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What is Yoga?

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.

Do I have to be vegetarian?

If you are in yoga for the whole experience – yup.  The first principle of yoga philosophy is ahimsa, which means nonharming to self and others. Some people interpret this to include not eating animal products. There is debate about this in the yoga community–I believe that it is a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your personal health issues as well how your choices will affect those with whom you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something that you impose on others–that kind of aggressive action in itself is not an expression of ahimsa.

Is Yoga a Religion?

Some have called it new age.  Yoga is an ancient practice with a written history going back thousands of years. It is not New Age, although various New Age movements have adopted and adapted elements of Yoga. In addition, Yoga and New Age movements share a focus on mind/body development. In order to fuly examine the religion question, it is helpful to look at the difference between religion and spirituality.

Those who participate in organized religion accept their denomination’s deity or deities and worship through a system of long-established rituals. They may read sacred texts that outline a moral code, which they follow, and they may attend worship meetings lead by religious leaders who have been ordained by an authority in that religion.

By contrast, we can define spirituality as the quest for understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. Many use organized religion as the conduit for their spirituality, but spirituality can also exist outside the bounds of religion. In other words, spiritual practice is essential to religion, but religion is not essential to spiritual practice.

Yoga does share some things in common with religion, including the study of ancient texts and gathering of like-minded individuals for study under a learned teacher, but these things alone do not constitute a religion. Though some yoga practices encourage meditation on a universal spirit, which may even be called God, the nature of that God is left open to interpretation. Some are confused by yoga’s relationship with Hinduism, since yoga’s language borrows from the Hindu lexicon.

other articles:

• The Malaysian Yoga Ban – Moving Forward
• Yoga Techniques Practices For Beginners
• Ahimsa: a resolution for non-violence
• Malaysia bans Muslims from practicing yoga

This seems to always be a discussion. The take on religious people versus spiritual is a little polar in this pitch, so it has to be somewhere in the middle, but in fairness of showing all sides I bring this presentation. I think you can reconcile religion and spirituality for what it is worth.

Can religion improve quality of life? Yes, multiple surveys prove this.  MSNBC reports that spiritually impacts happiness for kids.

The link between spirituality and happiness is pretty well-established for teens and adults. More spirituality brings more happiness. Now a study has reached into the younger set, finding the same link in “tweens” and in kids in middle childhood.

the study shows that children who feel that their lives have meaning and value and who develop deep, quality relationships — both measures of spirituality, the researchers claim — are happier.  religious practices were found to have little effect on children’s happiness, Holder said.

Religion is just one institutionalized venue for the practice of or experience of spirituality, and some people say they are spiritual but are less enthusiastic about the concept of God.

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