Yoga classes are secular, says US court

[uparyupari]

Would you rather prefer that they not call it yoga at all & completely deny its roots? Can always call it something else. I think you are stretching it too far. If this cover allows them to practice an ancient Hindu practice, so be it. It's a bit like having a "festival of colours" & calling it "holi" in many places of Europe & the Americas but without connecting it to Hinduism even if they acknowledge its origin.

That sounds like a threat or a compromise solution. Why should I agree to either ? IT is what it is.

Holi is a FESTIVAL. A Celebration.

Yoga is a Religion !!! Where is the comparison ? How absurd is this. Is Halloween a religious practice ? How about Christmas ?

How many know first "Christmas" celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed as a means of replacing "worship of the sun" with worship of the "Son" (Jesus).

By 529 A.D., after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday. Today christmas has been appropriated and digested by the Christians. The same is being done to Yoga.


Yoga is not a hindu practice, Yoga IS HINDUISM. What part of that do you not understand ? Yoga is one of the astika path of Hinduism. A yogi is a Hindu.


I am not willing to let history repeat itself. To watch mutely by and allow the digesting of Hinduism by taking solace in cowardice disguised as "charity" and "big heart". I think its shameful and outrageous.

The religious components in the various Asian martial arts have always been acknowledged.

American Federation of Jujitsu
FightingArts.com - Ask The Teacher: Martial Arts Practices And Religion

The point here is that if there is a way to separate the religion -- or religious components -- from the martial arts or yoga, that separation WILL occur.

How disingenuous and dishonest.

BECAUSE martial arts were practised by Religious Monks, aspects of religion crept into the fighting form.

YOGA was a Religion, A Religions practice that had aspects of physical fitness among many other benefit. There is no relationship with martial arts.


There is NO artificial seperation here, only a LIE and a poor and dishonest attempt to pretend that there is a separation. YOGA is HINDUISM. No separation is possible.

 

[Bang Galore]

That sounds like a threat or a compromise solution. Why should I agree to either ? IT is what it is.

Neither a threat nor a compromise solution, it is what it is. Your agreement or mine is neither sought nor necessary. The Court has ruled. Unless overturned by the Supreme Court, it will stand. That is what it is.

 

[uparyupari]

Very true. I wanted to say the same about martial arts but refrained because they would say that martial arts have no religious leanings and was practised by Buddhist monks for their own security. But with some Yoga asanas they say you can enhance the mystic experience by simulating the chakras. I guess if you avoid those specific asanas then you are fine.

LOL..... oh yes, avoid simulating your chakras and you are fine. God forbid you practice pagan magic and activate those chakras

Let us all pretend that yoga is not Hinduism, its just an american exercise where they carefully avoid activating their "chakras" so that they don't have to experience the horror of becoming a Hindu

Neither a threat nor a compromise solution, it is what it is. Your agreement or mine is neither sought nor necessary. The Court has ruled. Unless overturned by the Supreme Court, it will stand. That is what it is.

Then why even bother to discuss ? the US courts have ruled, right ?

Reminds me of the incidence when Dr. Swamy had dragged Sonia's claim of being a "gratuate" right up to the SC and the CJI of SC asked Dr. Swamy to show "charity" and "have a big heart"

Funny how only Hindus are required to show "big heart" and suffer injustice in silence. In return we get a pat on the back and the certificate of being "secular" and a biscuit of being a "good boy".

Kudos to such champions of secularism.

 

[my2cents]

LOL..... oh yes, avoid simulating your chakras and you are fine. God forbid you practice pagan magic and activate those chakras :coffee :

Let us all pretend that yoga is not Hinduism, its just an american exercise where they carefully avoid activating their "chakras" so that they don't have to experience the horror of becoming a Hindu



Then why even bother to discuss ? the US courts have ruled, right ?

All I can say is you are funny.

 

[uparyupari]

All I can say is you are funny.

Glad I amuse you. The world is full of such horrors that will bring you countless amusement.

 

[doppelganger]

Have you guys seen that obscene yoga show on TV where the chicks are dressed like what the producer thinks ancient Indian chicks dressed like?

Translation: Gandhian dhotis giving impossibly tight wedgies as the bottoms, and a figure of eight twist bustier with an underwire strapless bra underneath for unplanned accidents.

The chicks are neither very pretty, and the main one has marks on her legs.

Yoga pants are nice, but do not capture the essence of Yoga.

I personally think diaphanous harem pants would be more the scene. Airy and comfortable, capacious, and allowing extreme stretches.

 

[gambit]

How disingenuous and dishonest.

BECAUSE martial arts were practised by Religious Monks, aspects of religion crept into the fighting form.

YOGA was a Religion, A Religions practice that had aspects of physical fitness among many other benefit. There is no relationship with martial arts.


There is NO artificial seperation here, only a LIE and a poor and dishonest attempt to pretend that there is a separation. YOGA is HINDUISM. No separation is possible.

There is nothing disingenuous and dishonest about what I said. I am a life long martial artist, starting out with judo taught by Buddhist monks, then I moved to karate and tae kwon do. There is no denying at least the quasi religious flavoring in teaching by some instructors. I gave you other voices admitted it and you still deny the reality of it.

You can also deny the reality that many yoga practitioners and teachers managed to separate the religion from the physical exercises all you want. People like you are the type of religionists that will deny science even when the facts are staring you in the face.

 

[uparyupari]

There is nothing disingenuous and dishonest about what I said. I am a life long martial artist, starting out with judo taught by Buddhist monks, then I moved to karate and tae kwon do. There is no denying at least the quasi religious flavoring in teaching by some instructors. I gave you other voices admitted it and you still deny the reality of it.

You can also deny the reality that many yoga practitioners and teachers managed to separate the religion from the physical exercises all you want. People like you are the type of religionists that will deny science even when the facts are staring you in the face.

You have now admitted that martial arts have only a quasi religious flavouring. That is different from what you had claimed earlier, that it is similar to Yoga. Any flavouring is just that, a flavour which is an additive or subtractive to the real fundamental practices. Martial art can easily strip of the flavour since its adds no value to the art itself.

LOL at your "labelling" of me and the strawman defence. A sure sign of your untenable position and argument.

Just by denying the spiritual aspect of yoga you do not separate it from the philosophy behind it. Which is self control and internalizing your view. No yoga is possible without the basic pranayama which is the first step in meditation.

No asana is possible without observing the breathing exercises that regulate the asana. This internalizing and observing the self starts with observing the breathing. The alignment of the body and the mind is achieved by this and all Yoga practitioners have to do it. No practice of yoga is possible by removing this religious aspect of yoga.