Its a hot topic of debate, of late: Is yoga a spiritual practice? Does it matter if were just stretching and call it yoga anyway? Whats the difference? Hear both sides in this article, published in the Oct/Nov issue of Sweat Equity Magazine.You can probably guess which side I was on . . . Id love to see you weigh in on the debate! Making real the new Zen Is your yoga teacher a renowned guru? Are you conducting your life according to ancient texts? Purists argue that unless you’re chanting, meditating, and selling your soul to a stranger, you’re not a real yogi. It’s time for yoga to get real. Contemporary pedestal-preaching “gurus” with their mansions, car collections, rape charges, and drug habits are the ones, after all, who lifted the veil. Most of us are done belonging to the cult of yoga and are ready for its next incarnation. Traditionalists criticize yoga with weights, paddle boards, rock music, and—frankly—any fun little twist, fearing the practice is evolving into something purely physical. Heaven forbid this culture of over-stressed, over-worked, overweight people latch on to something that makes them feel healthier. Really? What are we trying to hold onto, and why? Michael DeCorte, creator of the wildly popular Jock Yoga fitness brand, argues that primarily, modern yoga simply is fitness. “Now that yoga has evolved into large classes, we are essentially teaching movement and calisthenics/exercise.” FLXyoga creator Angela Rivard believes getting strong and being authentic is spiritual. “FLX is a yoga-inspired workout that incorporates resistance training through a unique suspension system. Is it real yoga? I don’t know. People love it because it makes them feel strong inside and out, and that’s a really positive thing.” Angela believes the industry needs to evolve. She says, “We have to give people options that apply to real life. Our students want to reduce stress and feel strong and alive; they’re not interested in listening to someone preach.” When asked about whether she thinks real yoga includes spiritual study, Angela says, “Building a healthy body inspires a more vibrant life; that is a spiritual thing.” Michael says his non-traditional approach doesn’t make his yoga method not valid. “I dont study or preach the yoga sutras in my life or my classes, and I dont use Sanskrit terms. I do personally follow a twelve-step program that requires me to be willing to change, be honest with myself, meditate, and pray. The physical practice of yoga is a compliment to healthy living, and it is real for me and for others.” Yoga’s broad popularity didn’t occur because of the accessible and relevant nature of the yoga sutras or because of Sanskrit, chanting, or meditation. It happened because it combined a way to move our bodies with the opportunity to find a little quiet, stillness, and a chance to let go. This practice gives us time to tap back into what we know in our hearts, to reconnect with our intuition, to observe the body’s needs, and live with more awareness. Who needs a guru when your gut tells you all you need to know? Let’s move, be strong, and breathe. Let’s think for ourselves. The answers we need are always there when the body feels healthy, nourished, and clear. It’s that simple. Self-Realization or Modern Degradation? In the recent passing of B.K.S. Iyengar this August, I had remarked that it was sad that so few of these great gurus and pioneers of yoga remain with us. One woman responded, “What do you mean? We are all gurus!” And I suppose in a flighty and new-agey sort of way, perhaps someone considers me a guru, like my furry kids. But I wouldn’t dare consider myself a guru, nor would I wish to be. This same perspective has stopped school teachers from using red pens or making large “Xs” when marking their students’ papers; it has stopped kids’ sports teams from losing because “we’re all winners here!” That same mentality ensures that everyone who shows up leaves with a prize and that (now) every student and every teacher, in fact every person to walk the earth, is also a “guru.” I beg to differ. We play fast and loose with these terms nowadays, and it has lead to a watering down of what the essence of yoga truly is. No longer a Hindu-based science and art that outlines an eight-step path to Self-realization, now it encompasses anything and everything that involves moving your body. You don’t even need a yoga mat or dry land, in fact. A paddleboard will do, a chair works fine; you’re sitting in an airplane? No problem. About to have a baby? We’ve got stretches for that. Enjoy running twice a week? Runner’s yoga is perfect. Are you breathing? Great! You’re doing yoga! If you can think of it, there’s a “yoga xxx” for it. For each individual person and situation and there is an appropriation or modification that somehow legitimizes calling itself “yoga.” Perhaps you’re wondering what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with it is that the original truth seekers fade into a distant past; students coming of age and perhaps interested in becoming teachers themselves know little or nothing about the history of the practice, have never heard of “Patanjali,” and couldn’t tell you the meaning of AUM. In other words, what these teachers are really offering is “stretching.” And that’s about it. Stretching classes are being taught under the title of yoga because it’s trendy and well marketed. There was a time when taking a yoga class actually meant certain things: yoga postures, chanting, bare feet, some Sanskrit. Now we have choreographed dance moves, Krishna Das on CD, Yoga Socks, and newly imagined pose names. Where does one go for a taste of authenticity? A guru demarks a person who stands behind their beliefs and their practice, despite the changing tide of trends, mass marketing, and modernity. They endeavour to stay true to their art, even if that means standing alone in the status quo; waves may ripple at the top of the ocean, but the sand at the bottom remains solid, unmoveable, firmly grounded. That is a guru. And that is the practice of yoga—unchanging and just as applicable to life today as it was 2500 years ago. Let’s keep it that way.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:17:01 +0000
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