come to really appreciate the practice. Over the semester, I believe that yoga has helped my physical and mental health while also helping me grow spiritually. I also feel that everyone should try the practice out because it is a good way to find peace in a chaotic world.

References

Burgin, Timothy. “What Is Yoga? • Yoga Basics.” Yoga Basics, Timothy Burgin, 18 July 2022, www.yogabasics.com/learn/yoga-101-an-introduction/what-is-yoga/.

Clarke, Gemma. “What Is Yoga? A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s Origins, Styles & Benefits.” The Yoga Nomads, 14 Nov. 2023, www.theyoganomads.com/what-is-yoga/#:~:text=The%20Bhagavad%20Gita%2C%20a%20crucial%20text%20in%20Hinduism%2C,than%20the%20physical%20practice%20we%20commonly%20know%20today.

1. Keown. “Buddhism and Elephants.” Perusall, app.perusall.com/courses/erh-211wx-04-comparative-religion/buddhism_a_very_short_introduction_-_-1_buddhism_and_elephants?assignmentId=NRtkdbKmrHzYCAEka&part=1. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Jerard, Dr. Paul, et al. “Five Objections to Yoga Class.” Aura Wellness Center, 25 Feb. 2024, aurawellnesscenter.com/2011/07/24/five-objections-to-yoga-class/.