Yoga is not a religion. It has no creed or fixed set of beliefs, nor is there a prescribed godlike figure to be worshiped in a particular manner. Religions for the most part seem to be based upon the belief in and worship of things (God or godlike figures) that exist outside of oneself. The core of Yoga’s philosophy is that everything is supplied from within the individual. Thus, there is no dependence on an external figure, either in the sense of a person or god figure, or a religious organization. (As cited in Schmidt, 2004, p. 2)
Yoga
Yoga is not a religion. It has no creed or fixed set of beliefs, nor is there a prescribed godlike figure to be worshiped in a particular manner. Religions for the most part seem to be based upon the belief in and worship of things (God or godlike figures) that exist outside of oneself. The core of Yoga’s philosophy is that everything is supplied from within the individual. Thus, there is no dependence on an external figure, either in the sense of a person or god figure, or a religious organization. (As cited in Schmidt, 2004, p. 2)
This quote provides insight into the inclusive nature of yoga. The Sanskrit root term for yoga is ‘yug’ which means ‘to unite, yoke, join’ (Hoyez, 2007). In our contemporary world, there are many interpretations of this global practice. The practice involves several techniques that are a combination of body postures, breathing exercises and various mental disciplines.
Asana – the combination of physical body postures. The postures are often done in a sequence and can have an energizing or calming affect. Postures can be done standing, seated in a chair or on the ground, or lying on the ground.
Pranayama – breathing exercises that are accessible. The exercises require focus and concentration. It is believed to reduce over-reactivity, sadness and fear.
Meditation – an experience of laying in a supine position or in a seat position with ones eyes closed and focus is on their relaxed breath…inhale…exhale.
This is a very simplified overview of a complex system and is not inclusive of the philosophy the practice is grounded in. This is taking into consideration – if applying yoga to the context of humanitarian relief the practice must remain simple and limited to asana, pranayama, and/or meditation with no inclusion of the philosophical components. This is to ensure no tension is created around cultural or religious beliefs present in the community.
To learn more about the philosophy and traditional yogic practices, click on this link.
Yoga
Yoga is not a religion. It has no creed or fixed set of beliefs, nor is there a prescribed godlike figure to be worshiped in a particular manner. Religions for the most part seem to be based upon the belief in and worship of things (God or godlike figures) that exist outside of oneself. The core of Yoga’s philosophy is that everything is supplied from within the individual. Thus, there is no dependence on an external figure, either in the sense of a person or god figure, or a religious organization. (As cited in Schmidt, 2004, p. 2)
This quote provides insight into the inclusive nature of yoga. The Sanskrit root term for yoga is ‘yug’ which means ‘to unite, yoke, join’ (Hoyez, 2007). In our contemporary world, there are many interpretations of this global practice. The practice involves several techniques that are a combination of body postures, breathing exercises and various mental disciplines.
Asana – the combination of physical body postures. The postures are often done in a sequence and can have an energizing or calming affect. Postures can be done standing, seated in a chair or on the ground, or lying on the ground.
Pranayama – breathing exercises that are accessible. The exercises require focus and concentration. It is believed to reduce over-reactivity, sadness and fear.
Meditation – an experience of laying in a supine position or in a seat position with ones eyes closed and focus is on their relaxed breath…inhale…exhale.
This is a very simplified overview of a complex system and is not inclusive of the philosophy the practice is grounded in. This is taking into consideration – if applying yoga to the context of humanitarian relief the practice must remain simple and limited to asana, pranayama, and/or meditation with no inclusion of the philosophical components. This is to ensure no tension is created around cultural or religious beliefs present in the community.
To learn more about the philosophy and traditional yogic practices, click on this link.