Wrong.
I’m not usually one to say that to someone I don’t know very well, but I’m saying it now. No. Wrong.
If I (or any teacher) ever say something that really doesn’t resonate with your views, worldly or otherwise, I invite you to ignore it. Let it in one ear, out the other. Notice, and let it go. Because Yoga has gained this reputation of being a spiritual approach, and deeply at odds with other approaches, possibly due to some of the things we do.
Things. What things!?
Some of those things you may come across in a Yoga class:
Namaste. Pronounced Nah-mah-stey. In Sanskrit (more on that below) it means I honor you, or I bow to you. Namaste is a normal greeting in many countries. It is typically said with palms pressed together in front of the heart, with a bow. The teacher will say it first, and you can respond if you like. I like to say Namaste at the end of my classes. I hope you will say it in response, but I won’t pout if you don’t.
Sanskrit. Many of the practices we do have names in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a lovely, but barely used language. It is commonly thought to be a dead language, but there are small groups in India that still speak Sanskrit in conversation. You might hear it in your Yoga classes. Asana is Sanskrit for posture, or pose. Pranayama is breathing exercises. Tadasana is Mountain Pose. Surya Namaskar is Sun Salutations. They are lovely words steeped in tradition. If you want to know what a word means, just ask! Your teacher will probably love the opportunity to explain. And you’ll test their mettle. Bonus.
Om. This one can be a biggie. Om can be explained in many, many ways, and calls for a whole nother post. I will keep it brief here: Om is often referred to as the sound of creation. It also is the root sound for Amen, Salaam and Shalom. And it can feel really good in the chest when you chant it, especially if you have congestion in the lungs or throat. Give it a shot. If it is unpleasant, you can just hum instead. It will be harder to get the vibrations in the chest, but you’ll still get some good out of it. Or you can just sit quietly. That works too.
Meditation. Some folks think that meditation is hypnosis, or mind control, or mind emptying. I’ve heard of folks that thought that if you empty the mind, you make room for bad influences. While I can’t speak for every meditation teacher, I can say that when I teach meditation, it involves focusing the mind on one thing, rather than emptying it. Because telling the mind to not think will have you thinking of every thought you’ve ever thought, ever.
These are just a few things that can throw people off of yoga classes. Have something else weighing on you? Need to ask about it? Please, do! Leave a comment. It’s okay to have questions. After all, Yoga is an inquiry. We don’t have to force the body, breath, or mind to do anything. We invite, we ask, and we observe.
If you’re in a class that doesn’t feel right with you, feels like you’re dishonoring yourself, then stop. Find another class, one with that thing that makes your heart sing, that feels like home, or makes you sweat in a good way. Whatever you want from Yoga, I bet you can find it. Yoga can be what you need it to be.
Namaste!
this is part of an ongoing series on Yoga misconceptions. Check out the others here here and here!