10.01.2020

Happy New Year from all of us at Yoga Heart. Wishing you health, peace of mind, inspiration and joy!

Is Yoga A Religion?

Some westerners who are practicing Christians or Jews are concerned about yoga being an eastern religion. They fear that by taking up the practice of yoga, they might undermine their own religious faith. Are their fears warranted? Is yoga a religion? The quick answer to both questions is: Instead of undermining their personal faith, yoga can actually deepen it. In the following I will offer a more detailed explanation.

Let me begin with the extremist position of Christian fundamentalism, which regards yoga as a dangerous import from the East that should under all circumstance be shunned. Often yoga is lumped together with new age teachings, which are seen as a threat to the Christian establishment.

Yoga, it is quite true, has historically been associated with India’s three great religious-cultural traditions - Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Thus the teachings of yoga are infused with many concepts that have a Hindu, Buddhist, or Jaina flavour. The most striking examples, which often are a stumbling block for westerners, are the ideas of karma and rebirth and the notion that there are numerous deities in addition to the one ultimate Reality. First of all, there have been yoga masters who dismissed the twin ideas of karma & reincarnation, and the deities (deva) of Hinduism, Buddhism & Jainism can be compared to the angels of Christianity & Judaism. Clearly, such beliefs are not essential to Yoga practice. In fact, we need not believe in anything other than the possibility that we can transform ourselves: that we can go beyond our present understanding & experience of the world and, more significantly, beyond our current egocentric state of being.

At the heart of all forms of Yoga is the assumption that we have not yet tapped into our full potential as a human being. In particular, Yoga seeks to put us in touch with our spiritual core - our innermost nature - that which or who we truly are. That nature is described differently by the various schools of Yoga. Rather than being expected to believe in any of the traditional explanations, we are free to allow our personal experience & realisation to shape our understanding.

Over the millennia, yoga has become associated with the various philosophical & theological systems - none of which can be said to define yoga itself. For yoga is first and foremost a practical spiritual discipline that emphasises personal experimentation and verification. In other words, direct personal experience or spiritual realisation is considered senior to any theory or conceptual system.

For this reason, yoga can and in fact has been practiced by people with widely differing philosophies and beliefs. Some yoga practitioners believe in a personal God who created the universe, others favour a metaphysics that regards the world as illusory and the ultimate Reality as singular and formless. Yes others (notably the practitioners of Theravada Buddhism) refuse to speculate about metaphysical matters. Accordingly, some yoga practitioners are more religious than others. But yoga itself is primarily a tool for exploring the depth of our human nature, of plumbing the mysteries of the body and the mind. Of course, as we delve into the practice of yoga, we find that certain ideas about the world and human nature are more useful than others. So, possibly, the notions of karma and rebirth might resurface, because they have a certain explanatory force. Or we might have experiences that lend credence to the age-old teaching that “all is one” (sarvam ekam). How can yoga enrich the religious or spiritual life of a practicing Christian or Jew? The answer is the same as for a practicing Hindu, Buddhist, or Jaina. Yoga aids all who practice religion, regardless of their persuasion, by balancing the nervous system and stilling the mind through its various exercises (from posture to breath control to meditation). Yoga’s heritage is comprehensive enough so that anyone can find just the right techniques that will not conflict with his or her personal beliefs. More than that, religious-minded folk will find in yoga many ideas and sentiments, especially about moral life, with which they will easily resonate. Who could find fault, for instance, with the yogic recommendation to pursue a virtuous life dedicated to non-harming, truthfulness, compassion, charity, tolerance, and freedom from greed, anger, jealousy, and so forth?

Millions of Christians and Jews around the world are already practicing yoga, and there is even a “Christian Yoga”. Yoga - mostly a simplified version of Hatha-Yoga - is being taught at many branches of the YMCA, and various Jewish centres also offer yoga classes.

