Yoga Is Not a Religion

The word, yoga, is derived from Sanskrit, one of the world's most ancient languages. In its

simplicity, the word yoga means: "creating union or balance in a person's body, mind, and

spirit.”

Yoga originally developed in the tropical south of India many thousands of years ago, by

ascetics living a strict and disciplined lifestyle. Through the millennia, the "yogis" as they were

known, were vegetarians, wore minimal clothing, and lived literally close to the earth learning

directly from nature.

They observed that the bodies of animals in nature were almost always perfectly

balanced. They exhibited near perfect flexibility, strength and endurance and lived in

equilibrium with their environment. When hungry, animals ate. When tired, they rested.

And when injured, animals sought refuge in a quiet and protected environment until they

healed or died. Animals, the yogis observed, showed little fear or anxiety; but when they

did, it didn't last long because animals, they surmised, did not appear concerned about

their past or future.

For thousands of years, the yogis among other things, developed and codified a system of

exercises that emulated the perfection of nature. The ancient yoga texts described how

their physical practices enhanced both their health and spirituality. Now, keep in mind that

these ancient people lived in totally protected environments and spent virtually all of their time

in devotional prayer, which included the exercises.

Until the beginning of the twentieth century, yoga was practiced only in India and only by

Hindus. That’s why yoga had originally been associated with Hinduism. But to be sure;

the physical and mental components of the yoga most of us practice today here in the West

have nothing whatsoever to do with anyone’s religion or belief system. "Yoga," simply means

"the movement toward union or balance.”

Through the centuries, many styles of yoga developed from the religious to the physical to the

etherial, but only a few became popular in the West. Here in the West, some yoga practices still

are based upon religion while other popular approaches focus primarily upon physical

exercises while other approaches focus only upon breath control.

However most yoga taught in the West today is a combination of varying degrees of physical

exercises and breath control, and is commonly known as “Hatha Yoga." And within Hatha

Yoga, there are many different styles; some based upon more athletic forms that generate

enormous physical stamina, strength, and flexibility while others focus upon remedial exercises

for recovery of illness, injury, or just growing older; and there are many styles of yoga in

between.

Whatever the form, yoga helps the practitioner move toward enhanced physical and emotional

balance. Whether approached remedially, athletically, or anywhere in between, its ultimate aim

remains unchanged. Just as the ancient ascetics looked to the natural world thousands of

years ago to find stillness and equilibrium, today's practitioner uses breath and movement to

quiet the noise of modern life. Ultimately, yoga bridges the gap between ancient wisdom and

contemporary wellness, offering a timeless roadmap back to ourselves.