Yoga is Hindu. Period.

[Anonymous]

My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is seriously strange, considering that physical yoga originated in Egypt.

Yeah so weird seeing how there is evidence of yoga in the Harappan and Indus Valley Civilization which are a couple thousand years older than the Egyptian civilization.

There has been evidence of yoga in Eygpt, not that predates yoga in India, but it was certainly a part of the culture there as a spiritual/religious and medicinal practice (not simply physical, no one needed to exercise back then, lol). That's because there has always historically been a great deal of cultural exchanges between the two areas, inclusive of Yemen and Oman.

Denial is a powerful thing. Though not as powerful as the truth.

Hell yeah it is. That is evident from all the 101 excuses on this thread about how yoga is not Hindu so they can sleep better at night and give themselves a pat on the back after they perfect their 'physical stretching position'. TRUTH.

I have done yoga maybe once in the last 20 years. I just find claims of "cultural appropriation" that ignore how cultures and religions constantly borrow from each other, thoroughly annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

Once again the point that I believe OP was trying to make (though worded really poorly) is that it's absolutely fine to do yoga. No Hindu cares if you want to do it, the problem occurs when all this de-linking from Hinduism happens. Cutting it off and saying it's got nothing to do with our religion, that it's just a 'cultural mashup', it's just physical, it's kosher if I call it Kosher Yoga or Torah Yoga or it's not Hindu if we call it ChristianYoga or HolyMoves.

Do the Indian people you know that put up a Christmas tree have an organization changing Christmas to Krishnamas, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Do they say it's a cultural mashup and that a cradle with Baby Krishna should be placed on a makeshift manger outside. Have they patented whatever different worship methods you do on Christmas and say it's their own now?

It's one thing to recognize that you are participating in a part of another culture and to value it and appreciate it. It's completely another thing to say if you practice it the same way and change the name that it has nothing to do with the origins.

It's a double slap in the face when ancient religious practices are patented and claimed by people who so badly try to distance themselves from the origins in fear of being "tainted" by the name Hinduism since they're so afraid of going to hell if they acknowledge that's where they are actually borrowing and learning this knowledge from.

If you fear Hinduism so much and hate the fact that the Sanskrit word yoga is intertwined with Hinduism and India for that matter then go back to your Step Aerobics class and leave it be and don't try to faux sanitize so you practice it without that weird Abrahamic guilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is seriously strange, considering that physical yoga originated in Egypt.

Yeah so weird seeing how there is evidence of yoga in the Harappan and Indus Valley Civilization which are a couple thousand years older than the Egyptian civilization.

There has been evidence of yoga in Eygpt, not that predates yoga in India, but it was certainly a part of the culture there as a spiritual/religious and medicinal practice (not simply physical, no one needed to exercise back then, lol). That's because there has always historically been a great deal of cultural exchanges between the two areas, inclusive of Yemen and Oman.

Denial is a powerful thing. Though not as powerful as the truth.

Hell yeah it is. That is evident from all the 101 excuses on this thread about how yoga is not Hindu so they can sleep better at night and give themselves a pat on the back after they perfect their 'physical stretching position'. TRUTH.

Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

Once again the point that I believe OP was trying to make (though worded really poorly) is that it's absolutely fine to do yoga. No Hindu cares if you want to do it, the problem occurs when all this de-linking from Hinduism happens. Cutting it off and saying it's got nothing to do with our religion, that it's just a 'cultural mashup', it's just physical, it's kosher if I call it Kosher Yoga or Torah Yoga or it's not Hindu if we call it ChristianYoga or HolyMoves.

Do the Indian people you know that put up a Christmas tree have an organization changing Christmas to Krishnamas, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Do they say it's a cultural mashup and that a cradle with Baby Krishna should be placed on a makeshift manger outside. Have they patented whatever different worship methods you do on Christmas and say it's their own now?

