yoga for toes
February 24th, 2010 10:03 amIt may be taxing to talk about yoga in this century. Under the influence of globalization, the true meaning of yoga has been severely distorted. The whole philosophy of yoga has been reduced to a simpler concept to help people understand the concept better. Yoga in its true form may be a little complicated for the western world to understand. Talking about an issue you do not have a thorough understanding of, and spreading the words as the gospel truth is a risky business. Yoga is often viewed as a physical journey, instead of a spiritual one in the western part of the world. The need for simplification has diminished the wisdom of true yoga into a superficial speech that fails to recognize the real purpose and meaning of this wonderful philosophy.
In reality, yoga practice is a very sacred journey that has roots buried deep within the scriptures of an ancient Holy book. Indians understand that is not a mere physical activity, but yoga is part of a spiritual development that is realized through a systematic and disciplined physical approach. Most westerners would describe yoga as a physical practice. Yoga with its strange looking symbols may seem mystical to the average Joe, is often enough to perk up a considerable level of interest in the hidden aspects of this ancient practice, but sadly, they are often misunderstood. Ironically, it is practiced as a popular form of sports. Additionally, people who desire inner tranquility would often find this practice to be beneficial.
This perception is often strengthened by the various claims made by the so called yoga masters. Fatal errors have been detected in the practice of yoga outside of India, showing the level of misunderstanding among the western practitioners.
A closer look revealed that these errors were caused by the cultural influence of each race. Apparently, the west is not prepared to spend too much time in meaningful contemplations of this philosophy, hence the resulting fatal error due to a lack of understanding. Most Americans do not possess the time to spend moments in meaningful sessions of quiet meditation, which is essential for success when embracing this practice. The greed for power and material wealth which is integral in the western culture has no place in the Hindu culture. True wisdom, as defined by the parameters of the Hindu religion would be an impossible feat to achieve when this paradigm is adopted. One crucial aspect essential for a successful meditative session is time and patience. Obviously, the people from the west have no endurance to fulfill such demands.
Ironically, yoga has been implemented as fashion in the western part of the world. It is easy to practice yoga anywhere you want; there are plenty of materials for you to select from that are promoting this activity as a form of sports. There are famous people who embraced this practice and become fake gurus and still they have enough support from their followers. The growing influence of this unhealthy philosophy is attributed to the disciples who are loyal in spreading the word about the advantages of adopting this crooked form of yogic philosophy.
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