Why Whites love Hinduism and its Yoga?

[GrebluBro]

I am agnostic..

I have seen many Whites going crazy about Hinduism and its Yoga.

What are the reasons behind this?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

[KidMulat]

Same reason why they get into Kabbalah; its different and they feel a connection (even if the connection may or may not be naive).

[Baldur]

White people love new diets and exercises. Zumba is very big too lol.

[GrebluBro]

Same reason why they get into Kabbalah; its different and they feel a connection (even if the connection may or may not be naive).

Any belief which benefits people in real life is good, and that belief shouldn't bother non-believers.

[Prisoner Of Ice]

Because they are at heart hippy peacenicks, unfortunately rest of world is not.

[StonyArabia]

They believe it brings them to their Aryan past. Also they might like it because it's the last pagan religion in existence will all others virtually disappeared and one rooted in Indo-European roots.

[KidMulat]

Its not just white people though, yoga has been stripped from the religious context it came from.

Its basically Pilates/Aerobics now :-/

[DeaththeKid]

Its not just white people though, yoga has been stripped from the religious context it came from.

Its basically Pilates/Aerobics now :-/

Yeah you're right. Yoga is supposed to be a tool for spiritual advancement but most Westerners don't see it that way, they just use a very limited version of it for exercise.

[Smeagol]

They believe it brings them to their Aryan past.

Does it?

[Mortimer]

It benefits health, body and spirit.

[StonyArabia]

Does it?

To some extent it this what some of the White people believe. They like the Rig Veda's and they do like it for the Indo-European roots, of course as of now Hinduism has borrowed a lot from the Dravidians as well, but yes it's the last pagan faith in existence which make also a lot of White people who are sympathetic to paganism to come to it. I believe people say that it originated in Central Asia the home of the Aryans, and when they came the Aryan religion intermixed at least this what I heard.

[Mortimer]

To some extent it this what some of the White people believe. They like the Rig Veda's and they do like it for the Indo-European roots, of course as of now Hinduism has borrowed a lot from the Dravidians as well, but yes it's the last pagan faith in existence which make also a lot of White people who are sympathetic to paganism to come to it. I believe people say that it originated in Central Asia the home of the Aryans, and when they came the Aryan religion intermixed at least this what I heard.

only racist white people, who believe in aryans and such. there was one on stormfront "white hindu" or like that, it was a woman, funny thing is she hated indians and denied them entry into her "hinduism" group because it was only for white people

[Mortimer]

well once on rehab i got teached basic chinese concepts of health, like ying and yang etc. also chinese alternative medicine is popular, i think chinese traditions are also quiete popular not only indian, but there is much to learn from indians and chinese in medicine and for spiritual advancement, also hinduism is vegetarian, and respects nature and animals, they see god in nature and animals and dont eat meat, these things appeal to some people from west

[DeaththeKid]

Yeah some anti-Semites like Hinduism because it is a more Aryan religion the Christianity but another alternative would be Zoroastrianism which is also an Aryan religion

[Smeagol]

only racist white people, who believe in aryans and such.

Only racist White people believe in Aryans?:laugh:

[Mortimer]

Only racist White people believe in Aryans?:laugh:

yes.

[Smeagol]

yes.

Aryans came from outside of South Asia, and conquered the native Dravidians.:)

[Mortimer]

Yeah some anti-Semites like Hinduism because it is a more Aryan religion the Christianity but another alternative would be Zoroastrianism which is also an Aryan religion

yeah but indians shouldnt feel flattered because those people dont like modern day indians, and they ripp them off from their traditions like they claim that hinduism is white religion and not indian religion

[Mortimer]

Aryans came from outside of South Asia, and conquered the native Dravidians.:)

we discussed this many times, and it is wrong.

[DeaththeKid]

yeah but indians shouldnt feel flattered because those people dont like modern day indians, and they ripp them off from their traditions like they claim that hinduism is white religion and not indian religion

Yeah it is ironic Indians are non Aryans practising an Aryan religion while Europeans are Aryans practising a non Aryan religion.

[Smeagol]

we discussed this many times, and it is wrong.

Nope, it's absolutely correct, and only Indian nationalists deny it. Every real scholar just laughs at the out of India people, because of their stupidity.