It's one thing to recognize that you are participating in a part of another culture and to value it and appreciate it. It's completely another thing to say if you practice it the same way and change the name that it has nothing to do with the origins.

It's a double slap in the face when ancient religious practices are patented and claimed by people who so badly try to distance themselves from the origins in fear of being "tainted" by the name Hinduism since they're so afraid of going to hell if they acknowledge that's where they are actually borrowing and learning this knowledge from.

If you fear Hinduism so much and hate the fact that the Sanskrit word yoga is intertwined with Hinduism and India for that matter then go back to your Step Aerobics class and leave it be and don't try to faux sanitize so you practice it without that weird Abrahamic guilt.

All of this x100000000000

[Anonymous]

So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

Do the Indian people you know that put up a Christmas tree have an organization changing Christmas to Krishnamas, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Do they say it's a cultural mashup and that a cradle with Baby Krishna should be placed on a makeshift manger outside. Have they patented whatever different worship methods you do on Christmas and say it's their own now?

Not sure about the Indians, but quite a few Jewish people (and people in mixed Jewish Christian marriages) do something like that.

Jewish kabbalah, Sufism, and medieval Christian mysticism likely all influenced one another, included passing spiritual "techniques" back and forth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

Once again the point that I believe OP was trying to make (though worded really poorly) is that it's absolutely fine to do yoga. No Hindu cares if you want to do it, the problem occurs when all this de-linking from Hinduism happens. Cutting it off and saying it's got nothing to do with our religion, that it's just a 'cultural mashup', it's just physical, it's kosher if I call it Kosher Yoga or Torah Yoga or it's not Hindu if we call it ChristianYoga or HolyMoves.

Do the Indian people you know that put up a Christmas tree have an organization changing Christmas to Krishnamas, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Do they say it's a cultural mashup and that a cradle with Baby Krishna should be placed on a makeshift manger outside. Have they patented whatever different worship methods you do on Christmas and say it's their own now?

It's one thing to recognize that you are participating in a part of another culture and to value it and appreciate it. It's completely another thing to say if you practice it the same way and change the name that it has nothing to do with the origins.

It's a double slap in the face when ancient religious practices are patented and claimed by people who so badly try to distance themselves from the origins in fear of being "tainted" by the name Hinduism since they're so afraid of going to hell if they acknowledge that's where they are actually borrowing and learning this knowledge from.

If you fear Hinduism so much and hate the fact that the Sanskrit word yoga is intertwined with Hinduism and India for that matter then go back to your Step Aerobics class and leave it be and don't try to faux sanitize so you practice it without that weird Abrahamic guilt.

rereading OP, it seems she was referring to programs that do not hide the Hindu roots. She insists not just that it has Hindu roots, but that it cannot be used apart from the Hindu roots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

Same question. Esp. since the studio/instructor I go to doesn't do any of the things mentioned in the OP. We do poses, and occasionally talk about self-care. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

You should probably avoid torah yoga.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

Same question. Esp. since the studio/instructor I go to doesn't do any of the things mentioned in the OP. We do poses, and occasionally talk about self-care. That's it.

I'll respond, even though I'm not sure either of you really want to have a grown up discussion if you refer to people as mr/ms bossy pants.

Atheism and Hinduism do not clash. Well, Hinduism does not clash with any religion for that matter it's the other religions that seem to have the issues but back to the point.

There are Hindus that are atheists and there is an atheistic sect, Nastika, within the folds of Hinduism. You need not be Hindu nor follow Nastika to do Yoga. Like I said before, Hindus don't care if you have another religion or if you have no religion, all are welcome as Hinduism is a pluralistic faith in the truest sense.

You simply should understand and accept that you are participating in Hindu religious traditions as you practice yoga.

Atheists don't believe in a creator but cannot deny existence. Existence is the core here. As you practice that awareness and mental calmness brings your mind inward. That inward you is existence and that existence is present in not just every other human but in EVERYTHING. Those tiny molecules that form us also form everything around us at the very basic level. Everything is connected and yoga disciplines the body and the mind to help you feel and learn this connection at a deeper level. This is the core of Hinduism. All are interconnected.

