Yoga, Religion and Reality

I read a letter this morning written by Kate Carlin where she decries the fact that a local elementary has begun to provide yoga instruction:

After reading about the PTO funded program for students at Memorial Elementary School in Milford, I researched yoga. I have developed an explanation that clarifies why Memorial should not allow an instructor to teach yoga sessions for students during school hours:

Yoga is a practice derived from Hinduism and Buddhism. Meditation, breathing, and exercises are done simultaneously in order to be one with God, self, or nature.

Religious practices are not to be initiated by a school or by its employees because the First Amendment states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Publicly funded establishments, such as schools, are not constitutionally allowed to provide religious activities for students to participate in. The public building may be used to teach yoga, but yoga should not be taught during school hours.

There are a number of problem with Ms. Carlin's statements, I will address the issue from a Yogic standpoint first.  As I have alluded on more than one occasion, there is Yoga and there is yoga.  It is true that Yoga is a spiritual practice and as such it is, by definition, a religious practice.  Now, before anyone starts the Yoga is not a religion! mantra, here is the primary definition of the adjective religious:  Relating to or concerned with religion or spiritual things.  As Yoga is related to and concerned with spiritual things, it is religious.  Unfortunately, very few people practice Yoga.  On the other hand, many people practice yoga.  When written, the only difference between Yoga and yoga is, of course, capitalization.  In practice, however, that capitalization means quite a bit.  Practicing yoga means practicing the asanas, with a brushing of pranayama and a meshing of pratyahara, dharana and dhyana into something claimed to be meditation that is really just guided relaxation.  In short, yoga is a system of flexibility and body strength exercises with a smattering of biofeedback.  This yoga, while much less than true Yoga, is still extremely beneficial to both body and mind.  This, then, begs the question Is Memorial Elementary teaching Yoga or yoga?  The first would, by tradition, be a problem while the second would not.

Now for the legal flaw in Ms. Carlin's letter.  I find this flaw entertaining for a number of reasons.  The first is that it is so very wide spread and the second is that Ms. Carlin pointed the flaw out herself.  Ms. Carlin quoted part of Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Note that the Amendment states that Congress cannot make any laws establishing a religion nor can it enact any laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion.  In regards to religion, that is all the Constitution says.  No laws to establish a religion and no laws to prohibit free exercise of religion, that's it plain and simple.  Unless Memorial Elementary is Congress and unless providing the class is mandated by law, then the class, Yoga or yoga irrespective, does not violate the Constitution.  In reality religious activity, so long as the activity—like human sacrifice—itself is not illegal, cannot be legally prohibited anywhere nor at anytime.  While that is the reality according to the Constitution, we, unfortunately, abandoned that reality as a nation long ago.

Namasté

The Sword of Satya

Satya is one of the main tenets of Yoga, it is so basic that all the other precepts of Yoga build upon.  Well, all but one:  Ahimsa.  Therein lies the difficulty for it is easy to speak the truth with no regard to its impact upon others.  The question then is this:  Is it better to remain silent and allow others to believe a lie or is it better to speak the truth knowing it will harm those who hear it?  Further, which course will do oneself the least harm and is such a thought even acceptable considering Santosha?

Namasté

Christianity and Yoga:  A Series of Studies – Samadhi & Namasté

This is the last article in a series that I started back on the 25^th of April 2005.  Sometime in the very near future, I will consolidate these articles and post them here on the site.

Samadhi, realization or perfect concentration, is the crux of Yoga.  While it is well known as the mystical goal of Yoga, it is also the least well understood even by many of those who seek it.  That being the case, I will give two different translations for the sutra dealing with Samadhi.

Yoga Sutra 3.3 Perfect Concentration is just that in which only the object (of concentration) shines forth, and the self is absent, as it were. (Sanskrit & Sanscrito)
That same meditation when there is only consciousness of the object of meditation and not of the mind is realization. (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Translation by BonGiovanni)

Another description of this is to become the object of meditation.  If you are meditating upon a flame, become the flame and know it in all its detail.  Yet another description is to be unified with the object of meditation.  As the old joke goes, What did the Zen master say to the hot dog vendor?  ’Make me one with everything.‘'.  Clearly, this above all the tenets of Yoga is anathema to everything that Christianity represents, right?  If one has any knowledge of the New Testament, then one cannot even begin to claim such a thing.  Peter specifically admonishes all saints to

8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1 Peter 3:8

We are commanded to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48).  We are also to follow the example of Christ (John 13:15, 1 Peter 2:21).  If we are to do these things, then we must learn the very thing that Samadhi proposes and learn to become perfectly unified with God the Father and with Jesus Christ:

30 I and my Father are one.
John 10:30

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:11, 21-23

There are many, many other admonitions throughout the New Testament commanding that the saints, the followers of Christ, be one in heart and in mind and that they be one in Christ.

