The world is living through a lot of tumult at the moment: governments falling, economies teetering on the brink of failure. As if that global drama is not enough for us to deal with, it seems that this turmoil is also playing itself out, albeit in a much more minor and somewhat ridiculous way, within our yoga community.
Lately, there has been one yoga controversy after the next. This week the controversy was about the New York Times article labeling yoga as “dangerous.” That one kicked up quite a firestorm!
And most recently, the one that is currently swirling around and in which I have found myself front and center, is the controversy of the Equinox Sex.. er, I mean Yoga, video.
I first saw this video last week when it was posted on Elephant Journal. I was immediately captivated by its raw beauty, by the absolute grace and poise the yogini displayed as she skillfully and mindfully moved between the challenging and complicated yoga poses. For me, this was watching art in motion.
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I’m with you…I saw this a few days ago on YouTube and felt inspired and a bit embarrassed at not having rolled out the yoga mat in a while. I’m a straight male, and didn’t see any sexualization in the video, just someone who’s got some serious core strength! There’s a difference between physicality and sexuality, but I think it takes a certain level of awareness about oneself to make that distinction.
Wow Len, you said it so perfectly and succinctly. I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for reading!
Yoga is a way of life. It’s not something you do for an hour a day or on weekends. There are different types of yoga, and the one which seems to be the most popular in Western countries is very dangerous if not done properly. It should be a full-time thing – even if only for a year or two – and should be guided properly by someone who knows exactly what he or she is doing. This type of yoga is definitely not a Do It Yourself thing and should always be practised under very careful, competent supervision by a fully-qualified master, which it quite frequently isn’t in the West. Comparatively few people in Eastern countries practise this type of yoga, preferring other forms, at least one of which can be continuously practised in everyday life. All forms of yoga are spiritual activities. The Western world has done its best to reduce one of them to just physical exercise.
Hi Lady Marilyn, I agree that the video only showed a few aspects of yoga, but it definitely showed as much of the mental power/mind control as it did the physical power. This is just a short video, it isn’t attempting to explain all of yoga. I am someone with a very deep yoga and meditation practice, and my particular yoga path is very deeply rooted in ancient Tantric philosophy of India, so I fully embrace all aspects of yoga, not just the physical. But that does not mean that her presentation wasn’t still powerful and beautiful. Her absolute control of her postures demonstrated superior will, focus and mindfulness- that to me is part of what yoga is all about. Respectfully, I don’t agree with you at all that the Western world has reduced it to a physical exercise. I have hundreds of yoga friends who practice yoga as a mindfulness and spiritual practice, and honestly it is first and foremost a spiritual/mindful practice for many of those people. The physical benefits that come from it, are just the upside. For me yoga is a way of life, it is not just a weekend exercise. And for me it is first and foremost a spiritual practice, a way to achieve mind-body-spirit balance. I can tell you that most of my yoga friends agree with that.
I was very careful to write that “the Western world has done its best…”, which it has, without entirely succeeding. Spiritual people live their spirituality in everything that they do. Yoga is a spiritual way of life, and the beauty displayed by the lady in the video, through her movements, is in itself inspirational. Beauty always is. Or at least it should be. Some people always seem to try to sully everything.
I understand what you were trying to say, but I still think it’s a bit of an unfair stereotype. The type of yoga that I practice (Anusara), is currently the fastest growing yoga movement in the world. It is a Hatha yoga practice deeply rooted in spirituality and philosophy. I am taking a 6-month Immersion right now in the practice and I can tell you we are learning equal parts meditation, philosophy, history and physical alignment principles. But it’s important to mention that the physical Hatha practice (as I learned from our history lessons), did not come about just to tone the body. The entire point of the physical practice is to align the central energy channel to allow for clearer meditation, access to spirit and ultimately.. enlightenment. So while it’s easy to look at the “western practice” (which you really can’t define as one single thing), as just physical, I can tell you from experience that it is anything but. And the fact that Anusara is the fastest-growing yoga movement on the Earth (whose alignment principles are largely influenced by Indian yoga master Mr. Iyengar- of course not from the west), that tells me that people are very much looking for spirituality in their practice. I agree with you that yoga is a way of life. For me it brought me healing and alignment (mental, spiritual and physical) after a very dark time. For that reason I know that it is a life-long path. Most of the people I know who have come to yoga share similar stories. They are seeking a lifelong spiritual path, ultimately with the goal being enlightenment.
Really enjoyed this piece Jeannie. It truly helped me put my thoughts into context and write an appropriate response to some of the comments posted yours and other web sites including my own. http://joytripproject.org/2012/yoga-passion-or-perversion/
Keep up the great work. I look forward to following your posts.
James, thanks again!!
Thank you very much for bringing me up-to-date with what is happening in the yoga world today. I am delighted to learn that the West is now fully embracing this life-style in all of its aspects. I’m afraid that I have been a bit out of touch. I was appalled by what was happening a few decades ago.
Hi Lady Marilyn! It is certainly not to say that the type of yoga you described does not exist here. It certainly does, and often in a gym setting. And there are of course people who are only looking for the physical aspect of yoga, and I think that for them that is valid. You get the mental aspects of yoga either way, so if it is a physical draw that brings them in, I’m ok with that. But beyond that, I am happy to say there are more and more spiritual yoga movements taking root in the West. We are at a time of massive shifting on the planet, and this is all part of that Shift. As humans on this Earth, I believe we are undergoing a raising of the collective consciousness, so there is only more beauty to come.