[GrebluBro]

Only racist White people believe in Aryans?:laugh:


Many claims about Aryans in India are myth

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indians-are-not-descendants-of-aryans-study/1/163645.html
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-new-research-debunks-aryan-invasion-theory-1623744
http://uwf.edu/lgoel/documents/AMythofAryanInvasionsofIndia.pdf
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/aryan/aryan_frawley.html

[Mortimer]

Yeah it is ironic Indians are non Aryans practising an Aryan religion while Europeans are Aryans practising a non Aryan religion.

they make all religions white, they also claim that jesus was white, and that only whites can be christians, which is mostly accepted that whites are christians, but that whites are hindus is strange concept, but some groups of whites would like to claim it

[GrebluBro]

Yeah it is ironic Indians are non Aryans practising an Aryan religion while Europeans are Aryans practising a non Aryan religion.

Wtf..Hinduism is not absolute Aryan shit :picard1:

It has a predominant indigenous Indian roots and beliefs.

[Raven_]

Yeah it is ironic Indians are non Aryans practising an Aryan religion while Europeans are Aryans practising a non Aryan religion.

Well, ancestors of some of those European Aryans were language / culture shifters themselves to begin with.

[Mortimer]

Nope, it's absolutely correct, and only Indian nationalists deny it. Every real scholar just laughs at the out of India people, because of their stupidity.

then bring in some real scholar to teach us how it was, and who the aryans were, and what is indian culture and if hinduism is a white religion and if india was a white colony etc. so far we have only a bunch of rednecks like you and melonhead who do that, im curious about the opinion of a real scholar

[Smeagol]

Many claims about Aryans in India are myth

Nope, the Aryan Invasion theory is proven. Why do you think Indians mostly speak Indoeuropean languages?

[DeaththeKid]

they make all religions white, they also claim that jesus was white, and that only whites can be christians, which is mostly accepted that whites are christians, but that whites are hindus is strange concept, but some groups of whites would like to claim it

Yeah it's stupid that they think Jesus is white. If Jesus showed up to one of their meetings they would probably try beat him up lol

[Rambo07]

Aryans came from outside of South Asia, and conquered the native Dravidians.:)

Actually by the time the Indo Iranians were living the Swat valley, the Indus valley had already collapsed for the most part.

[GrebluBro]

Nope, the Aryan Invasion theory is proven. Why do you think Indians mostly speak Indoeuropean languages?


Language and race cannot be correlated always.

How about Basques, Hungarians, Finnish, Estonians, etc ?

Dude the proto-languages evolved long time ago (when people were not all civilized) and some people adopted the language which evolved from other race/ethnicity

Indo-European speakers living in India is almost similar to Dravidian language speakers like me.

Almost all Indians got ancestors mostly within India (going back 5000 years or so)..
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/study-throws-light-on-genetic-diversity-of-indian-population/article24239.ece

[Smeagol]

Actually by the time the Indo Iranians were living the Swat valley, the Indus valley had already collapsed for the most part.

Yes, but either way, they conquered the native Dravidians, but overall the Aryans did not have much of a racial affect on India, although Northwest Indians do have some North European DNA, and the Brahmins have the most, about 5-10%.

[Rambo07]

Yeah it's stupid that they think Jesus is white. If Jesus showed up to one of their meetings they would probably try beat him up lol

Yes if they found out Jesus is not really the handsome blond nordic man but an average looking short brown skinned Semite, the shock would be too much. Would they still worship him?

[Smeagol]

Language and race cannot be correlated always.

Never said it could.


How about Basques, Hungarians, Finnish, Estonians, etc ?

What about them?


Almost all Indians got ancestors mostly within India (going back 5000 years or so)..
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/study-throws-light-on-genetic-diversity-of-indian-population/article24239.ece

That's true, the Aryans were only a minority, however Northwest Indians have minor amounts of European DNA which can go up to 10% at the most.

[asingh]

When the AIT is denied it does not necessitate the fact OOI is being propagated. But the presence of r1a1a in the mutated form speaks a lot. Regarding linguistics, the Indo-Aryan branch is just as archaic, and it is difficult to ascertain which language group came first. PIE will always be a mystery. The Aryans for all we know, were post-PIE. PPIE.

[Rambo07]

Yes, but either way, they conquered the native Dravidians, but overall the Aryans did not have much of a racial affect on India, although Northwest Indians do have some North European DNA, and the Brahmins have the most, about 5-10%.

I would not say they conquered, if something is already dead, there is no conquering involved, I would say they filled a vacuum. Mind you when they started migrating from the BMAC/Northern Afghanistan they inhabited the Swat for 200 years before moving into the plains. I am sure they were minor skirmishes but the collapse of the Indus is mainly attributed to the collapse of the water systems, massive flooding and eventual the drying up of the Saraswati river.

