what is yoga
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008The modern day civilization may find yoga a rather tough subject to discuss. This ancient art is based on age-old wisdom and philosophy, and yet globalization has diminished its real purpose and meaning. The whole philosophy of yoga has been reduced to a simpler concept to help people understand the concept better. In fact, the western civilization might find the full contents of yoga to be a rather difficult subject to relate to. It is disturbing to see a lot of people obtaining shallow understanding of this complex subject and yet remaining unhesitant to talk about it from an expert’s point of view. To simplify things, most westerners choose to emphasize the physical aspects of yoga, while neglecting the more important issues such as the state of mind. Today, the spiritual aspects of yoga have been diminished into a superficial understanding that places too much emphasized on achieving inner balance and meditative states.
It is one of the six schools of Hindu thoughts has roots deep within the pages of the Hindu Holy Scriptures. In India, yoga is considered a very spiritual experience that has a physical aspect to it. Most westerners would describe yoga as a physical practice. Most westerners are aware of the strange symbols associated with yoga practice, but often they are misunderstood. It is practiced as a popular sport. It also does a good job attracting those who wish to obtain inner peace and balance in the midst of the hectic modern lifestyle.
Disciples of yoga are often fascinated by the claims made by their yoga instructors. Outside of India, that there is a high level of misunderstanding of its true nature, hence the monumental amount of mistakes that can be found in its implementation.
A closer look revealed that these errors were caused by the cultural influence of each race. It appears that the west is not prepared to pay the price necessary to gain a deeper understanding of this philosophy. While meditation is an integral part of the practice, the westerners with their ever busy lifestyles certainly do not posses time for such luxuries. The greed for power and material wealth which is integral in the western culture has no place in the Hindu culture. Therefore, it is believed that the westerners will never reach the pinnacles of true wisdom dictated by the parameters of the Hindu religion. It takes patience and time to experience a successful meditative session. The westerners do not consider spending time in meaningful meditations, contemplating about life and existence is an investment worthy to pursue.
Ironically, yoga has been implemented as fashion in the western part of the world. There are plenty of materials promoting it as a form of sports; you can practice yoga anywhere and anytime you want. Fans of famous people who later become fake gurus are adamant about supporting their idol and his practice. This crooked philosophy has been widely spread by its loyal followers.
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