Yoga is known as the ancient practice of meditation aided by breathing exercises and a series of stretches. Although many believe that it is its own religion, yoga holds a place in several religious philosophies and is something credited by Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
The mindful process of stretching muscles, pushing the body into poses while allowing the mind to relax, and practicing breathing is definitely a beneficial process known by many for its health benefits.
Not only do many enjoy the art of yoga for its bodily benefits, but it has been proven to improve perspective and outlook on life. This allows better management of mental health and wellbeing. Unique poses help improve circulation, bone health, and overall immune system functions.
Not only that, but the breathing exercises involved can help individuals process their emotions and enable better coping skills when dealing with their mental health.
These are some religious origins of yoga and reasons why many believe that it is a religion of its own. There are several reasons why several religions use the fundamentals of yoga within their teachings, and the philosophies are all about mindfulness and self-awareness.
Origins
Some of the first written records of yoga being used are over 5000 years old. Northern Indian sacred texts are believed to be one of the first places to mention the term. This is why a lot of the phrases used within yoga are in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit.
It was believed that the deep reflection involved has roots in Buddhism, although there are a few religions that feature the ancient process of deep breathing, contemplation, and reflection.
Another reason why yoga is believed to be religious is the fact that the different poses involved work on realigning chakras, which is an important element of Hinduism. In spite of some seemingly innocent fundamentals of the process, it was believed by some politicians that yoga was a threat and that the mantras were spreading foreign beliefs.
Historically, yoga has seen punishment and exile within societies. However, many religions continued to practice and addressed these bans as insulting. This is part of the reason why yoga is so widespread today.
Hinduism
Although yoga is one of the biggest trends within the modern Western world, yoga has a lot of roots within Hinduism. It is believed that this is one of the oldest references of the practice. Yoga is one of the schools of Hindu philosophy.
Yoga is widely practiced among Hindus and has long been associated with this religion. The principles have largely remained the same throughout history, with the fundamentals of yoga being on opening yourself up to higher beings and allowing more balance and perspective into life.
Hindus have been one of the longest users of yoga, and it was the rest of the world that took a long time to catch on to the philosophies. In spite of the common principles of breath control and posture stretches, yoga faced a series of bans and controversy due to global politics.
This is part of the reason why it has become so popular once again within the Western world, we are celebrating ancient art for what it is.
Buddhism
Buddhist yoga focuses primarily on awakening, known as rebirth, as well as ending suffering. This practice is more about meditation methods and although a lot of qualities remain similar, the goal is eventually to achieve calm and insight and invite it into your life.
Buddhists focus on finding inner peace and gaining a deeper understanding of the self and role within the universe, which is why it is only natural for yoga to be a part of that practice.
Jainism
The fundamentals of Jainism yoga are self-purification and liberation. The focus, in this case, is more on nonviolence, karma exercises, and eventually achieving “absolute knowledge”.
Yoga is combined with breathing exercises and mantras to focus on spiritual cleansing and togetherness with the universe. Jainism uses yoga in order to encourage self-awareness and inner peace, as it is commonly combined with meditation during full practice.
Christian Yoga
Many Christians have developed their own form of yoga which features worship. Although this has generated some debate over removing some fundamental mantras and philosophies of traditional yoga, others have credited its role in their faith.
This addition to the yoga scene has been debated for decades, and it remains somewhat controversial when determining how authentic the practice is within this religion. Reasons for this include the fact that it has been stripped of some traditions as well as the way Christians have made it their own.
Although there is some debate over the role that yoga plays in Christianity, it is clear that many modern citizens have fallen in love with the ancient art of meditation, accompanied by poses and mantras that are designed to cleanse the chakras, enable karma processes, and invite higher energies into the body.
Overall, yoga is not a religion of its own, because it has been used within several religions. It is highly praised in history as an effective form of self-reflection, mindfulness, and achieving a sense of fulfillment.
In spite of controversy dividing some Islam practices and conservative values, yoga remains a sacred art that is practiced by many around the world, regardless of their faith. The thing that unites them is their appreciation for taking the time to be mindful and increase their awareness of the space they are in.
Yoga might have been argued as its own religion because it has the power to unite groups of people from different backgrounds. There are also many groups that regularly meet to practice yoga, which is not dissimilar to many religious practices.
That said, yoga has an interesting difference to religious followings because it has been demonstrated across many faiths, around the world. It has taken the modern world by storm and developed an enormous following. However, its fundamentals remain largely unchanged.
Opening the self up to higher beings, allowing a deeper understanding and self-awareness through stretching the body and improving chakra alignment.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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