For the Hindu America Foundation (HAF), yoga’s soul is Hindu, and both the excessive focus on postural asana combined with a failed grounding in the other eight limbs of yoga have little to do with yoga and much more in common with Cirque du Soleil. Yet yoga instructor Jennifer Schmid counters, “to say that Yoga has gotten away from its roots, especially its Hindu ones, presumes that Yoga belongs to any religion…Yoga, which is classically defined as 'union,' both encompasses and enlivens ALL religions, countries, cultures, and people, while ultimately teaching us to rise beyond them.”
Yoga’s “soul,” then, depends on who you ask. This ephemeral hallmark of yoga’s etiology in the West may explain why it’s so popular here, where it’s widely perceived to transcend ideology, and bends to match the diverse beliefs of practitioners, ranging from Muslims to pot smokers.
This parallels the rich, pluralistic array of loosely interrelated spiritual lineages (some Hindu, some not) honored in India. Yet whereas those in India may disagree on their finer philosophical beliefs, there are nonetheless many shared cultural values. For instance, ahimsa, the principle of non-violence, informs the Indian cultural norm of vegetarianism.
In the US, yoga practitioners can also be Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or Atheist. Here, underlying beliefs about yoga are likely to be much different. For the liberal monotheistic believer, yoga may bring one closer to God or promote fitness; for the conservative Christian, yoga could be considered demonic. For the Atheist or materialist, yoga’s benefits may be confined to the physical realm. Thus “yoga” has become so vast a term as to be almost meaningless, a catch-all phrase upon which anyone can project their own expectations, hopes, fears, and sense of self.
I theorize yoga is so popular here precisely because it has something for everyone. If yoga were irreconcilably associated with Hinduism here as suggested by the HAF, participation likely wouldn’t have acquired mass buy-in. The fuzziness about what exactly yoga is, how it works, and what it does—coupled with an overstressed populace and yoga’s equation with youth, beauty, health, and tranquility—has fostered its exponential popularity increase.
Like it or not, yoga’s “soul” has evolved since landing on Western shores. Whether yoga’s other seven limbs would resonate with non-spiritualists, or yoga’s popularity here is attributable to physical elements of the practice, remains to be tested.
What do you think about the evolution of yoga in the West? Do you think it remains true to its soul?
