The other day I was sitting in a yoga class. We were talking about yoga as an entity - a tangible thing that we define for our own purposes.
An entity is a thing. Something that exists in a tangible form. To some people, yoga is exercise. To other people it is breathing. To some people it is a means to manage pain. To some people it is stretching, flowing, standing or sitting. There is a pop culture aspect to yoga. Some people do yoga because they like to say they do or be seen to be doing it.
In the end I guess all those are valid reasons to do this thing called "yoga" because all those things are good things, including being seen to be doing it, since that can lead to movement, exercise and breathing.
There is a lot of talk about the philosophy of yoga these days, and quite honestly, the more I attempt to learn this thing called yoga, the less I know what I thought I knew. My learning curve seems to receding as the awareness of ignorance increases.
There are lots of debates about whether the instagramation of yoga (#yoga #flyingyogi #yogistagram #yogaposes,etc.) is cheapening this ancient practice and philosophy. Is demonstrating an epic headstand yogic, or is it just showing off? Is it celebrating the human body and mind, or is it degrading to those of us who will never lift our butts off the ground with our hands?
I have struck a pose or 2 on Instagram, mostly because I can. But using social media in this way also connects this community in a way that it never has before. Years ago, yogis wrote books and those who had access to the books and the teachers got to learn. Today, we can search #yoga, #yogi or any variation thereof, to find some inspiration. In the end, we are paying homage to a healthy body and mind.
So if this brand of social yoga goes the way of aerobics, or becomes an Olympic sport like gymnastics, then I guess this entity of yoga becomes defined as a physical pursuit. Regardless of why we chose to move, or how we chose to move, I think having the intention to move and then moving is the most significant benefit of yoga in our Western way of thinking.
Does it matter that not everyone gets the spiritual side of yoga. I don't think so, because the very act of moving in this way allows us to access a deeper meaning should we chose to accept it someday.
An entity is a thing. Something that exists in a tangible form. To some people, yoga is exercise. To other people it is breathing. To some people it is a means to manage pain. To some people it is stretching, flowing, standing or sitting. There is a pop culture aspect to yoga. Some people do yoga because they like to say they do or be seen to be doing it.
In the end I guess all those are valid reasons to do this thing called "yoga" because all those things are good things, including being seen to be doing it, since that can lead to movement, exercise and breathing.
There is a lot of talk about the philosophy of yoga these days, and quite honestly, the more I attempt to learn this thing called yoga, the less I know what I thought I knew. My learning curve seems to receding as the awareness of ignorance increases.
There are lots of debates about whether the instagramation of yoga (#yoga #flyingyogi #yogistagram #yogaposes,etc.) is cheapening this ancient practice and philosophy. Is demonstrating an epic headstand yogic, or is it just showing off? Is it celebrating the human body and mind, or is it degrading to those of us who will never lift our butts off the ground with our hands?
I have struck a pose or 2 on Instagram, mostly because I can. But using social media in this way also connects this community in a way that it never has before. Years ago, yogis wrote books and those who had access to the books and the teachers got to learn. Today, we can search #yoga, #yogi or any variation thereof, to find some inspiration. In the end, we are paying homage to a healthy body and mind.
So if this brand of social yoga goes the way of aerobics, or becomes an Olympic sport like gymnastics, then I guess this entity of yoga becomes defined as a physical pursuit. Regardless of why we chose to move, or how we chose to move, I think having the intention to move and then moving is the most significant benefit of yoga in our Western way of thinking.
Does it matter that not everyone gets the spiritual side of yoga. I don't think so, because the very act of moving in this way allows us to access a deeper meaning should we chose to accept it someday.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I would love to hear your comments. Thanks and have an awesome day. - Lynn