Yoga As Blasphemy? Muslim Clerics Ban Practice

I tend to see yoga as more of a spiritual practice than a religious one. However, I'm training to be a yoga teacher and I was recently asked to teach a special class for a friend's wedding party. She told me she loves yoga and thinks it'll be a lot of fun for everyone in her bridal party, but she said she has a really hard time with the religious aspect. She's not overly religious, but saying namaste at the conclusion of each yoga session rubs her the wrong way. Fanatics aren't the only ones that have a hard time separating spirituality from religion–but they (fanatics) do manage to do it all with more gusto.

Yoga is ortho-praxy, “correct practice.” Islam (like the other Western faiths) is ortho-dox, concerned with “correct belief.”

There is nothing in yoga that has anything to do with belief, other than a vague belief that good health is….well, “good.” It is about performing correct actions, stretches and breathing and whatnot, you the practicer may believe whatever you want. (This is incidentally why gurus and charlatans can exist side-by-side in ortho-praxic religons.)

So, basically, the Islamic Councils of Maylaysia et. al. are showing the world that they are supremely ignorant of anything resembling true faith, and merely telling their followers to avoid yoga because they are afraid of India’s regional power.

For shame!

i am currently enrolled in a Yoga class. the health benefits of Yoga on myself is great. I am more relaxed and i can sleep well at night.

thank you for this great article, I love it.