Your thoughts on Yoga

[cjd]

My mom takes Yoga because she has Multiple Sclerosis.

I think Yoga is a very good form of exercise.  Probably very 'gentle' on the body and mind. 
I can understand why your Mom takes Yoga classes.

It doesn't have to be performed perfectly.  I think the point is to increase your flexability.
I have taken Yoga classes.  Never was it a religious experience.  That is what I'm missing in this debate.

well if you're doing some exercise routine designed in a foreign land, something so foreign that if you were told that the exercise you were doing was called the balu farhar shamaleetaktak which means the double belly stretch of the warrior lioness,   you would just nod unquestioningly. So don't be suprised if some of the hums, and well timed Ohs and Ahs and Ums and whatever, are some kind of names of idols that the ancient practioners meditated on, and you're meditating over those names, saying those names.. not realising the meaning behind it. You'd be better off with a non-idolatrous version since you just want the exercise.
then you wouldn't know

My question......Is it idolatrous if the person doing the yoga is doing it for exercise sake and could not care less what all the chanting means?

[✡ Hindu Zionist ॐ]

Ok, i see there is a lot of confusions over Yoga

First, Yoga was not propogated by Hindu Gods and thus Yoga naturally lies outside the domain of Hindusim. Yoga was created by Yogis, Yogis are Saint like people.. they did not worship any kind of Idols. In simple terms,some yogis meditated on the Supreme Being, while some yogis do not even meditate on anything ..During anceint times Yogis used go to remote places where no humans can disturb them, like forests,Mountains..etc They used to meditate for years without any food, their only aim was to know "G-d" , the search for "truth". Consider a Yogi meditating and asking questions repeatedly to his inner self "Who am I, Who is controller of the World" . By continously asking questions, they used to transcend into some special realm and used to achieve supreme bliss. As meditating for years without  much food and horrible climatic conditions, it was essential for them to develop certain excercises to remain fit in order to achieve their goals, This is how Physical Yoga came into being. So these excersies were deviced by these mystic men for Health reasons in their quest for spirituality.

In simple terms "Yoga" means Practise of physical or mental aspects of human beings to obtain certain goals. Yoga DOES NOT mean Exercises or Mediation alone..

Thus any person belonging to any faith is always indulging in some form of Yoga or other through various kinds of work. Hence many kinds of Yogas came into being.

Karma yoga: The yoga of action (any action good or bad)
Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion (Service to G-d)
Jnana yoga: The yoga of knowledge (Study of Holy books)
Hatha Yoga: The yoga of just Physical Self and/or Mental Self
Raja Yoga: The yoga of Mental Self
Pranava Yoga: The yoga of Mental Self (meditating of Aum)
Kundalini yoga: Combination of Physical,Mental and Breathing techniques. The most dangerous form of Yoga. Has to be done perfectly else its fatal, i have lost one of my relative to this. Yoga masters themself do not try this.

[q_q_]

My mom takes Yoga because she has Multiple Sclerosis.

I think Yoga is a very good form of exercise.  Probably very 'gentle' on the body and mind. 
I can understand why your Mom takes Yoga classes.

It doesn't have to be performed perfectly.  I think the point is to increase your flexability.
I have taken Yoga classes.  Never was it a religious experience.  That is what I'm missing in this debate.

well if you're doing some exercise routine designed in a foreign land, something so foreign that if you were told that the exercise you were doing was called the balu farhar shamaleetaktak which means the double belly stretch of the warrior lioness,   you would just nod unquestioningly. So don't be suprised if some of the hums, and well timed Ohs and Ahs and Ums and whatever, are some kind of names of idols that the ancient practioners meditated on, and you're meditating over those names, saying those names.. not realising the meaning behind it. You'd be better off with a non-idolatrous version since you just want the exercise.
then you wouldn't know

My question......Is it idolatrous if the person doing the yoga is doing it for exercise sake and could not care less what all the chanting means?

well it's a bit like a person that is fooled into bowing to an idol..  not quite as bad - fooled into meditating over the name of one, but it's a very negative thing..  Though it's not being fooled. Internally you are well aware that it is just the word for its meditative uses.

whether it's technically idolatry or not may just be a question of how strict you want to be.

you could look up about yoga for christians, or something.   So you know what chants are problematic. It's really just some of the chants that need changing.. Maybe you could even go to a regular class and when you do it you could sit away from the crowd so you don't distract them, and replace Om with Omb or bomb or maybe better, with a word made from the same kind of part of the mouth, so replace Om with Ob or Off. Or since you're so far away from them "Toff"(a british slang word for members of the upper classes ;-))  They might nod and you'll have invented a new group yoga exercise.

[nessuno]

   I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

[cjd]

well it's a bit like a person that is fooled into bowing to an idol..  not quite as bad - fooled into meditating over the name of one, but it's a very negative thing..  Though it's not being fooled. Internally you are well aware that it is just the word for its meditative uses.

whether it's technically idolatry or not may just be a question of how strict you want to be.

