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It’s A Human Construct: This Dichotomy
By gartenfische | July 26, 2007
The cross hanging on the wall in the yoga shala was a lovely gift when I noticed it during practice—a reminder that yoga and Christianity don’t have to be at odds, that these two loves of mine are not natural enemies. I e-mailed the owner to thank her, and she wrote back: ”I hoped it might be welcoming to Christians who practice yoga. I want students to understand that yoga has a spiritual aspect to it, but it’s not a religion.” She also said she thought it helped to “level the playing field of spirituality, so to speak.”
May we all be as understanding and accepting of one another’s religions.
I have to manage to practice by myself today. Yoga buddies are busy/gone for the week. (How easy it is for people to run off and leave their friends in moments of need. Ha—just kidding—I know you all had really important things to do.) And this morning, I understood perfectly why they say the point of yoga is to prepare our bodies for meditation, because my back was killing me and I found myself wriggling around every time I managed to start letting go. Maybe it’s mad because I haven’t practiced since Monday. :(
And I just got back from the library, where I went to pick up my copy of Annie Dillard’s new book, The Maytrees, and they had already sent it away because I was supposed to pick it up by the 25th, and I thought I had until the 26th. :(
Topics: Ashtanga, yoga, meditation, Christianity, life |
July 26th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
That is a lovely gesture. I’m sure there are many Christian yogis who appreciate the symbols being inclusive.
What are all those yoga buddies doing, abandoning you? ;-) Sheesh.
I’ll think of you when I practice on my own tomorrow morning. :-)
July 26th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Yeah! Abandonment of a yoga buddy should be a crime.
Tomorrow morning while you’re practicing I hope to be sleeping. Hope you have a good practice. . . .
July 27th, 2007 at 5:24 am
Hey… I would like to know more about Progressive Christianity. Your website design reminds me of the Orthodox Christian Church… the golden glow and the icon in the sidebar… I’m coming from an Eastern Orthodox Country, so there is something very familiar about it…
July 27th, 2007 at 5:32 am
I prefer practicing alone in my own Yoga Sanctuary that I have created at home. Just room for me, Jesus, Buddha, a few plants and a comfortable chair. I get inspiration from Buddha to keep me on the path and I get love from Jesus.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:45 am
You might also like to listen and find something for yourself in here:
http://media35b.libsyn.com/podcasts/c24d3af6bbcb289b2fb857dcb0fabfcc/46a9d89f/mudramoments/Mudra_Moments_-_01_Let_the_Mudra_Begin.mp3
July 27th, 2007 at 6:47 am
I hope you were sleeping! It was, what, 2 in the morning for you?
July 27th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Moonmaid, I can’t say I’m an expert on “Progressive Christianity,” it’s a term some of us seem to be using to distinguish ourselves from the more conservative, evangelical Christians, partly because so many people are under the impression that there is one kind of Christian and it is conservative. I love so many things about the Orthodox church–how old it is (tradition), the icons, etc. It feels so holy. It just annoys me that women can’t be priests.
Gypsy, I have also created a yoga/meditation room, with my icons, meditation chair, candle, etc, and I love to sit there and meditate, I just wish I could get past whatever the block is to practicing by myself. I even have this lovely space to do it in! I am glad that some people don’t have that problem.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
It feels really good, when you see people understanding the actual meaning of religion/spiritualism..
Yoga has been practiced in my part of the world for along time. Yoga is a term not many understand properly. The more popular “hatha yoga” which is associated with various asanas is something which has been widely accepted, and people have started to separate this from religion.
This as you say is to prepare your body, but the next three types are the ones which really help you the person.
Karma yoga
Bakthi yoga
Jnana yoga.
Not many people know that all three have nothing to do with a religion, and not many know the importance and amazing power these can give.