Is Yoga Without Spirituality Even Yoga at All?
Let’s be real, in our modern world we have become rather lazy. We want every tokened item that has ever fired off of our synapses, but we don’t always want to do the work to get it. Yoga is one of those things. Our Western culture has done a great job at making yoga a physical activity, like pilates, that focuses on getting fit and toned while removing the dogma of this ancient South Asian practice. In this article we will expose the spiritual roots of yoga and how to practice yoga without them, is to not be practicing yoga at all.
Yoga is Not a Religion
In case you were wondering and were rather worried, yoga is not a religion. In fact, you can be of any faith or have no faith at all and still practice yoga. The spiritual foundation that yoga is derived from is not connected to any organized form of worship. “But what about all of that chanting and talk of “God” and other spiritual mumbo jumbos?”
I’m so happy you asked.
The Basics of Yoga
Yoga translates to “union” — “union of what?” you may ask yourself. Well, let’s talk about this connection. In the practice of yoga, we are becoming aware of our mindlessness, especially in our physical movements. By pairing our breath with physical poses (asanas) and a focus on the present moment, we are able to calm our mind chatter and develop a deeper awareness for the stored tension, stress, and even emotional debris held in our bodies. Hatha yoga is exactly this: a yoga branch structuralized around the physical aspects of yoga which stem from the purpose to refine the body as a proper vehicle for meditation. But even this branch of yoga alone tells of a purpose far beyond just the body and mind.
Yoga is Meditation (Prayer) in Motion
When reading stories of ancient yogis participating in meditation, you will find that many of them didn’t just stay within the realm of safety we refer to as our mind. In fact, they moved beyond it. A connection not only to deeper aspects, other-worldly aspects of themselves would occur through these practices of meditation.
A feeling of connectedness and purpose was revitalized as yoga brought them into alignment with Spirit, Source, God—whatever you choose to call it. The chanting is a part of that. The stories are a part of that. Repeating mantras, or chosen phrases or words, have been known to recalibrate your mind and body. Magazines talk about mantras like it’s a new fad using them as ways to create more positive self-talk, however, when they include chants or sanskrit words people shy away from them and even demonize them. If you have ever been to a church service and sung hymns out loud and felt a rush of energy through your entire body, then perhaps you can understand how chanting “om” (I am) over and over again can create the same effect but have an even deeper meaning for your body to absorb.
Yoga is More Than a Means to a Tight Ass
Stefanie Syman, author of The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America, writes of “yoga’s transformation from a centuries-old spiritual discipline to a multibillion-dollar American industry”. So wouldn’t it make sense in doing this that we have also stripped away the most essential and vital piece of this practice? Yoga is a practice of getting to know yourself beyond just your physical body. It’s a tradition. It’s an ancient practice that we have taken bits and pieces from to tailor to our needs of instant gratification.
When you go to yoga, do you feel yourself leave with a greater purpose in life beyond what society and those around you have told you it is? Do you find yourself feeling no longer alone and surrounded by an infinite source of energy so much larger than you? Do you feel an electrical sensation of connection surpassing the physical bounds of your body? If not, you aren’t doing anything wrong, but you are not practicing yoga. There is more to life besides our body and mind, and yoga just happens to be the answer to getting in touch with it.
The rich content neatly and intricately woven into the practice of yoga is not something that can just be dissected and still deliver the same result. Maybe we hide from the spiritual aspects because there is a part of ourselves that is too fearful to move outside our boxes of rigidity and find the infinite space that exists outside of the word created within our minds. Yoga is not to be minced and mixed as we please and should be regarded and respected in its true form as an ancient and spiritual tradition.