Is Yoga Religious? Spiritual Roots of a Physical PracticeWHO OWNS YOGA? That unexpected question arose last year when the Hindu American Foundation identified what it views as two serious misconceptions about yoga that are widespread in the West.Sheveland, John N...
But don’t stifle Yoga in the framework of “ism”, which literally means a distinctive practice or philosophy. There is no “ism” in Hinduism, as it does not conform to one fixed set of laws. So the whole debate on whether Yoga is about religion or not, does not hold ...
In virtually every American style yoga book, they either skirt the religious issue or deny it, but there is meditating and chanting in a foreign language. The number one thing they chant is "om" or "aum". What does this mean? "om" is the hindu symbol of the absolute, their sacred sy...
Now, the civilization established by the Aryans still affects the lives of Indians. The literary, religious and social strata in India are largely Aryanized. Indians use white as beauty and more people in North India - the Bollywood stars we see are also very white. The dark skin of Daruo...
Kundalini yoga is a blend of Bhakti yoga (the yogic practice of devotion and chanting), Raja yoga (the practice of mediation/mental and physical control) and Shakti yoga, (for the expression of power and energy). A well-taught Kundalini yoga class leaves you feeling like you’ve gone to ...
I was drawn to Hinduism – to the Bhagavad Gītā, to the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, the pluralism of Sri Ramakrishna, the practice of yoga, the spiritual aesthetic of bhakti and Tantra – because I found it to be a life-affirming path that enabled me to make sense of some of...
Yogamayais a term that means the “divine illusory power.” As a compound word,yogamayais the personification of this power as an avatar of the Hindu goddess Devi. In Sanskrit, yoga means “union,” and maya translates as “illusion.” Specifically, maya is the illusion that the world is...
Yoga is a product of Eastern thought. A further complication is that the early Yoga teachers were both Indian and Hindu. So from the late 1800's and early 1900's the Yoga teachers who came across were as interested in Hinduism as in Yoga. Often what we were being taught was a mixture...
Devotion is defined as loyalty, dedication or love for someone or something. In the context of yoga and Hindu philosophy, devotion is a spiritual path characterized by deep love and commitment often to God, or the higher Self. In Sanskrit, this devotion is calledbhakti. Bhakti yoga is the ...
How do the Hindu gods relate to Brahman? What is Diksha in Jainism? Is Hinduism the largest religion in the world? Describe the various ways (besides the yogas) that Hindus practice their religion. Why is The Bhagavad Gita important in Hinduism?