Is yoga also your religion / spiritual path?

[keepitlow]

Is yoga also your religion / spiritual path?

Or is it just part of your exercise plan?

[Pandara]

Hi,

Yoga is not a religion at all. Yoga might employ some of the religious practices, ideas and philosophies from the religion of its country of origin, namely Hinduism, but it is not a religion.

To answer your question: Yoga is part of my spiritual growth and as such serve as a good guide, supporter, compass and much more in my spiritual unfoldment. Yoga has also become a way of life for me, so every moment is yoga, the way I walk, sit, do business, speak to others, eat, write, talk, listen, everything has become yoga and that is yoga for me: awareness.

[Techne]

My yoga has continued to lead me to my Catholicism, so it's sort of a bank on my spiritual river -- even while most of my specific yoga-ish expressions are primarily asana.

[xela]

I often joke and say yoga is my religion, but it's not. It has brought me a profound sense of spirituality though, for which I am very grateful.

[MichaelJ]

It’s just part of my overall exercise, flexibility and wellness plan. If I receive additional latent benefits, that’s cool.

[tommyd]

my yoga has lead me to other avenues that my catholic religion never covered.
but its not my religion......now i can say i religously practice 4-5 times a week ~ but
: )
it has helped me become a better person mentally , physically and spirituality wise.
which in 99.9 percent of religions is a good thing.
* love the ? *

[sacral]

yoga is not a religion at all! its a state of mind... and body...

like meditation, altought hindu people make meditation there is a lot of peoplethat makes meditation or yoga without a religion...

we dont have to believe in somethin' to do it...
we just have to believe in ourself..

peace.

[keepitlow]

Originally Posted by Pandara

Hi,

Yoga is not a religion at all. Yoga might employ some of the religious practices, ideas and philosophies from the religion of its country of origin, namely Hinduism, but it is not a religion.

To answer your question: Yoga is part of my spiritual growth and as such serve as a good guide, supporter, compass and much more in my spiritual unfoldment. Yoga has also become a way of life for me, so every moment is yoga, the way I walk, sit, do business, speak to others, eat, write, talk, listen, everything has become yoga and that is yoga for me: awareness.

Yes, that was what I meant religion / spiritual path.

It is or can be much more than just exercsie.

[keepitlow]

Originally Posted by Techne

My yoga has continued to lead me to my Catholicism, so it's sort of a bank on my spiritual river -- even while most of my specific yoga-ish expressions are primarily asana.

My yoga has continued to lead me to my Catholicism - can you share some examples? How has that worked for you?

[keepitlow]

Originally Posted by tommyd

my yoga has lead me to other avenues that my catholic religion never covered.
but its not my religion......now i can say i religously practice 4-5 times a week ~ but
: )
it has helped me become a better person mentally , physically and spirituality wise.
which in 99.9 percent of religions is a good thing.
* love the ? *

Yes, when you feel good and are fit mentally and bodywise it may be of help to religious practitioners as a strong foundation for their practice.

[keepitlow]

Originally Posted by sacral

yoga is not a religion at all! its a state of mind... and body...

like meditation, altought hindu people make meditation there is a lot of peoplethat makes meditation or yoga without a religion...

we dont have to believe in somethin' to do it...
we just have to believe in ourself..

peace.

We used to always have that debate on the Buddhist forums I used to be on...Buddhism...religion or not? But they got tired of me and blocked me after some time.

The Dalai Lama describes Buddhism as a "science of mind" more so than a religion. Alan Watts entitled a book called "Buddhism-The Religion of No Religion" and that about sums it up.

One dictionary defines Buddhism as a religion, since it is a formalized set of beliefs, traditions, etc. Another dictionary does not define it as a religion, since there is no central God in Buddhism and practitioners are free to believe or not believe in God as they choose. To me, Buddhism is a peace generator, although I am not of any religion and am an agnostic.

I was surprised to read that there were many, many more facets of a Yoga practice that were outside of exercise aspects.

http://hinduism.about.com/od/meditationyoga/a/yoga.htm

I view the all encompassing Yoga practice as a spiritual path / religion. But am not firm on it one way or another. Yoga for me is a health and peace generator

[InnerAthlete]

No / yes..

[Hubert]

To keepitlow:

Once I read a statement of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama that the world is not yet ready for buddhism. I'd say this is true for most religions.

Remember The Maitreya Buddha, the one to come 3000 years from now.
We need to learn a lot, and become ready for His arrival.

PS. Grateful to be here and have these conversations. God bless you all.

[QueenMaa]

Yoga is only part of my exercise plan. It helps me with flexibility, concentration, and digestion.

[Philippe*]

I follow the Integral Yoga sadhana from Sri Aurobindo, and I also practice Classical Yoga as a means on my spiritual path. Religion comes from Latin, religare, to bind together, it is way to be bound with the sacred, so from that point of view as far as I am concerned it is religious. I consider Yoga as something more than physical and mental hygienics, or therapy, though I appreciate these aspects too.

Shanti,

Philippe

[brandongilbert]

Yoga for me is a way of life. A system of being.

[dilipjoshi]

yoga is not part of overall exercise it is much more then physical Exercise the word yoga means “to unite” that means yog. and yog is v. powerful word which is related to our "karma" that may be physical, mental as well as spiritual.

[Fortis_in_Arduis]

My asana practise links in with my meditation practise, so I would say that is my religion, if I have one.

I live in a mostly secular / nominally Christian society which probably has a bearing on how I see religion.

[Techne]

As an example -- in reading yogic texts I'll encounter ideas that sound familiar to my tradition or that sound like a familiar heresy to my tradition, and exploring what a saint or doctor of the church has expounded (for instance, on why Catholics think reincarnation doesn't happen, or what the Catholic concern regarding Gnosticism is) brings me to a better Catholicism and better yoga.
Yoga hands me the shovel; I choose to dig in the churchyard.