Vasudeva Kutambakam= the world/earth is one family

Do yoga- if it makes you feel good or changes you, thank our ancient Hindu rishis for expounding this wonderful system to us. The point is not to strip it from the source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
rereading OP, it seems she was referring to programs that do not hide the Hindu roots. She insists not just that it has Hindu roots, but that it cannot be used apart from the Hindu roots.

The OP also wrote essay-length posts throughout the thread explaining why as well.

You don't have to be Hindu to do yoga but you do have to practice it by acknowledging its Hindu roots. You definitely can't insult Hinduism as "idolatrous" and then take great pains to justify robbing an "idolatrous" religious practice for your own selfish health concerns from a religious tradition that you clearly disdain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

Same question. Esp. since the studio/instructor I go to doesn't do any of the things mentioned in the OP. We do poses, and occasionally talk about self-care. That's it.

I'll respond, even though I'm not sure either of you really want to have a grown up discussion if you refer to people as mr/ms bossy pants.

Atheism and Hinduism do not clash. Well, Hinduism does not clash with any religion for that matter it's the other religions that seem to have the issues but back to the point.

There are Hindus that are atheists and there is an atheistic sect, Nastika, within the folds of Hinduism. You need not be Hindu nor follow Nastika to do Yoga. Like I said before, Hindus don't care if you have another religion or if you have no religion, all are welcome as Hinduism is a pluralistic faith in the truest sense.

You simply should understand and accept that you are participating in Hindu religious traditions as you practice yoga.

Atheists don't believe in a creator but cannot deny existence. Existence is the core here. As you practice that awareness and mental calmness brings your mind inward. That inward you is existence and that existence is present in not just every other human but in EVERYTHING. Those tiny molecules that form us also form everything around us at the very basic level. Everything is connected and yoga disciplines the body and the mind to help you feel and learn this connection at a deeper level. This is the core of Hinduism. All are interconnected.

Vasudeva Kutambakam= the world/earth is one family

Do yoga- if it makes you feel good or changes you, thank our ancient Hindu rishis for expounding this wonderful system to us. The point is not to strip it from the source.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
rereading OP, it seems she was referring to programs that do not hide the Hindu roots. She insists not just that it has Hindu roots, but that it cannot be used apart from the Hindu roots.

The OP also wrote essay-length posts throughout the thread explaining why as well.

You don't have to be Hindu to do yoga but you do have to practice it by acknowledging its Hindu roots. You definitely can't insult Hinduism as "idolatrous" and then take great pains to justify robbing an "idolatrous" religious practice for your own selfish health concerns from a religious tradition that you clearly disdain.

I acknowledge yoga has hindu roots. health concerns are not selfish, as it is in the interest of all to improve health. There is no robbing - when one faith tradition (or even a corporate entity) uses something from another faith tradition, the other faith tradition still has it. Do you want royalties? There is no intellectual property law for these things. Jews cannot sue Christianity for "robbing" the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity cannot sue Islam for "robbing" Christ, etc. No one owns these things.

I do not disdain Hinduism. It is one of mankind's great faith traditions and a key part of one of its great civilizations1. I do acknowledge that in Judaism (I cannot speak to Christianity or Islam) there are certain aspects of ther faith traditions it is forbidden to incorporate. That is not an insult, just a fact about Jewish law.

[Anonymous]

Yoga is a part of Hinduism. To do yoga poses does not make you a Hindu. If you enjoy doing poses by all means do them. No one owns culture. Practice culture as you see fit. It is however respectful to acknowledge yoga's cultural origins and expansion in Egypt and India. It is respectful because in western culture Eastern culture and peoples have often been denigrated and presented as inferior. Acknowledging that you enjoy poses that come from Egypt and India acknowledges that these cultures and people have had something positive and valuable to offer the world.