By Jennifer Clawson, RYT
Have you ever seen this at a yoga studio?
Or this?
How about this?
Many American yoga studios are decorated with the kinds of items pictured above. So, isit any wonder so many people think yoga is a religion? Given the decorating choices of some yoga studios, it’s obvious why new students (or prospective students) would be confused. For many people, that confusion is enough to keep them from even walking through the door.
Yoga can benefit everyone, but too many people never take that first class because they think yoga is incompatible with their religion. Yoga teachers will be the first to tell you that yoga is not a religion.
Why, then, do so many religious items end up decorating yoga studios? We can’t have it both ways.
Let me state it clearly: Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is neither Buddhism nor Hinduism. These three traditions do share a cultural connection, however, since each originated in ancient India. Still, no one confuses Chinese tai chi with Buddhism or Confucianism. Buddhism and Shinto are practiced in Japan, but that doesn’t stop Americans from practicing qi gong .
Why is the perception of yoga so different? Decorative elements certainly play a part.
Think of how curators arrange objects in museums. Each piece is paired with a plaque that explains the work in greater detail. These explanations are crucial for placing the artwork within its proper context. Knowing the historical background increases our understanding and appreciation of the item. Without this information, we would be left to draw our own conclusions (which are often erroneous).
Yoga studios could increase the educational value of these decorative items by simply displaying them with a little information.
In my next few posts, I will explain the three images above, and explore whether or not they have a place in an American yoga studio.
July 24th, 2009 → 1:48 pm
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July 28th, 2009 → 11:49 pm
[...] a previous post , I discussed how spiritual images in yoga studios give the false impression that yoga is a [...]
July 29th, 2009 → 12:07 am
[...] a previous post , I discussed how spiritual images in yoga studios can give the false impression that yoga is a [...]