COMMERCIALIZATION OF YOGA
Sanatana Dharma or what is today called as Hinduism contains within it six major schools of thought, or darshana: Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. The underlying thread between these six darshanas is that they are inspired by the Vedas and other Hindu concepts. Yoga, from the Sanskrit work “yug”, means to “join” or “unite”. The English word “yoke” comes from the same source and has a similar meaning. Yoga, in its essence, is a practice to control the senses and the mind ultimately leading to a unification with the Divine or the Supreme Being.
Today, Yoga is widely misconstrued as a workout or a series of physical movements or asanas. While the practice of various asanas (under the guidance of a Guru, which is yet another ubiquitously abused term) shows innumerable health benefits such as reduction in stress levels (as a result of lowered blood pressure), boosting the immune system, relief from back and neck pain and so on and so forth, it is not the ultimate purpose of Yoga. I am not opining that the practice of asanas for health benefits is not acceptable — however without realizing that the actual purpose of Yoga is the spiritual quest and to find the stillness within, the mere physical aspect of Yoga is useless. Unfortunately, the most vital element of Yoga, Pranayama, is missing in most practices around the world today. Integration of asana and pranayama leads to an ultimate control over the body, senses and the mind and results in finding the stillness or light within. This is primarily driven by the Western-led commoditization and commercialization of the culture. This could be because the West does not understand the sacred foundations of the culture in Sanatana Dharma. And anybody who suggests that Yoga has no relation to Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism is giving a bunch of malarkey!
The problem lies in selling Yoga as a product — glamorized form of asanas, marketed by popping up images of slim, toned women with countless tattoos on their bodies and with a maligned “Om” painting behind them on a wall. Unfortunately, this is the image that conjures up in most minds when the word Yoga is heard. And the abomination doesn’t stop with that — we have myriad forms of Yoga today. Power Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Spinning Yoga, Beer Yoga, Naked Yoga, Yoga for Dogs & Humans, Hot Yoga, Christian Yoga and the list is endless. Absolute rubbish, to say the least! New types of Yoga seem to appear and disappear, it seems almost daily, and they are a far cry from the Yoga described in the Sanatana texts.
As this commercialization and repulsive forms grow, there are profiteers who are finding more ways to make quick bucks, and this is ultimately leading to people straying away from the original meaning of Yoga. Further, making Yoga part of the fashion industry creates a barrier between people and practicing Yoga. When something becomes a tattoo or a print on a shirt, it risks being tokenised as a trendy foreign design. The way West has been marketing Yoga now to the entire world has resulted in a majority of people adopting a cultural practice without acknowledging its true meaning and turning it into a fashionable workout.
Another important element that the world is straying away from when it comes to Yoga is the Guru, who in the traditional sense is of utmost importance. As mentioned earlier, this is also one of the most abused terms. A Guru is not just a mere teacher or expert, but rather one who can impart wisdom which he or she has personally experienced. Many Hindu scriptures and texts eulogize Gurus. For most practitioners whose yoga is in nascent stages, an experienced and learned teacher is a must. Unfortunately, in a world of 200-hour teacher trainings, even such qualified yoga teachers are difficult to find.
It is high time the world has realised that Yoga is a spiritual discipline rooted in Hindu/ Sanatana Dharma philosophy and is universally available to anyone without any coercion, pressure, or requirement to change one’s religion. However, that does not mean the the cultural appropriation of the discipline is acceptable. Hinduism is a religion, although unique among the world’s religions, as it has no identifiable beginning in history, no single founder or prophet, no central religious establishment or sole authoritative scripture and generally does not proselytize or seek conversion. It is also imperative for people to realize the true meaning of performing Yoga and that its ultimate goal is to is an individual journey that requires lifelong dedication, consistent practice, and devotion to God.
