Comments on: Yoga As Blasphemy? Muslim Clerics Ban Practice

By: mike

mike — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:27:46 +0000

thank you for this great article, I love it.

By: Jared Krauss

Jared Krauss — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:59:50 +0000

While correct in a certain capacity, the Muslim leaders fail to recognize that Yoga could be used as a means to strengthen individual Muslim’s connection to their own religion; the same way it is used for the Hindu religion.

It is up to the practitioner to determine what their focus is on.
This is where their logic is faulty.

Jared Krauss

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By: | body detox

| body detox — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:42:34 +0000

i am currently enrolled in a Yoga class. the health benefits of Yoga on myself is great. I am more relaxed and i can sleep well at night.

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By: | melatonin side effects

| melatonin side effects — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:36:34 +0000

after enrolling on a Yoga Class, i am not stress free and is more relaxed than ever. Yoga is really very helpful both in physical and mental health.

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By: somalogue

somalogue — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:41:19 +0000

Yoga is ortho-praxy, “correct practice.” Islam (like the other Western faiths) is ortho-dox, concerned with “correct belief.”

There is nothing in yoga that has anything to do with belief, other than a vague belief that good health is….well, “good.” It is about performing correct actions, stretches and breathing and whatnot, you the practicer may believe whatever you want. (This is incidentally why gurus and charlatans can exist side-by-side in ortho-praxic religons.)

So, basically, the Islamic Councils of Maylaysia et. al. are showing the world that they are supremely ignorant of anything resembling true faith, and merely telling their followers to avoid yoga because they are afraid of India’s regional power.

For shame!

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By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:49:53 +0000

I think that yoga and mediatation are vehicles that carry you somewhere as opposed to prostylizing your faith. I happen to be Christian and practice mediation as a means to become one in the presence of the God of my understanding but I direct that path and decide on my God. The vehicle just gets me there.

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By: ianmack

ianmack — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:38:44 +0000

It's a similar reason some people like the idea of meditation, but want it removed from any Buddhist concepts/traditions. I think it's entirely possible to honour the tradition while not having to "accept" these aspects as integral to the value of the practice.

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By: joshywashington

joshywashington — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:53:57 +0000

…to be one with a God of a different religion? How about to become one with your tight hamstrings, yes that makes much more sense.

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By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:48:00 +0000

I tend to see yoga as more of a spiritual practice than a religious one. However, I'm training to be a yoga teacher and I was recently asked to teach a special class for a friend's wedding party. She told me she loves yoga and thinks it'll be a lot of fun for everyone in her bridal party, but she said she has a really hard time with the religious aspect. She's not overly religious, but saying namaste at the conclusion of each yoga session rubs her the wrong way. Fanatics aren't the only ones that have a hard time separating spirituality from religion–but they (fanatics) do manage to do it all with more gusto.

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