This past week I was reading an article in which someone made a comment about why people practice yoga. It said that some come to the mat simply for the often intense physical practice that yoga can provide. It's a form of exercise that has grown in popularity as an option on the movement menu. Others come to the mat for connecting to and awakening their spiritual nature. Many people who are "spiritual but not religious" have found a way to deepen their spiritual selves without the dogma through the various practices of Bhakti (devotional) yoga. It then went on to talk about the divergent paths that people take yet still call all of it yoga.
This type of commentary isn't unusual but this time it sparked a reaction in me that asked, "why can't the practice be both?" Why does it have to be either just physical or just spiritual? Is it for the sake of simplicity or are segments of our populations not ready to experience ALL that yoga has to offer?
In a recent discussion with a yoga friend, she passed along the gist of another conversation related to how yoga has become an external practice in the West. What began as an internal practice in India, a way to attain enlightenment, has morphed into a practice where we are quietly suggesting a "hey, look at me" attitude. Just check out people's yoga posts on Facebook which often reflect the wildest, most complicated and twisted poses you could think humanly possible. The comments are "wow", "impressive" and "who thought anyone could do that". We see the image and decide on the level of the person in the picture. If they're in a no-handed headstand we assume they've achieved great levels of yoga acumen.
Further, just look at the cut, lithe and muscularly lean bodies that fill the pages in yoga magazines, showing off tight fitting, multi-colored outfits in hybrid, high-tech fabrics that wick moisture and eliminate body odor. These images are meant to capture our attention with the subliminal message of "if you do yoga, you too, will look fabulous in these clothes". And perhaps part of that message holds some truth. My beef comes when people are led to believe that this is what yoga is and is meant to be...for young, lean and fit people who want a different workout option. It's watering down a tradition that has lasted for more than 2000 years to something that is to be consumed by a mass market.
Obviously, I hold a different view and truly believe that anyone who can breathe can practice yoga. But how are we being taught? Are students being given permission to not push hard, to back away from pain and that it's OK to wear sweat pants? Are we able to promote the other benefits of yoga without the physical being the primary reason?
With some yoga studios bursting at the seams with students, the industry has had to supply teachers to meet the masses. In doing so, the amount of time spent on and off the mat, walking, talking, studying and breathing yoga might be quite limited for newer teachers who need time to develop a deep practice and be able to relate this to students. Instead of being taught by seasoned Indian masters and gurus, we have created a market that at its root is a reflection of a body-based image not dissimilar to the fitness industry. And as a result, we have moved the focal point of yoga from being one of deep inquiry to one with an outward focus.
I have to believe that as we evolve as an industry we have teachers who are able to bring the essence of the the physical practice as it relates to the philosophical complexities that classical yoga has to offer. Why can't yoga be about having an awesome workout as well as diving into the deeper self? As we're finding our edge, being challenged in a pose or creating a sweaty puddle on the mat, why can't we tap into those energetic clogs that hold us back? I believe this is prime time to not only remove tension in the body, but to look to the deeper internal landscape of what makes us tick. And it's often what makes us tick that leads to tension in the body...they go hand in hand-body, mind and spirit.
We can explore the body, mind, spirit complex in the West through yoga. Instead of unwinding each thread into its individual parts we can remember to experience the whole. What we experience in our physical selves is a reflection of our thinking, feeling and emotional selves and vice versa. And as the Buddha realized, all of life is suffering. When we confront what causes our suffering we can begin to remove these obstacles and step toward a full and compassionate life.
Stepping onto the mat and carrying off the mat what you've experienced and learned through the practice is one of these tools for reducing suffering. And in the process, it does make your body feel amazing!
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