[Fortis in Arduis]

I am agnostic..

I have seen many Whites going crazy about Hinduism and its Yoga.

What are the reasons behind this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

Ok. I do not want to be rude but:

The "white" world was (mostly) Christianised. Christianity is a freaky foreign religion, about a man who went about riding on a donkey, and irritating Jews. It is almost embarrassing, but the really big problem is that it had its mysticism surgically removed, by various authorities. Christians do not generally get to learn much about the concept of the soul in a way that seems to join up with the rest of the religion. Cause and effect are not well explained. There is something called the "Holy Spirit" which is rather nebulous, but that is about as close to self-realisation as a soul that the average Christian might get.


Same reason why they get into Kabbalah; its different and they feel a connection (even if the connection may or may not be naive).

Exactly. Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism and it provides the missing component for Christians... and Jews or anyone else who might like to understand the nature of the soul and existence in a little more detail. I listened to a kabbalah lecture, and I thought and then exclaimed, "This is like Hinduism!", and then, "wow!"

I am sure that there are more reasons that I am not aware of, but people are generally attracted to what is helpful or useful.


Its not just white people though, yoga has been stripped from the religious context it came from.

Its basically Pilates/Aerobics now :-/

Yoga: it works. It was developed, essentially, last century, with moves from ballet and European gymnastics added to existing posture practice traditions. It is not aerobics, because there is generally an emphasis on controlled breathing, which I suspect is not there in aerobics.

From previous postings:


The sanskrit terms are useful because everyone else in the hatha yoga community is also familiar with them.

We are very lucky that hatha yoga even came to Europe, because before its practise was restricted to brahmin men, before India opened up and Indian teachers finally allowed westerner men (in about 1950) and then westerner women (in the 1970s) to start learning the science.

Its practise in the UK is an amusingly 'white' phenomenon. There is nothing particularly Indo-centric about it either, we rarely ever see the masters who have perfected and researched the systems which predominate here.

Those systems which Europeans have taken readily to are the best, and it could be argued that the top centres of research are no longer in India but in London and Los Angeles.

What has been lost to many is the background sister science of ayurveda which is very simple to understand the basics of and which really augments a hatha yoga practise, but this is not so popular, and the teaching of meditation is regarded as a separate concern, although yogic breathing control techniques (pranayama) can be employed to help settle the mind further and these are now widely taught.

The asanas should really come before meditation in the order of importance.

It is an unusual and strangely prescribed thing to want to do, but it works wonderfully as an every day habit.

and


If you look back at the way it was taught in the 70s and find older teachers, then you will strike gold.

Interestingly, it has been suggested that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and Iyengar Yoga were heavily influenced by Danish gymnastics, by Mark Singleton in his book 'Yoga Body':



http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/Hinduism/?view=usa&ci=9780195395358

This is the sort of yoga I try to practise and I am actually quite happy that is has been modernised and 'westernised' to suit my modern western lifestyle and body.

It helps me prepare for my western stresses and strains and, of course, for the icing on the cake - my meditation practise.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is er... at least 2000 years old, and we should give thanks for Patanjali, but the various disciplines are still being updated and researched and modified. This is good and to be expected.

Hatha yoga gurus have certainly played up the ancient origins of their science, but they were heavily influenced by western gymnastics, and in the case of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the training techniques of the British Army garrison in Mysore.

Is that really a bad thing?

The problem I have with Ashtanga is that is has been shortened to fit it into a smaller time schedule to make it more marketable. This is indeed commercialisation, but I practise the 1970s way. :D

Also:


The pale winter sunlight shone from the high windows of the Cambridge University library onto a dark leather book cover. In the hall full of silent scholars, I opened it and leafed through picture after picture of men and women in familiar postures. Here was Warrior Pose; there was Downward Dog. On this page the standing balance Utthita Padangusthasana; on the next pages Headstand, Handstand, Supta Virasana, and more—everything you might expect to find in a manual of yoga asana. But this was no yoga book. It was a text describing an early 20th-century Danish system of dynamic exercise called Primitive Gymnastics. Standing in front of my yoga students that evening, I reflected on my discovery. What did it mean that many of the poses I was teaching were identical to those developed by a Scandinavian gymnastics teacher less than a century ago? This gymnast had not been to India and had never received any teaching in asana. And yet his system, with its five-count format, its abdominal "locks," and its dynamic jumps in and out of those oh-so-familiar postures, looked uncannily like the vinyasa yoga system I knew so well.

Time passed, and my curiosity nagged at me, leading me to do further research. I learned that the Danish system was an offshoot of a 19th-century Scandinavian gymnastics tradition that had revolutionized the way Europeans exercised. Systems based on the Scandinavian model sprang up throughout Europe and became the basis for physical training in armies, navies, and many schools. These systems also found their way to India. In the 1920s, according to a survey taken by the Indian YMCA, Primitive Gymnastics was one of the most popular forms of exercise in the whole subcontinent, second only to the original Swedish gymnastics developed by P.H. Ling. That's when I became seriously confused.

Ancient or Modern?

This was not what my yoga teachers had taught me. On the contrary, yoga asana is commonly presented as a practice handed down for thousands of years, originating from the Vedas, the oldest religious texts of the Hindus, and not as some hybrid of Indian tradition and European gymnastics. Clearly there was more to the story than I had been told. My foundation was shaken, to say the least. If I was not participating in an ancient, venerable tradition, what exactly was I doing? Was I heir to an authentic yoga practice, or the unwitting perpetrator of a global fraud?

I spent the next four years researching feverishly in libraries in England, the United States, and India, searching for clues about how the yoga we practice today came into being. I looked through hundreds of manuals of modern yoga, and thousands of pages of magazines. I studied the "classical" traditions of yoga, particularly hatha yoga, from which my practice was said to derive. I read a swath of commentaries on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra; the Upanishads and the later "Yoga Upanishads"; medieval hatha yoga texts like the Goraksasataka, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and others; and texts from the Tantric traditions, from which the less complex, and less exclusive, hatha yoga practices had arisen.

Scouring these primary texts, it was obvious to me that asana was rarely, if ever, the primary feature of the significant yoga traditions in India. Postures such as those we know today often figured among the auxiliary practices of yoga systems (particularly in hatha yoga), but they were not the dominant component. They were subordinate to other practices like pPranayama (expansion of the vital energy by means of breath), dharana (focus, or placement of the mental faculty), and nada (sound), and did not have health and fitness as their chief aim. Not, that is, until the sudden explosion of interest in postural yoga in the 1920s and 1930s, first in India and later in the West.

When Asana Went West

Yoga began to gain popularity in the West at the end of the 19th century. But it was a yoga deeply influenced by Western spiritual and religious ideas, representing in many respects a radical break from the grass-roots yoga lineages of India. The first wave of "export yogis," headed by Swami Vivekananda, largely ignored asana and tended to focus instead on pranayama, meditation, and positive thinking. The English-educated Vivekananda arrived on American shores in 1893 and was an instant success with the high society of the East Coast. While he may have taught some postures, Vivekananda publicly rejected hatha yoga in general and asana in particular. Those who came from India to the United States in his wake were inclined to echo Vivekananda's judgments on asana. This was due partly to long-standing prejudices held by high-caste Indians like Vivekananda against yogins, "fakirs," and low-caste mendicants who performed severe and rigorous postures for money, and partly to the centuries of hostility and ridicule directed toward these groups by Western colonialists, journalists, and scholars. It was not until the 1920s that a cleaned up version of asana began to gain prominence as a key feature of the modern English language-based yogas emerging from India.

This cleared up some long-standing questions of mine. In the mid-1990s, armed with a copy of B.K.S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga, I had spent three years in India for yoga asana instruction and was struck by how hard it was to find. I took classes and workshops all over India from well-known and lesser-known teachers, but these catered mostly to Western yoga pilgrims. Wasn't India the home of yoga? Why weren't more Indians doing asana? And why, no matter how hard I looked, couldn't I find a yoga mat?

Building Strong Bodies

As I continued to delve into yoga's recent past, pieces of the puzzle slowly came together, revealing an ever-larger portion of the whole picture. In the early decades of the 20th century, India—like much of the rest of the world—was gripped by an unprecedented fervor for physical culture, which was closely linked to the struggle for national independence. Building better bodies, people reasoned, would make for a better nation and improve the chances of success in the event of a violent struggle against the colonizers. A wide variety of exercise systems arose that melded Western techniques with traditional Indian practices from disciplines like wrestling. Oftentimes, the name given to these strength-building regimes was "yoga." Some teachers, such as Tiruka (a.k.a. K. Raghavendra Rao), traveled the country disguised as yoga gurus, teaching strengthening and combat techniques to potential revolutionaries. Tiruka's aim was to prepare the people for an uprising against the British, and, by disguising himself as a religious ascetic, he avoided the watchful eye of the authorities.

Other teachers, like the nationalist physical culture reformist Manick Rao, blended European gymnastics and weight-resistance exercises with revived Indian techniques for combat and strength. Rao's most famous student was Swami Kuvalayananda (1883-1966), the most influential yoga teacher of his day. During the 1920s, Kuvalayananda, along with his rival and gurubhai ("guru brother") Sri Yogendra (1897-1989), blended asanas and indigenous Indian physical culture systems with the latest European techniques of gymnastics and naturopathy.

With the help of the Indian government, their teachings spread far and wide, and asanas—reformulated as physical culture and therapy—quickly gained a legitimacy they had not previously enjoyed in the post-Vivekanandan yoga revival. Although Kuvalayananda and Yogendra are largely unknown in the West, their work is a large part of the reason we practice yoga the way we do today.

Innovative Asana

The other highly influential figure in the development of modern asana practice in 20th-century India was, of course, T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), who studied at Kuvalayananda's institute in the early 1930s and went on to teach some of the most influential global yoga teachers of the 20th century, like B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, and T.K.V. Desikachar. Krishnamacharya was steeped in the traditional teachings of Hinduism, holding degrees in all six darshanas (the philosophical systems of orthodox Hinduism) and Ayurveda. But he was also receptive to the needs of his day, and he was not afraid to innovate, as evidenced by the new forms of asana practice he developed during the 1930s. During his tenure as a yoga teacher under the great modernizer and physical culture enthusiast Krishnarajendra Wodeyar, the maharajah of Mysore, Krishnamacharya formulated a dynamic asana practice, intended mainly for India's youth, that was very much in line with the physical culture zeitgeist. It was, like Kuvalayananda's system, a marriage of hatha yoga, wrestling exercises, and modern Western gymnastic movement, and unlike anything seen before in the yoga tradition.

These experiments eventually grew into several contemporary styles of asana practice, most notably what is known today as Ashtanga vinyasa yoga. Although this style of practice represents only a short period of Krishnamacharya's extensive teaching career (and doesn't do justice to his enormous contribution to yoga therapy), it has been highly influential in the creation of American vinyasa, flow, and Power Yoga-based systems.

So where did this leave me? It seemed clear that the styles I practiced were a relatively modern tradition, with goals, methods, and motives different from those traditionally ascribed to asanas. One only has to peruse translations of texts like the Hatha Tattva Kaumudi, the Gheranda Samhita, or the Hatha Ratnavali, to see that much of the yoga that dominates America and Europe today has changed almost beyond recognition from the medieval practices. The philosophical and esoteric frameworks of premodern hatha yoga, and the status of asanas as "seats" for meditation and pranayama, have been sidelined in favor of systems that foreground gymnastic movement, health and fitness, and the spiritual concerns of the modern West. Did this make the yoga I was practicing inauthentic?

This was not a casual question for me. My daily routine during those years was to get up before dawn, practice yoga for two and a half hours, and then sit down for a full day researching yoga history and philosophy. At the end of the day, I would teach a yoga class or attend one as a student. My whole life revolved around yoga.

I went back to the library. I discovered that the West had been developing its own tradition of gymnastic posture practice long before the arrival of Indian asana pioneers like B.K.S. Iyengar. And these were spiritual traditions, often developed by and for women, which used posture, breath, and relaxation to access heightened states of awareness. Americans like Cajzoran Ali and Genevieve Stebbins, and Europeans like Dublin-born Mollie Bagot Stack, were the early 20th-century heirs to these traditions of "harmonial movement." Newly arrived asana-based yoga systems were, naturally, often interpreted through the lens of these preexisting Western gymnastic traditions.

There was little doubt in my mind that many yoga practitioners today are the inheritors of the spiritual gymnastics traditions of their great-grandparents far more than they are of medieval hatha yoga from India. And those two contexts were very, very different. It isn't that the postures of modern yoga derive from Western gymnastics (although this can sometimes be the case). Rather, as syncretic yoga practices were developing in the modern period, they were interpreted through the lens of, say, the American harmonial movement, Danish gymnastics, or physical culture more generally. And this profoundly changed the very meaning of the movements themselves, creating a new tradition of understanding and practice. This is the tradition that many of us have inherited.

Crisis of Faith

Although I never broke off my daily asana practice during this time, I was understandably experiencing something like a crisis of faith. The ground on which my practice had seemed to stand—Patanjali, the Upanishads, the Vedas—was crumbling as I discovered that the real history of the "yoga tradition" was quite different from what I had been taught. If the claims that many modern yoga schools were making about the ancient roots of their practices were not strictly true, were they then fundamentally inauthentic?

Over time, however, it occurred to me that asking whether modern asana traditions were authentic was probably the wrong question. It would be easy to reject contemporary postural practice as illegitimate, on the grounds that it is unfaithful to ancient yoga traditions. But this would not be giving sufficient weight to the variety of yoga's practical adaptations over the millennia, and to modern yoga's place in relation to that immense history. As a category for thinking about yoga, "authenticity" falls short and says far more about our 21st-century insecurities than it does about the practice of yoga.

One way out of this false debate, I reasoned, was to consider certain modern practices as simply the latest grafts onto the tree of yoga. Our yogas obviously have roots in Indian tradition, but this is far from the whole story. Thinking about yoga this way, as a vast and ancient tree with many roots and branches, is not a betrayal of authentic "tradition," nor does it encourage an uncritical acceptance of everything that calls itself "yoga," no matter how absurd. On the contrary, this kind of thinking can encourage us to examine our own practices and beliefs more closely, to see them in relation to our own past as well as to our ancient heritage. It can also give us some clarity as we navigate the sometimes-bewildering contemporary marketplace of yoga.

Learning about our practice's Western cultural and spiritual heritage shows us how we bring our own understandings and misunderstandings, hopes and concerns to our interpretation of tradition, and how myriad influences come together to create something new. It also changes our perspective on our own practice, inviting us to really consider what we're doing when we practice yoga, what its meaning is for us. Like the practice itself, this knowledge can reveal to us both our conditioning and our true identity.

Beyond mere history for history's sake, learning about yoga's recent past gives us a necessary and powerful lens for seeing our relationship with tradition, ancient and modern. At its best, modern yoga scholarship is an expression of today's most urgently needed yogic virtue, viveka ("discernment" or "right judgment"). Understanding yoga's history and tangled, ancient roots brings us that much closer to true, clear seeing. It may also help to move us to a more mature phase of yoga practice for the 21st century.

http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/2610

[Rambo07]

Dharmic and Eastern Religions ( Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc) are no where as rigid as Abrahamic religions , also they are more personal and that resonates with many people in the West, not just White people.
I watch Church channel sometimes out of curiosity and save for Joel Osteen, who does give nice advice and is very sensible. The rest of them all sound like broken records and the only fun part is when they start convulsing on the floor talking in tongue like mad people.

[Insuperable]

Ok. I do not want to be rude but:

The "white" world was (mostly) Christianised. Christianity is a freaky foreign religion, about a man who went about riding on a donkey, and irritating Jews. It is almost embarrassing

Gypsy please. It is certainly no freakier than many Hindu stuff and certainly no more foreign than Hindu bullshit you follow.

[Raikaswinþs]

why do you keep talking about "whites" ?

Who are those whites you are talking about? is it common for indians ro refer to westerners in general as "white"? North Americans of NW Euro origin call themselves "white" and that trend has somehow followed in Britain (specially after WWII). But for the majority of Europeans the term white is meaningless. Hindiusm and Yoga are popular in some western countries (though Buddhism is more popular I would say. Other western countries pay little to no attention to Hinduism. Most would have a hard time putting India on a map tbh.

You must be talking about the UK I imagine. Over here it is close to illegal to celebrate local culture. Even guest europeans, students and workers have nothing to celebrate here. Only MENA and Asian cultures are OK to be celebrated. And people like celebrations, Brits being no exception.

[GrebluBro]

Gypsy please. It is certainly no freakier than many Hindu stuff and certainly no more foreign than Hindu bullshit you follow.


At least, Hindus never forced people to convert or blood-shed :)

[Raikaswinþs]

even though my username is Ojancanu (Ojanco, Ojote, a cyclopean-like creature from the Castilian and Cantabric folk), in reallity, I probably would be something closer to a Diablillo Cojuelo (somewhat similar to the Satyr of Greek Mithology) . Actually I may request a name-change :D

[Insuperable]

At least, Hindus never forced people to convert or blood shed :)

Aren't you a smart one my agnostic Gypsy friend? Your Gypsy friend was talking about Jesus and discussing the core teachings regarding Christianity about which he doesn't know much. Since Christianity was spread by peace in the beginning, nor is that even important in this discussion, it is even less important what some people do in the name of Christianity - opposite of what they should stand for.

Many joys of Hindus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G823aqIUJMU

[Fortis in Arduis]

Aren't you a smart one my agnostic Gypsy friend? Your Gypsy friend was talking about Jesus and discussing the core teachings regarding Christianity about which he doesn't know much. Since Christianity was spread by peace in the beginning, nor is that even important in this discussion, it is even less important what some people do in the name of Christianity - opposite of what they should stand for.

Many joys of Hindus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G823aqIUJMU

Socratic method:

What do Christ's teachings tell us about the nature of the soul?

Also, it is not just Hinduism. Buddha invented Vipassana, a meditation method that raised human consciousness considerably.

[Insuperable]

Socratic method:

What do Christ's teachings tell us about the nature of the soul?

What is your point now? There is no need to question my knowledge. There is no reason to go into theological and philosophical discussions. I simply addressed your point regarding freaky and foreign.

[Fortis in Arduis]

What is your point now? There is no need to question my knowledge. There is no reason to go into theological and philosophical discussions. I simply addressed your point regarding freaky and foreign.

So, your soul is, what, exactly?

[arcticwolf]

Gents your discussion is silly, what I believe is better whst you believe, but in the end we all believe in something. Sure some things are better to believe in than others, but in the end it's all belief. Here is better principle, believing in something does not make it true, knowing beats believing every single time.

on topic, don't know much about yoga or Hinduism, not in my sphere of interests, plus yoga can damage your joints as some poses take joints beyond ROM Range Of Motion, stretching ligaments, loosening up joints, a big no no.

[GrebluBro]

Many joys of Hindus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G823aqIUJMU

What is the fuck is wrong in that rat temple ?

Most Hindus are kind to animals at least through their religion..I appreciate that.

This planet is for every fucking creature, not just for selfish humans.

[Insuperable]

What is the fuck is wrong in that rat temple ?

Most Hindus are kind to animals at least through their religion..I appreciate that.

This planet is for every fucking creature, not just for selfish humans.

And I agree with you completely, but still freaky and foreign.

[dude]

Women like yoga because they think it is good for them. Hinduism, I don't think it is that popular, but that ones that do is because it is something exotic.

[Fortis in Arduis]

...yoga can damage your joints as some poses take joints beyond ROM Range Of Motion, stretching ligaments, loosening up joints, a big no no.

True, this posture was banned by the British Athletic Association:

http://yogateachercentral.com/files/3713/2926/6947/reclined_hero_full.jpg

There are options though:

http://supportiveyoga.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/dsc_0770.jpg

How groovy is this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7FAJ2Yjl9I


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgJIYuszGx8

[arcticwolf]

True, this posture was banned by the British Athletic Association:

http://yogateachercentral.com/files/3713/2926/6947/reclined_hero_full.jpg

There are options though:

http://supportiveyoga.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/dsc_0770.jpg

As long as you do not stretch ligaments there is no danger. In strength endurance training you want the joints very tight and powerful, but muscles well stretched as it allows for better technique thus lessening the risk of serious injuries.

[Astronaut]

on topic, don't know much about yoga or Hinduism, not in my sphere of interests, plus yoga can damage your joints as some poses take joints beyond ROM Range Of Motion, stretching ligaments, loosening up joints, a big no no.

Then how will you get the wholistic knowledge of Buddhism ? Buddhism and Hinduism are related faiths.

[Astronaut]

Women like yoga because they think it is good for them. Hinduism, I don't think it is that popular, but that ones that do is because it is something exotic.

Because Hinduism was not meant for non Indians.Hinduism is more than a religion for Hindu Indians,it's their way of life.

[GrebluBro]

Because Hinduism was not meant for non Indians.Hinduism is more than a religion for Hindu Indians,it's their way of life.

I agree with you.

I'm agnostic, but still my way of life is still Hinduism (southern India) influenced..

[arcticwolf]

Then how will you get the wholistic knowledge of Buddhism ? Buddhism and Hinduism are related faiths.

Buddhism is not Hinduism my friend, Buddhism is not even Faith. Knowledge of Hinduism is not necessary for a Buddhist at all. As a matter of fact most Buddhist don't know anything about Hinduism.

Reality is reality, the law of consequences or Karma is reality, both have it, it does not mean one has to know hinduism to understand karma. You are Indian I am Polish we both understand gravity, you don't need to know anything about being Polish to perfecty understand how gravity works. Same principle, the law/reality is the law/reality.

