It takes mental toughness and patience to discuss yoga in this century. Globalization is a great accomplishment, yet it is sad when people choose to oversimplify age old wisdoms and knowledge that can bring tremendous benefits to humankind such as yoga. Most people choose to describe yoga as a simple concept rather than a complex philosophy in order to help people understand better. In fact, the western civilization might find the full contents of yoga to be a rather difficult subject to relate to. Talking about an issue you do not have a thorough understanding of, and spreading the words as the gospel truth is a risky business. Unfortunately, the western world seems to place the physical aspects of yoga as the main focus. Today, yoga in the west has been reduced to a simplified form of practice that focuses on achieving internal peace and meditative states.
It has its origins in the Hindu religion and is a physical manifestation representing one of the six schools of Hindu thought. Yoga as a part of India’s diverse culture and philosophy is actually a spiritual experience that includes some complicated physical moves. It is unfortunate that the western world would approach yoga as a mere physical activity. The hidden intricacies of this mysterious practice with its strange looking symbols may be successful in making the average westerner aware that there are more to yoga than physical moves alone, but nevertheless they are often misunderstood. This discipline is practiced as a popular sport. The allure of yoga as an effective way to gain inner peace and balance has beckoned many to embrace this activity as well.
This perception is often strengthened by the various claims made by the so called yoga masters. 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. The culture and structure of each different group influenced how yoga is being practiced. It appears that the west is not prepared to pay the price necessary to gain a deeper understanding of this philosophy. Sometimes, the most important part of this practice is neglected, for instance the essential meditation. Westerners have different goals and priorities, and the insatiable desire to accumulate massive amounts of wealth certainly has no place in the system of values among the Hindus. Unless these values are changed, it is impossible for westerners to achieve the true wisdom and enlightenment as defined by the parameters of the Hindu religion. One needs to possess both time and patience to fully reap the rewards of a successful meditative session. Obsessed with the need to accumulate as much wealth as possible, therefore the thought of having to spend time in such sessions would be considered a mere waste of precious time.
Yoga has been accepted as a fashion. There is a lot of information going out promoting yoga as a form of sports; in fact you can grab any of those and start practicing yoga anywhere you want to. Even fake gurus have support from their adoring disciples. The disciples of these fake gurus are responsible for spreading the influence of the wrong philosophy pertaining to yoga practice.
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