On the dynamism of yoga

We are not at the end of yoga. It is not complete. It is not a static lesson plan. Though over 5000 yrs. old, yoga is still in its infancy. Yoga has evolved and will continue to evolve along with mankind.  As we learn more about the body we will add and take away from the teachings of yoga. While learning from the past and understanding the history of yoga is important, we cannot get stuck there. We must be brave in order to throw away ideas that are no longer relevant. Let yoga be a guide, but also allow yourself to be critical. When we stop asking questions and allow ourselves to believe unconditionally, then we have last the true yoga path and are no longer reaping the benefits of our practice.

​We also must acknowledge when yoga takes a wrong a turn. Whether it is in the form of sexual harassment by a master teacher, beer yoga, or an ab sculpting yoga class. These are diversions and should not cause us to get mislead down a wayward path. We must not allow ourselves to be disappointed and to reject yoga because of humanistic missteps.

To ensure we stay true to yoga, we must define a healthy set of core values about yoga. What is yoga's true essence? For me, yoga is about health.  As I state on my home page: "Yoga promotes health; emotional, intellectual, and physical. Its first element is the breath (Pranayama), its second element is quieting the mind (Dhyana), the third element is the physical challenge (Asanas) while maintaining elements one and two."

Once we have established a healthy set of values around yoga, we are in an optimum position to ensure that we can see yoga clearly through all the humanistic fog.