What is Real Yoga?

[classyoga]

"Yoga" is a Sanskrit/Hindu word and means "yuj Atmana Brahaman ca" ("to yoke the individual Soul and the Soul Source"). This one Sanskrit/Hindu word accurately describes both the goal and the means to the goal. The various Hindu/Yogas are the religious teachings and practices by which Hindus acheive this goal of Spiritual-Realization.

The classic Hindu/Yogas are: Karma Yoga (Ethcis), Bhakti Yoga (Devotion), Raja Yoga (Meditation) and Jnana Yoga (Enlightenment). There several Yogas within these classic four Yogas, such as: Hatha Yoga (Devotional posture(s) to nature, the creatures and Hindu Deities and Sages) and Mantra Yoga (Sanskrit/Hindu chants).

True to any religion, respectively, the classic Hindu/Yogas are taught by qualified Hindus (to anyone who honestly wants to learn) and on a donation basis. Of course, anyone can formally become a Hindu after serious study and commitment.

So, what, then, is phony yoga? "Obviously" 99% of what is passed-off as "yoga" today. This phony yoga is completely contrary to Real Yoga/Hinduism. To get an idea of how totally silly is this "yoga," imagine a non-Christain teaching classes (for a fee, of course) in Baptism meaning underwater therapy/exercise. It is a very sad fact, throughout history that many have simply decided (because "it feels good," etc.) to steal and violate (often to the extreme) those of "other" religions.

It is pass time for this phony yoga movement to cease this crass violation of the established Hindu/Yoga religious tradition.

[Pandara]

Namaste,

Can you enlighten me on exactly who, what, where and how this "phony yoga movement" is? It seems that you have something to say about them, but with little background about this "phony yoga movement" I cannot make a decision about the validity of what you have to say.

[justwannabe]

maybe if you knew "real" yoga you may not see any yoga as phony?
just a thought
there is a saying and it goes like this
if you want to hold something down you can hold it down lower with two hands, if you want to hold something up you can hold it higher with two hands, if you try to hold down with one hand and up with the other you will not reach the depths or heights that are possible for you to obtain.
wannabe

[InnerAthlete]

"...There is nothing noble besides in fanaticism - there is no nobility of motive, though there may be a fierce enthusiasm of motive. Religious fanaticism is something psychologically low-born and ignorant - and usually in its action fierce, cruel and base."

*

"...You say that you ask only for the Truth and yet you speak like a narrow and ignorant fanatic who refuses to believe in anything but the religion in which he was born. All fanaticism is false, because it is a contradiction of the very nature of God and of Truth. Truth can not be shut up in a single book, Bible or Veda or Koran, or in a single religion."


Sri Aurobindo
Difference Between Religion and Yoga

[justwannabe]

"you want the truth? You cant handle the truth"

jack nicholson

Sorry IA after your post I could not resist I do like that quote you posted, and I thank you for it
Neil

[cyclezen]

Originally Posted by classyoga

"Yoga" is a Sanskrit/Hindu word and means "yuj Atmana Brahaman ca" ("to yoke the individual Soul and the Soul Source"). This one Sanskrit/Hindu word accurately describes both the goal and the means to the goal. The various Hindu/Yogas are the religious teachings and practices by which Hindus acheive this goal of Spiritual-Realization...
and so on and so forth...

It is pass time for this phony yoga movement to cease this crass violation of the established Hindu/Yoga religious tradition.

you're prolly right...
so... what do we then call this aberration?

agoy ?

... doesn;t quite roll off the tongue...

alright, keep thinkin... hmmmm...

funny thing about movements, they usually just keep movin...

[Hubert]

Phony yoga is useful, in a way. Most people will come to it: ok, I am not interested in religion, but I heard about the health benefits. Than they get what they want. When they see they got what they wanted, they will believe in the teacher and in yoga. Than, gradually, they will start to believe in the other stuff, as they realize it is a natural consequence of a person's spiritual journey, and not something to accepted by blind faith.

There are dangers, as many will awaken kundalini or make contact with spiritual realities without passing through the early purification phase (yama and niyama) and this will have predictably bad effects on them. Some will turn even more egpoistic, or lose cannons, like the Bible wielding martial artist guy in my town who killed her mother with 193 knife stabs, a day before yesterday. He stated that he acted on divine orders. I do not question that he got his orders, but they were anything but divine.

The perils of the spiritual journey are greatly underestimated, imo.
A sound judgement, and keeping a cool head under any circumstances are the best defenses of the yogi.

[WalterJ]

So then it would follow that all meditation is phony prayer?

Or is it phony Buddhism or Taoism?

Or would Taoist Taoyin be a type of phony Yoga since it is not Hindu

[Prascina]

Isn't all this about the state of mind!!Phony...religion..all? like they say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!!

[aajane]

Wow - I practice yoga for me, I don't pretend to know it all, but I know what it does for me, my mind, my body, my health and how I am to the world around me. I am a better person from my yoga practice. I think it is like anything else in this world, we all have our own perspectives, opinions and approaches, sorry if you feel like this "phony" movement is upsetting your world and religion.