Now to the last of the so named problems of Yoga:  Namasté.  Namasté is correctly used as both a greeting and gesture of parting but what does it mean?  First, the gesture:  Hands are pressed together at the level of the heart.  This is the Anjali mudra, the root Anj means to adorn, honor, celebrate or anoint, the gesture then conveys that the person is honoring or celebrating something.  In Sanskrit Namas means, bow, obeisance, reverential salutation.  Te means to you.  The word namasté, then, means I bow to you.  One commonly held and accepted translation of the gesture and greeting is I honor/celebrate the divine within you and within me.  Blaspheme of the worst kind!

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Acts 17:28 ,29

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Psalms 82:6

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
Hosea 1:10

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8

If we are the offspring of God, then we must be willing to accept the fact that there is within each of us the spark of divinity.  If you deny that there is something of the Divine in each of us, then you must also deny that we are the children of God and so must also deny the scriptures.  I feel that many are afraid of this idea claiming that it somehow diminishes God when in reality they fear it because it places a great burden upon the soul who realizes just what it means.  What better way to remind ourselves and others that we are the children of God, that we have a duty to find the divine within ourselves and let it shine for all the world to see and that the fruit of our efforts, through the Atonement of Christ, will be to become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ?

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Romans 8:14-17

That being said, Namasté

What's your agenda?

My primay agenda—I do have an agenda for this site—is, quite simply, to further the knowledge of, acceptance of and practice of Yoga as a spiritual practice.  Failing that, I do have a secondary agenda which is to further the knowledge of, acceptance of and practice of yoga as a system of physical exercise and well being.  If you read my entry from a week ago Monday, Yoga, Religion and Reality, then you already know the difference between Yoga and yoga.  If you haven't read that entry, then I suggest you do so now as it will give some background to the rest of this entry.

Students from a different community, Hopedale 8^th graders to be exact, are coming to the aid of the Milford Elementary yoga class.

We are currently studying the United States Constitution and would like to share our opinion on Ms. Carlin's argument. Although we feel Ms. Carlin is entitled to her own opinion, it seems as though she misunderstood the purpose of students practicing Yoga as an exercise in gym class.

. . . .

Yoga is known in modern society for its exercise benefits. In a world where obesity is common, exercise has become accepted and promoted as a stress reliever. Yoga is being taught as an exercise program just like Tae Bo, martial arts, Tai Chi, etc.

We must ask ourselves if the intent of the framers of the U.S. Constitution written in 1787 was to isolate Americans. Wasn't America colonized by people searching for religious freedom? If that is the case, then, we are being contradictory of principles this country was built upon.

As Americans, we must understand the difference between the teaching of religion in school and the celebration of different customs, cultures and the exposure to different exercise opportunities.

I must say that I am encouraged to see these students thinking in such a clear fashion.  I am guessing that they were presented Ms. Carlin's letter by their teacher and told to apply their studies of the Constitution to it.  Now, before simply dismissing the letter of these children, remember these words:

15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

The priests and scribes were quite upset at this; after all, no one likes to hear a truth that they don't want to hear and especially not from those who are supposed to be inferior to themselves in some way.  Do not discount the wisdom of youth simply because it is young.

Double Standards

Everywhere I look it seems I see a double standard staring at me.  Aparigraha is a basic tenet of the life of a yogi and yet daily I see the heart of yoga turning more toward profits.  Yoga Journal has advertisements that masquerade as articles.  Prana is not the breath but a clothing line.  Practicing asanas requires at least a sticky mat now, I thought it simply required a body with which to practice?  Today I learned that others seem to believe that satya and brahmacharya should apply to everyone but themselves.  First, lie about what is happening and then admit to having the affairs that were covered up by the first lies and then tell everyone in the world to not do it Even though we did.

What is the root of all this paradox?  Personally, I think it is an attitude that is expressed very well by this statement:

The Need for Personal Practice

I teach 12 yoga classes per week and find it difficult to fit in my own personal asana practice. The eight-limb system has other limbs besides asanas. Is it appropriate to study the other limbs as my practice, or is daily asana practice necessary to be a true yoga teacher?

—Lynne

Read Maty Ezraty's repsonse:

Dear Lynne,

It is important at any stage of one's teaching to study the other limbs of yoga. However, this should not be a substitute for asana practice. You should study the other limbs in conjunction with regular asana practice.

Why the focus on asana practice?  Is it truly more important than the other seven limbs?  I do agree with the concept that one must practice what one teaches.  I would say that focusing on any one limb is no substitute for the practice of any other limb.  It is the extreme focusing on just the asanas that, in my opinion, leads to the paradoxes I mention above.  Is a constant study and practice of all eight limbs going to prevent greed or teachers from having affairs with their students?  No, there will always be those who will abuse their position for one reason or another but I do believe that practicing all eight limbs will dramatically reduce the current trend of turning Yoga into an exercise franchise that is nothing more than a vague mockery of the long spiritual heritage that is Yoga.