So, practicing Christians or Jews (or practitioners of any other religious tradition), should take from yoga what makes sense to them and deepen their own faith and spiritual commitment. But they also should keep an open mind about their spiritual experiences and insights arising from the practise of yoga. After all, all theories, explanations, and beliefs are merely conceptual frameworks superimposed on reality. We ought not to cling to them too tenaciously lest they should prevent us from seeing what is really the case.

All the great religious traditions of the world have their spiritual explorers. Yoga is India’s gift to those wishing to become psychonauts - travelers in the inner space of consciousness. If we genuinely desire to know ourselves more profoundly and make sense of the world in which we live, yoga is a reliable, well-tested vehicle.

- Excerpt from ‘The Deeper Dimension of Yoga’ by Georg Feuerstein

Adolescent Anxiety

Adolescence is phase of rapid development and transition - important biological changes co-occur with
socio-emotional ones. These changes can be especially challenging for youth who may have an anxious predisposition, often exhibiting impaired functioning, mood changes and signs and symptoms of anxiety. For example, the peak in the incidence of social anxiety occurs in adolescence, coinciding with a normal developmental increase in fears of negative evaluation. This may exhibit itself as social withdrawal or (over) engagement with online technologies. Importantly, anxiety symptoms can coexists with mood or conduct problems (comorbidity). Youth who exhibit persistent anxiety symptoms show poorer academic performance, impairments in social and family functioning and poorer development.
 

Children rarely “grow out” of their anxiety. Contrary to common belief that children “grow out” of their anxiety, untreated childhood and adolescent anxiety typically continues into adulthood and increases the risk of other mental health problems, such as panic disorder or generalised anxiety disorder. Early intervention is key, before anxiety symptoms cluster into anxiety.
 

Adolescence is an opportune time for intervention. Developmental processes inherent to adolescence,
including increased neural plasticity and a flexible emerging sense of self, make the second decade of
life a “window of opportunity” to alter maladaptive cognitive and behavioral patterns. Younger
adolescents respond to brief interventions, while older adolescents may need more time.
 

What can parents do if they notice their children are exhibiting increasingly anxious behaviors?

Accurate assessment is the first step. Anxiety and depression symptoms lie on a continuum of severity, which need to be accurately assessed by a clinician. If symptoms are pathological, interventions are tailored according to age and severity of symptoms. Mild symptoms are typically addressed with brief psychoeducational interventions, including parents’ individual or group psychoeducation. More severe and persistent symptoms of anxiety and/or depression call for individual and family cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions, which are planned based on individual needs and family context.
 

What if my child resists counseling?

The developmental need for autonomy and the tendency to challenge parental advice can make it
difficult for some adolescents to acknowledge the need for counseling and to accept help. If youth resist therapeutic interventions, parents can be coached into facilitating the process. Thereby, parents’ session can precede adolescent sessions.
 

What can parents to do to prevent pathological anxiety?

Some adolescents, even those with anxious predispositions, possess better coping repertoires and can thereby cope better with stressors. Adolescents (and parents) who do not have adequate emotional skills and coping strategies can be coached into developing these. Parents can play a significant role in their children’s development of social and emotional skills by being role models: using healthy coping strategies and communicating adaptive emotional responses. Moreover, parents play a key role in the range of learning experiences that their children are exposed to, which can in turn translate into children’s skill enhancement and stress inoculation. (Over) protection can hinder the frequency and extent of learning experiences, while supportive encouragement and autonomy enhancement can promote social and emotional learning. These skills can be developed in individual or group psychoeducational groups.

- By Eleni C. Tzavela, MSc. Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Classes at Yoga Heart will be happening on an altered schedule from January 3rd until the 20th. Any changes made will be on the home page, under "Announcements". Please check there for the latest dates & times.

EVENTS & WORKSHOPS

Tai Chi as an Art of Healing with Tew Bunnag

Parents' Psychoeducation Groups

2020 Class Schedule

YOGA HEART MOMENTS