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IS YOGA SECULAR? - Yogavani from Indian Yoga Association

Practice of the Month

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Celebrating World Meditation Day with the Indian Yoga Association 

On World Meditation Day, the Associate Centres and Member Institutes of the Indian Yoga Association came together to honour the profound practice of meditation. Across various locations, our community gathered to reflect, connect, and deepen their meditation journeys, fostering a sense of unity and inner…

Celebrating 6 Years of Excellence:Indian Yoga Association Gujarat Chapter Foundation Day 

The Indian Yoga Association, Gujarat Chapter, virtually celebrated its 6th Foundation Day on 29th December with the theme Yoga for Lifestyle Management. The program began with a prayer, followed by Mauli Baviskar introducing all dignitaries. The event emphasized yoga’s role in promoting holistic well-being, inspiring…

Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine hosts transformative sessions 

In December, Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association hosted a series of transformative sessions centered on Varma therapy, which plays a significant role in enhancing physical, mental, and emotional health. The month-long series was conducted by experienced practitioners, each focusing…

Indian ancient Siddhars and the science of longevity: A remarkable discovery byAttangaogam Peedam 

Recent research, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), sheds light on the ancient practice of Attangaogam, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association, and its impact on longevity. The study, titled “Effect of Yoga-Pranayamam on Telomere Length in Medical Students,” revealed ground breaking…

Tamil Nadu SCC meets to discuss way forward 

The Tamil Nadu State Chapter Committee meeting was held in World Community Service Centre, Chennai on December 28, 2024, at 10:30am. The meeting commenced with a prayer and meditation session, creating a serene atmosphere for the discussions that followed. Shri Rajeshwari Prabhakaran, Senior Vice-Chairman of…

Enriching programs at Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad 

Throughout December, the Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad, hosted a series of insightful talks and satsangs, focusing on various elements of yoga and spiritual growth. The month began with Elements of Yoga 1 by Smt. Suneetha Sekhar on 1st December, followed by Smt. Harshitha’s session on…

Vedic Kaya Sadhana celebrates convocation ceremony 

The Vedic Kaya Sadhana, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, recently held its convocation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its graduating students. The event celebrated the culmination of rigorous training and dedication, with graduates receiving certifications that recognize their comprehensive understanding and expertise…

SSIYRC Students Set World Record inArdha Matsyendrasana 

In a remarkable achievement, 105 students from the Sri Shankari Institute of Yoga and Research Center, Gummudipoondi (SSIYRC), Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, sustained the Ardha Matsyendrasana pose for an impressive 10 minutes, earning them a place in the Worldwide Book of Records….

Sree Bala Yoga Studio reflects on a year of remarkable achievements in 2024 

Sree Bala Yoga Studio, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, celebrated a year of significant milestones in 2024, underscoring its commitment to yoga education and community wellness. The studio conducted two sessions of its 200-hour Certificate Course in Yoga and a 500-hour Advanced Certificate…

Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center launches in Coimbatore 

The Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center in Kurumbapalayam, Coimbatore, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association was inaugurated with grandeur on December 20, 2024. The event began with the traditional lighting of the kuthuvilakku by renowned writer Jeyamohan, symbolizing the dispelling of ignorance and the illumination…



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07 Feb 2025

Yogavani

IS YOGA SECULAR?
Editorial

IS YOGA SECULAR? 

Yoga makes us better at whatever we are. It makes us a better ver­sion of ourselves, irrespective of the culture to which we belong. Whatever way of life we are liv­ing, we become a better version of that through the practice of Real Yoga.

This traditional Yoga has sprouted from the fertile soil of Indian culture, a way of life called Sanatana Dharma: the eternal culture, a mindful way of life that is in tune with the Universal. Sanatana Dharma is the fertile soil in which the art, science, phi­losophy, psychology and spirituality of Yoga have sprouted and flourished for millennia.

In modern times, people want to take Yoga out of its cultural context and divorce it from its roots, but yet they still want to call it Yoga, because Yoga is a marketable term these days.

The modern approach to Yoga is ‘Plasticized Barbie Doll Yoga’. That is as good as going to a gym and having a good workout. So then, why even call it Yoga? Call it exercise and go on! I’ll have no issues with it. But when we call it Yoga it has to be living.
It has to be alive, and to be alive something has to be connected to the source! You take a fish out of water, put it on concrete, and then you say: “I have a beautiful fish.” Yeah! But it’s dead! When the fish is connected to the water, its life source, the fish is alive, and it thrives in its bountiful multi-di­mensional existence.
So, when Yoga is con­nected to Sanatana Dharma, a way of life in tune with uni­versality, Yoga will be Yoga. Otherwise, it becomes this mu­tated, plasticized, mummified version which is not Yoga anymore.

Yoga is for sure compatible with all religions at the highest point, but then that highest point comes down in all these different structures that we cre­ate in order to maintain control — control-freakism, power-freakism, and money-freakism. Humans created these structures and the people in charge of those structures – artificial, human-made structures, are scared of Yoga. And yes! They should be scared. Because the moment you really get into Yoga, real Yoga – not Plasticized Barbie Doll, not dead Jada Yoga, you start to connect to the Universal Self. You start to connect to the highest aspect of yourself and you start to evolve, grow, and transform from limited individuality to universality.

One doesn’t have to be a Hindu to practice Yoga, but one has to understand the culture from which Yoga has sprouted, the culture that has nourished it, that continues to nourish it. When we talk about Bharat, it is not just about a geographical location of India. It is a cultural ethos. That cultural ethos is alive and kicking and it sustains and nourishes the true Yoga.
Yoga is something which is timeless. Yoga is some­thing which is priceless. Yoga is something that is universal. And that is why I always like to say that Yoga is truly universal, to such an extent that Yoga is for all. I’ll repeat that. Yoga is for all, but all may not be for Yoga.

In conclusion, Yoga helps you to become the best version of whatever you are! You become a better Christian, a better Muslim, a better Jew, a bet­ter Jain, a better Buddhist, a better Hindu, a better human being. But the organized structures which want you to be controlled, they will feel it’s a threat. Because you are getting out of control now. Be­cause you are now connecting to the source. All the middlemen are getting cut out. And this I must say, even of Yoga organizations, which in modern times, sadly, have also gotten caught up in this control-freakism, power-freakism and money-freakism. Yoga is liberating. Yoga is not binding. It is liberat­ing!

We must be true to Yoga. Yoga is our Mother. Let’s not sell her for plastic.

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