Emily Chen

Professor Simmons

RELI 367

6 May 2020

Is Yoga Religious?

Yoga is known and practiced throughout the world, but many would not tie religion to

yoga. Yoga in today’s society is known as a form of exercise or a way to relax oneself, while in

the past yoga was practiced for a religious purpose. There are a few topics that were discussed in

the four modules that brought me to believe that yoga is religious; linked with religion,

spirituality, and exercise. As this class comes to an end, I have learned many forms and ways of

how yoga is practiced throughout history and how the perspective of yoga has changed through

time. Based on the information that I have learned and known, I will argue that yoga is a form of

religion, as well as a spiritual outcome and a way of exercise, or a union of all three alternatives

because of the different perspective and high aims it pursues.

I would define religious belief as one who believes in a god or gods, whom they worship

or pray for in a place where they are comfortable in. In The Book of Gita, we know that the

devotion to god is known to be the highest, also known as the “ultimate'' form that a yogi can

perform.2 Throughout all yoga practice, many of the instructors will use traditional language to

guide you through a yoga practice as well as adding prayers and meditation throughout. In the

book Roots of Yoga, Moksha is a path that one must follow for the obtainment of liberations,

“attainment of liberation or supernatural powers by means of prescribed psychophysical

methods.” In the first YouTube video that we watched, the instructor uses both conjunction and
disjunction; conjunction by becoming union with god through prayer, and disjunction by

practicing Samkhya to remove matter and nature as well as returning to purpusa.3 Many yogis

that practice yoga have an goal, which is to reach nirvana and get closer/connect with God. There

are three paths in Bhagavad-Gita; Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti, while Bhakti yoga is the highest

practice as well as the highest goal for a yogi, it’s known to be the devotion and love to God. I

believe that prayers are used to reach those of higher power (God) while meditation is practice so

that one can truly listen. The traditional language used, additional prayers, and meditation are

considered to be a religious factor for Yoga, since many churches and religious people in today’s

society believe that praying to the god that they believe in is a part of their religion.

A spiritual path, defined as the union with the divine and as well as reaching the highest

knowledge, it appears to provide more information that yoga is religious. We know that there are

seven chakras in the body that can be focused on to reach a form of spirituality which can be

practiced through all yoga practice. The Roots of Yoga, describe the three-fold method which was

then demonstrated in the second YouTube video, it demonstrated withdrawal (overcome senses),

fixation (focusing the mind on one point), and meditation (abstract mental practice), which can

help you find/understand oneself better.4 One must be in control of the body and be able to

mentally and physically understand yourself before one can reach/achieve the ultimate success;

reaching spirituality. In the book, Gurus of Modern Yoga, “Gurus represent modernity, even

though they do so indirectly by embodying what modernity seems to have left behind or lost

touch with;” Ramakrishna was a guru who had a strong belief on spirituality and traditional

yoga. In India many gathered on the green grass for International Yoga Day, the prime minister

of India, Narendra Modi, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies
unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment, harmony between man and

nature, a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. It is not about exercise but discovering the

sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”1 To achieve the level of spirituality, one

must slowly remove oneself from the world and slowly reach the connection with the divine, by

first cleansing oneself and practice breathing, “How could knowledge of reality arise? Therefore,

the yogi should first purify the channels and then practice breath-control.”5

The last topic to show that yoga is a form of religion, it is connected with a form of

exercise. Of course, when people think of the word “exercise,” many wouldn’t think about

religion, well for yoga it’s different. In the late 1800’s to early 20th century, modern yoga was

introduced as a form of exercise and was soon developed by many to be known as Muscular

Christianity and the Physical Culture Movement. In the third yoga video that we saw, it shows a

similarity to modern yoga in the past, “...harmonious development of one’s body, mind, and

psyhic potencies ultimately lead to physical well-belling, mental harmony, moral elevation and

habituation to spiritual consciousness.”6 In the book, Yoga Body, it describes that physical yoga

was practiced by many women and men for different benefits. While women practice yoga for

stretching/dance, it’s focusing on slimming their body in a “spiritual” way; men however practice

yoga for bodybuilding, it appears to focus on their strength and robustness giving them a

“manliness” feeling.7 Hatha yoga and Vinyasa yoga was a common practice for many, it’s a form

of physical exercises and focuses on breath control, which ties back to spirituality. Both have

similarity and differences, while Hatha yoga is to calm the mind, body and spirit; Vinyasa yoga

focuses on building strength through body heat and sweating. Yoga was practice as an form of

exercise and was believed that it was a better form to understand Gita more, “You will be nearer
to heaven through football than through the study of Gita, you will understand Gita better with

your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger” Swami Vivekananda.6 In modern times yoga appears

to be practiced in both ways, while some athletes like football players, performers, and

basketball players practice yoga to relax and unwind for the coming season. Others are practicing

yoga for a deeper meaning, like finding vitality and longevity. I believe that the form of exercise

that yogis’ practice in the past is similar to the practice that happens in today’s society, which can

relate to why yoga is religious.

In conclusion, many in today’s society practice yoga for a rather small meaning than what

it actually represents. Traditionally yoga was practice so one can join or attach with themselves

as well as with god. Yogis practice yoga to attain themselves and reach a higher level of meaning

in their lives by letting go and discovering themselves. While in society today many have

forgotten or have no knowledge on what the practice of yoga truly stands for and for those that

practice yoga now are mainly aiming for a form of exercise or a mentality relaxation. Even

though yoga has lost its true meaning throughout time, I still believe that yoga is a form of a

religious practice, though many will believe otherwise. From all the modules that we had learned

and the videos that we had watched, the practice of yoga still has a religious touch. While yoga

became more prominent in Western culture which caused many of the traditional meanings to be

lost, even then yoga is still practiced in many places around the world for a religious purpose.
 Source Cited

1. Burke, Jason. “Modi's Plan to Change India and the World through Yoga Angers

Religious Minorities.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, June 6, 2015.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/06/narendra-modi-yoga-india.

2. Simmons, Caleb. “Yoga and the Meaning of Life.” University of Arizona -

D2L(Desire2Learn). Accessed May 3, 2020.

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525326/View.

3. Simmons, Caleb. “Defining Yoga.” University of Arizona - D2L(Desire2Learn).

Accessed May 3, 2020.

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525308/View

4. Simmons, Caleb. “Cognitive Practice - Roots of Yoga 283-322.” University of Arizona -

D2L(Desire2Learn), Accessed May 3, 2020

http://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525316/View.

5. Simmons, Caleb. “Yogic Sounds.” University of Arizona - D2L(Desire2Learn), Accessed

May 4, 2020 http://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525349/View.

6. Simmons, Caleb. “Yoga as Physical Culture.” University of Arizona -

D2L(Desire2Learn), Accessed May 4, 2020

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525354/View

7. Simmons, Caleb. “Yoga and Harmony - Yoga body 143-162.” University of Arizona -

D2L(Desire2Learn), Accessed May 4, 2020

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/890273/viewContent/8525357/View