I will never forget my complete SHOCK when just two years ago a work colleague told me about how a medical technician responded to her question about her improved EKG and other medical tests results. She asked him if he didn't think that perhaps her yoga and meditation practices were responsible for the improvement. A second later he dryly replied that he wouldn't know because he was - "a Christian." As they used to say back in the 70s or was it the 80s, "SAY WHAT????"
I could not believe he wasn't joking. My stunned colleague could not even reply. Here she was in a medical facility in the cosmopolitan metro area of Washington, DC, our nation's capital where yoga studios abound! Yet,this person feared that yoga was not something he could delve into probably (I am only speculating) because its Hindu roots would clash with his Christian faith.
And speaking of yoga's Hindu roots, NPR's morning edition today had a special feature on yoga and recent complaints by some Hindus that yoga's Hindu roots were being ignored or glossed over to make the practice more "acceptable" to a wider American/Western audience. They decry the emphasis on the physical side of yoga in this country and some say that yoga is much more than a few asanas (yoga poses) done a mat. I certainly agree!
I found NPR's feature to be thought-provoking and informative. It includes some fascinating historical facts. Yoga is not only about opening and expanding your body - it's about opening your mind and spirit. Listen to the NPR feature - it takes less than 5 minutes. Check out it below!
Yours for honoring and appreciating yoga's authentic roots and incorporating a vital ancient practice into a modern lifestyle,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach
