Assignment 2
Yoga is a religious practice that originally stems from Vedic tradition and is traditionally practiced in India. Yoga is a philosophical school in Hinduism, and at its broadest meaning is a practice to control the senses and ultimately the mind. There are many schools and traditions of Yoga depending on the religion. According to the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu text, there are four paths of yoga: bhakti (devotion), jnana (knowledge), karma (action), and dhyana (concentration). The four paths are distinct but interdependent to one another ("Yoga Hindu Origins | Hindu American Foundation (HAF)"). The ultimate goal of Yoga practice is to attain moksha, meaning liberation or release from the samsara, the cycle of reincarnation (Sharma, 113). In Hindu tradition, moksha is one of the four purusartha, or aspects and goals of human life. Yoga blends a mix of
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The traditional views of yoga are more spiritual with the purpose of liberation. However, only a small aspect of Yoga is the physical posture, or Asana, aspect. In the western contemporary view, Yoga is a means for physical fitness. Yoga can still be seen as spiritual, however it is not widely practiced in the western world with the Vedas, the dharma, or the yoga sutras in mind (Matus, 1184). Yoga has become very commercialized in the western world, and is practiced as an entity separate from its spiritual beginnings. Many places to practice yoga exist all around the united states and its popularity is rising. Many different forms of western yoga have been created, such as chair yoga or couple’s yoga, which do not exist traditionally. In addition, yoga is seen as a very beneficial health practice which aids with high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain (US Dept. of Health). Essentially, yoga has left its spiritual roots when it moved towards the western world and is primarily used as a form of