It is ironic how a practice that is considered to lead you on a path to happiness and inner peace has stirred up unrest in India. Yoga, a 5,000-year-old practice, achieved a global status on Sunday, June 21. An initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who proposed the idea of an International Yoga Day to the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA), the event was successfully observed around the world as millions across the globe rolled out their yoga mats—an extraordinary demonstration of India’s soft power.
Modi, who has been practising yoga for years, joined around 35,000 people in New Delhi for a 35-minute session. Hundreds gathered underneath Eiffel Tower in France to unfurl their bright yellow mats. Yoga enthusiasts performed the exercise at Chulalongkorn University field in Bangkok and the Indian Embassy in Kabul also saw Afghans and foreigners perform yoga to mark the first International Yoga Day.
The UN adopted International Day of Yoga with 177 countries sponsoring the proposition. Recognised as a day to promote harmony and to foster good mental and physical health, controversy brew inside the borders of the country that initiated the event. Minority groups in India questioned the political motives behind the initiative. A fierce debate was born around the U.N. and the Indian government’s support of yoga. Kamal Farooqui, a member of the Muslim Personal Law Board, accused the government of pushing a Hindu agenda by promoting yoga. The postures and Sanskrit chants in yoga are considered as a practice that goes against Islamic teaching. Speaking up against this remark, a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) MP further ignited the fire by commenting that the ones opposing this discipline should “leave Hindustan.” This spite between political and religious leaders of different faiths has created unnecessary controversies.
However, this is not the first time a group has raised objections on the religious aspect associated with yoga. The concept has come under fire many times when people have questioned the connection of this ancient spiritual practice with Hinduism. In 2014, a church hall in the UK banned a yoga class. Many pastors in the US have termed yoga as demonic. In April this year, a California appeals court ruled that yoga taught in San Diego County schools did not violate religious beliefs after parents of two students claimed that the practice promoted Hinduism. This cultural anxiety has been shared among many across the world.
It cannot be denied that the roots of yoga lie in Hindu tradition. But for a practice that enables physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, it might be petty to pass it off as a Hindu agenda. Stirring up a religious dispute beats the purpose of practising yoga. It would be a pity to see that a routine aimed for a holistic experience entangled with politics and religion. It goes against the whole philosophy of yoga.
Treat yoga as any other form of physical and mental exercise. Treat it as a sport. People need to stop finding out political and religious motives behind every initiative. Defenders of yoga say that it is universal and has no religious agenda. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the creator of the Isha Foundation, says, “…yoga predates all religions.” He calls it the “science of inner wellbeing.” The yoga guru further dismissed the idea that yoga requires you to bow down to Hindu deities or the sun: “Your wellbeing is entirely yours. Only at the time of instruction you have to be with somebody. Once you know what to do, you don’t need to go to anybody or bow down to anyone.”
Yoga has come a long way from its Eastern roots. It gained popularity in the West and now, practitioners of yoga consider it to be a way of life. It unites the body, mind and spirit. It is aimed at not only being physically fit but also to being mentally aware and well on your path to self-realisation.
Maybe it is time to keep all religious beliefs aside and adopt a practice that would help in the spiritual growth of the society. With many of us living sedentary lifestyles, yoga will prove to be beneficial in more than one way, as it has the potential to transform your inner and outer selves.