Yoga Without Eastern Religious Influence: Is All Yoga Spiritual Yoga?
Is It Possible to Practice Yoga Without the Spiritual Nature of the Practice?
Both Hindu and Christians alike will argue that yoga can’t be practiced without eastern religious influence. The movements and thought processes are believed by many to lead yoga practitioners toward eastern mysticism, so is it possible to participate in yoga without religion? Probably not in the purest sense, if the movements actually embody the eastern beliefs, but it can be done without speaking Hindu mantras and vocal recitations of religious sayings. A form of yoga can be practiced by those who would rather stay away from the spiritual yoga influence. Although meditation seems to be an integral part of all forms of yoga, if it bothers you, you can choose to leave it out. It’s your practice, the choices remain your own. Some people choose to focus on simple positive phrases, or words that are more in tune with their own beliefs. Christians could actually repeat “Jesus” as they meditate, while those without any religious convictions might rather voice a positive goal, such as “peace”, “joy”, or another personally meaningful word or phrase.
Bryan Kest of Santa Monica Power Yoga is a great resource for those who wish to perform yoga without religious overtones. He is spiritual in that he focuses on nonreactivity to difficult poses and relates them to life. He is concerned with students working hard “sensitively”, not pushing too hard because of aesthetics. He is very respectful with regard to ancient yoga practice, and seems to embrace it, but eastern religion isn’t dominant in his teaching video series. Bryan Kest teaches ashtanga, or power yoga, which builds strength as well as flexibility. He does have meditation CD’s available, which focus on joy and stress relief. His videos are available at www.poweryoga.com.
There are many different Christian yoga classes that have become popular throughout the United States, catering to Christians who want the physical benefits of yoga without the Hindu influence. Scriptural yoga is part of this movement, and Bible verses are repeated as postures and stretches are performed. Christian yoga has been met with a lot of criticism from both more conservative Christians as well as Hindu yogis. While it is still centered around religion, this form of yoga has been altered to meet the needs of Christian practitioners who don’t feel comfortable with more traditionally spiritual yoga.
If you’re looking for a yoga practice that is totally devoid of any spirituality, it seems that it may be an impossible endeavor. However, there are a few options for those looking to perform those amazing stretches and poses with a limited emphasis on eastern religion. Whether you choose to participate in a practice that keeps everything light and physically-minded or just gears the spirituality to something more acceptable in your life, yoga can still be a part of your fitness routine if you do your homework.
Resources
1. Santa Monica Power Yoga: www.poweryoga.com
2. Scriptural Yoga: www.christianyoga.com
3. Christian Yoga: www.christianyoga.us