I'm with you as far as the idol worship goes q_q and yoga is just not for me in any form. I am so tired at the end of the day from all my activities exercising is almost not in the cards. I have a thread mill  and exercise bike I use from time to time in the winter while watching the news on TV but that's about it. I was just exploring what folks think could be idolatrous. I like your answer.

[New Yorker]

That lovely actress Janine Turner has made a DVD which teaches "Christian Yoga".

I'm still of the opinion that there's no problem with Yoga to begin with and you're all really being over the top.

Too much of this. 


I'll just do this... 

[q_q_]

  I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

careful with the bomb bomb bomb one though, you don't want to hypnotize yourself  (though hypnotizing yourself to bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet while he's busy on it might be a good idea)

[muman613]

The only one medatative style I ever learned was called Hamsa meditation as taught by Swami Muktananda. I learned this while in my late teens and it involved a mantra of concentrating on the breathing in and out, on the in breath you would concentrate on Ham... On the out breath you would concentrate on Sa... It has been many, many {maybe 25 years} since I tried that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Muktananda

I just found a web page which discusses this style:

http://www.alternative-medicine.net/meditation/english.html

How to Meditate
There are many ways to meditate. They all seem to lead to the same place, so find one that suits you. Here I describe a classic meditation that is simple and easy.

Mantras: A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated to yourself. It could be spoken aloud, as a chant, or silently, as in meditation. Many people think that the best mantras are sounds which have no clear meaning, and are used as a way of displacing your usual thoughts and moving your awareness inward. There are many mantras ranging from words taken from Hindu Sanskrit to Christian scripture (especially when "saying the rosary," where the repetition of the prayer is meditative). If you do not already know of a good mantra to use I suggest you use "hamsa." This is a natural mantra, being the sound that one makes when breathing, with "ham" (h-ah-m) on inhalation and "sa" (s-ah) on exhalation.

Directions for the hamsa meditation:

    * Sit comfortably. A quiet place is preferred, but not required.
    * Close your eyes. Breathe naturally. Sit for about one minute before you begin thinking the mantra to allow your heart and breathing to slow.
    * Gently bring your attention to your breath and begin to think the mantra, gently and easily. Just let it come, don't force it. Think "ham" on the inhale and "sa" on the exhale. Allow yourself to be absorbed in it.
    * Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go with detachment. Don't try to control them in any way. Just note them, and when you realize that you are not repeating the mantra, gently return to the mantra. Do not try to force yourself to think the mantra to the exclusion of all other thoughts. You may experience a deep state of relaxation but it is OK if you don't.
    * Meditate in this way for 20 minutes (children for less time).
    * When done, take about a minute to slowly return to normal awareness. Be gentle with yourself when opening your eyes or coming to stand after a meditation. It isn't good for your heart to get up quickly after the state of deep rest that is often a result of meditation. Note: It is OK to glance at a clock to time the meditation. **Don't use an alarm timer.**

There is much written on this Hamsa meditation mantra.

[nessuno]

  I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

careful with the bomb bomb bomb one though, you don't want to hypnotize yourself  (though hypnotizing yourself to bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet while he's busy on it might be a good idea)

Might be.

[q_q_]

  I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

careful with the bomb bomb bomb one though, you don't want to hypnotize yourself  (though hypnotizing yourself to bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet while he's busy on it might be a good idea)

Might be.

well people might call you "the toilet bomber".  I dont think that's a nice title for a woman, particularly inappropriate for a lady of valour, like yourself.

[muman613]

This discussion is just getting silly...

Toilet Bomber... Oy vey!

[q_q_]

This discussion is just getting silly...

Toilet Bomber... Oy vey!

that's not funny, don't ruin things.

[nessuno]

  I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

careful with the bomb bomb bomb one though, you don't want to hypnotize yourself  (though hypnotizing yourself to bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet while he's busy on it might be a good idea)

Might be.

well people might call you "the toilet bomber".  I dont think that's a nice title for a woman, particularly inappropriate for a lady of valour, like yourself.

Yes.  I think you're right q_q_.  It might spoil my image.  It takes courage and valor to put that melon on my head every day.  Thanks for thinking of my image.   

[nessuno]

This discussion is just getting silly...

Toilet Bomber... Oy vey!

Sometimes you have to laugh Muman.  That's not a bad thing.

[q_q_]

  I have never chanted during Yoga class.  The exercise form, I participated in, that won't kill you if not performed perfectly.
I must thank you q_q_.  I don't think I will ever exercise again without chanting in my head.  Bomb, Bomb, Bomb or Toff, Toff, Toff.
 

careful with the bomb bomb bomb one though, you don't want to hypnotize yourself  (though hypnotizing yourself to bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet while he's busy on it might be a good idea)

Might be.

well people might call you "the toilet bomber".  I dont think that's a nice title for a woman, particularly inappropriate for a lady of valour, like yourself.

