Replacing yoga with rituals

Imagine you are at the gym, working out to the nice rhythmic music - whether it be on a treadmill, or even in an aerobics class. Now imagine someone coming up to you, and telling you that doing exercise is futile, it is the music that makes a difference in whether or not you stay healthy. Would you permanently stop exercising, and just sit down to listen to music instead to stay fit?

I would not. That is why I don't understand many "yoga" enthusiasts I have come across recently. They started off doing yoga, but soon replaced it with rituals and chanting. Physical exercise is always hard work, so it is not a surprise that people find short-cuts to it. But, don't they see that this is not helping them with physical fitness? In fact, many of these yogis are now overweight. No worries, the person who helped them make this transition tells them; this is called spirituality, and you will see its benefits in your next life. Works for them, and works for their guide, who they now revere as a Guru. Seeing them lap up everything that he says in the name of spirituality, the Guru comes up with more new rituals, and the followers continue to fall for it. The Guru has just earned a set of pseudo-slaves, who will do anything for him/her. And the followers feel good that they don't have to take responsibility for anything; they merely follow what the guru tells them, and they are on their path to "success" in life - not just this one but many lives after this.

If all parties involved in it feel good about it, then where is the harm. These yogis are harming themselves even if they don't realize it. But more important, they are harming others in their environment. Imagine your spouse running constantly to do rituals that the Guru told them to do, neglecting responsibility to the house, to their children, and the society as a whole. Sitting for hours on end, praising the Guru is their preferred way of spending their time.

My guess is that not everyone will fall for it. I suspect that this life-style is for those prone to shirk responsibility anyway. Now they have a legitimate way of doing it and feeling good about it - in the name of spirituality. In fact, their language also reflects it. One of the people I am referring to, recently moved across the country - because "she got a message that she needs to move." Then she moved away because "she got a new message." While the outcome is the same, this is very different from saying "she decided."

There may be room for spirituality in people's lives, but as a component of balanced life-style, not as a substitute for acting responsibly. I wish more people would start taking responsibility for their own lives. But, for some people that may be asking for too much.

"The choking game" and pranayama

An adolescent died last week in Mumbai. Initially ruled as a suicide, the parents had the courage to come out and say it was actually "the choking game" that killed the child. Children - typically between the ages of 9 and 16 - deprive their brain of Oxygen for a momentary high they get.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzEyLzE5I0FyMDAxMDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

You can see more on this at
http://www.stop-the-choking-game.com/en/home.asp
including a video going through the scenario.

Some yoga practices too require the holding of energy inside the body through various locks - e.g. Mahabandh. The net effect of some of them is a reduction in the amount of Oxygen going to the brain. Is that too harmful - at what point does one draw the boundary. The video referred to above says that at 3 minutes of Oxygen deprivation, brain cells start dying irreversibly. At 5 minutes, the brain may stop functioning. Are yoga practices that involve bandhs for a minute or two OK, or are they harmful. Everyone needs to make this decision themselves. The takeaway is - when in doubt, do less, rather than more.

One final thought - may be it is time to teach yoga to children for more reasons. Yes, they can get what they want, but in an environment that is not dangerous to them.