Sunday, September 18, 2011
Benefits of the Philosophy Behind Yoga
Before taking this course, I have always considered yoga in terms of exercise and physical fitness rather than as a philosophy - so when I considered yoga's relation to Christianity and other religions, I was sort of shocked to hear that yoga is actually a questionable topic with regards to religion, particularly Christianity. I consider myself to be rather objective and open-minded in general, especially when it comes to my religious beliefs - so I wouldn't immediately consider religion and yoga as challengers. Personally, I think that the philosophy of yoga could really benefit our society as a whole, and reading and considering the sutras from multiple perspectives has helped me come to this conclusion. When I say "multiple perspectives," I am referring to reading the sutras from a literal perspective and then deeply reflecting on their meanings as they apply to different situations. I think that the messages in all of them are not only useful while practicing yoga - they are a useful tool for reflecting on one's own habits, behaviors, attitudes, and abilities.
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I totally agree! I never thought that yoga was compatible with Christianity - not that I thought they opposed each other. I guess I never put much thought into a relationship between the two. However, our class discussion made me excited about thinking how I could incorporate yoga into my faith life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that our society could benefit from more widespread yoga practice and philosophy. good observations.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well. When I previously thought of yoga, I really looked at it as more of an exercise than philosophy. I never really considered yoga conflicting with Christianity or being compatible with it. Like Melissa said, our class discussion made me realize that I can do yoga and have an experience with my God, since the sutras do not reference a specific god.
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