Yes.  I think you're right q_q_.  It might spoil my image.  It takes courage and valour to put that melon on my head every day.  Thanks for thinking of my image.   

alright, you're an armchair hero, or if you're in your bedroom, a bedroom hero(that's practical!!).  I'm sure that if you could access a bomb, and you had a tunnel long enough to get to the proper location in iran, you would bomb Ahmedinejad's toilet! and then you would be a real hero. So it's a thin line between being a wannabe hero and a hero, it's a question of opportunity!

I must pick out your spelling of valour. I am british so I spell it valour. You though as an american, should spell it valor.  Like colour and color.

[nessuno]

I knew it was spelled valor.
I must admit to being too lazy to check myself last night.
It's true.
I came back here to change it this morning and here you are  !
That's ok...you wouldn't be q_q_ if you weren't.
And q_q_...what if I want to spell it valour?
Will I be written a ticket?
 
PS - Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

[syyuge]

British spellings are correct, but are not supported by American softwares. So American spellings are getting more and more popularity at the cost of Oxford and Bhargava Dictionaries.

[Rubystars]

Since people have been online a lot of Americans use British spellings because they think it's nice. I'd much rather see Americans imitate the British than Africans for once. I hope that's ok.

[q_q_]

I knew it was spelled valor.
I must admit to being too lazy to check myself last night.
It's true.
I came back here to change it this morning and here you are  !
That's ok...you wouldn't be q_q_ if you weren't.
And q_q_...what if I want to spell it valour?
Will I be written a ticket?
 
PS - Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

America is a great country, and you've built yourself your own dumbed down spellings, you should be proud and use them!

for example,  Aeroplane is a bit difficult for you americans to even say, so you say Airplane

Aluminium is a bit difficult, that ium, just far too hard. So many americans write aluminum (with funny syllabic stress too).

The "our" of colour and valour, vigour e.t.c. become "or" in america. Color, valor, vigor.

cheque(as in bank)  becomes check

You can't blame african americans for those!

I just hope you won't be writing "axe" too commonly in the future - as in I is go-in-a/goner axe a question!

[Rubystars]

Kundalini yoga: Combination of Physical,Mental and Breathing techniques. The most dangerous form of Yoga. Has to be done perfectly else its fatal, i have lost one of my relative to this. Yoga masters themself do not try this.

I've heard of people dying from it but I didn't know if it was true or not. That's truly scary. I'm sorry you lost your relative to that.
How can that happen? Is it something about raising the body temperature?

[q_q_]

that guy I linked to, Gil Locks, when he went to india, did Sidda meditations, Siddha Yoga I suppose.. He reached the highest level, saw blue pearls or something. He had people dropping to his feet , because they sensed powers he had gained. He started hearing voices telling him to do things. He said he had more voices in his head than israel national radio.. He described how he got himself into one situation where his body kept sleeping his mind waking him up, he'd bounce up and his head hit the low ceiling, and he had to get out of that cycle. He returned to america and at one point his routine was to meditate 10 hours a day, he also did  23 hours a day for a while, and for one hour he'd have a bit of ice cream or something..  He was in the papers, he sat on a park bench , just sat there and  everybody was just attracted to him and wanted to be around him, crime in the area went down while he was there.  His story is really crazy!!

[Rubystars]

Meditation is a whole other thing that's scary to me. I mean I heard if you get really into it, it could mimic hallucinogenic experiences. It's interesting to note that many hallucinogens are actually manufactured by the brain itself.

[nessuno]

I knew it was spelled valor.
I must admit to being too lazy to check myself last night.
It's true.
I came back here to change it this morning and here you are  !
That's ok...you wouldn't be q_q_ if you weren't.
And q_q_...what if I want to spell it valour?
Will I be written a ticket?
 
PS - Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

America is a great country, and you've built yourself your own dumbed down spellings, you should be proud and use them!

for example,  Aeroplane is a bit difficult for you americans to even say, so you say Airplane

Aluminium is a bit difficult, that ium, just far too hard. So many americans write aluminum (with funny syllabic stress too).

The "our" of colour and valour, vigour e.t.c. become "or" in america. Color, valor, vigor.

cheque(as in bank)  becomes check

You can't blame african americans for those!

I just hope you won't be writing "axe" too commonly in the future - as in I is go-in-a/goner axe a question!

I'm not gonna axe you nothin q_q_.
We're Americans.
We don't have time to put on airs.
Those extra letter might look pretty, other then that they serve no purpose.
I take it back.  Let me axe you.  Does it hurt your head to think so much? Maybe you should meditate.

Just kidding.  I like having the grammar and spelling police on the forum. 

[bd1111]

Hindus and Jews are the only hope for this planet. No one else seems to be interested in winning the war Muslims have declared on us.

If Yoga brings our two cultures together and fosters mutual understanding, it is a great thing.

Hinduism has a lot to offer beyond Yoga. It doesn't make you any less a Jew if you learn about Hinduism. We are in this together.

[q_q_]

<snip>  I like having the grammar and spelling police on the forum. 

I'm a good spelling policeman, but I don't watch grammar..

Maybe JTF should put out an ad for a grammar policeman?

or policewoman, imagine that!