Hinduism is based on believes/faith Buddhism has nothing to do with either one.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Because Hinduism was not meant for non Indians.Hinduism is more than a religion for Hindu Indians,it's their way of life.

However, there are neo-Vedantic movements that have taken matters beyond.

[dude]

Because Hinduism was not meant for non Indians.Hinduism is more than a religion for Hindu Indians,it's their way of life.
Exactly.

[rob211080]

Same reason why they get into Kabbalah; its different and they feel a connection (even if the connection may or may not be naive).

And what is the reason we love the qabalah.

[rob211080]

White people love new diets and exercises. Zumba is very big too lol.

NIGGER....GO HOME..

[Baldur]

NIGGER....GO HOME..

haha nigger?

[Óttar]

Because Hinduism was not meant for non Indians.

Tell that to the Balinese.

[LightHouse89]

I am agnostic..

I have seen many Whites going crazy about Hinduism and its Yoga.

What are the reasons behind this?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

pagan tom foolery!

[Mortimer]

hinduism is a good philosophy and way of life etc. i also like hindu art, but i dont like all of it, i dont like the caste system, some of the animal worship not either, also holy ghanghes should be kept clean

[Ctwentysevenj]

All those middle class hippies are into all that.

[Loki]

hinduism is a good philosophy and way of life etc. i also like hindu art, but i dont like all of it, i dont like the caste system, some of the animal worship not either, also holy ghanghes should be kept clean

How do you explain the rape culture among Hindus in India? It reaches international headlines frequently these days. It has probably been like that for a long time, but didn't get picked up by the media.

[jatt]

How do you explain the rape culture among Hindus in India? It reaches international headlines frequently these days. It has probably been like that for a long time, but didn't get picked up by the media.

Rape happen 10 TimEs More in usa. India tHey Come in newS In west normal Thing not newSWorthy

[Loki]

Rape happen 10 TimEs More in usa. India tHey Come in newS In west normal Thing not newSWorthy

I doubt it ..

[jatt]

I doubt it ..

CheCk stats Google is at ur SErvice

[Loki]

CheCk stats Google is at ur SErvice

I haven't checked the stats, but stats for India are likely very much underreported, especially in rural areas.

[Mortimer]

How do you explain the rape culture among Hindus in India? It reaches international headlines frequently these days. It has probably been like that for a long time, but didn't get picked up by the media.

i dont know how to explain it. but i dont approve

[7eleven]

Maybe they just want some indian pussy?

[Mostafa]

They probably just want to be seen as 'open-minded' or something like that.

[Svipdag]

I suggest that you read the Upanishads. They contain the essence of Hindu thought. Next, read the Vedanta Sutras . They explain Hindu metaphysics in a lucid fashion. These readings will help explain the appeal of Hinduism to rationally-oriented Western minds.

[asingh]

How do you explain the rape culture among Hindus in India? It reaches international headlines frequently these days. It has probably been like that for a long time, but didn't get picked up by the media.

In Indian society, the female gender has no standing. Physical rape or societal rape, is all the same, here. It is sad. India truly follows the Y-chromosome logic. LOL.

[asingh]

Maybe they just want some indian pussy?

This is the first logical reasoning I have seen in this thread.

[Anthony PV]

In Indian society, the female gender has no standing. Physical rape or societal rape, is all the same, here. It is sad. India truly follows the Y-chromosome logic. LOL.

If a woman of an Indian family is raped... How will the family react? Will her brothers go out in the streets to find her rapist and grind his penis with a cheese grater? Or will they kill/ban/kick out/expel her sister because now that she has been raped, she's no longer worthy of being part of the family? Or both?

[asingh]

If a woman of an Indian family is raped... How will the family react? Will her brothers go out in the streets to find her rapist and grind his penis with a cheese grater? Or will they kill/ban/kick out/expel her sister because now that she has been raped, she's no longer worthy of being part of the family? Or both?

1. They will probably try to find the guy and bash him up. Maybe even kill him. (This could happen in the village).
2. Report to the cops (but this is rare, would happen in cities), and see what happens.
3. The girl would be looked down upon in society. Her fate could be anything. But I doubt anyone would marry her, if the incident details spread amongst the community members.
4. The girl would be questioned to: what she was doing, did she lead the guy on.
5. Doubt they will expel the girl from the family confines though.

[Mortimer]

no mercy for rapists they should be hanged by the balls until they die a painful death. that being said im sure most indians arent rapists but they have a huge population so it occurs more often

[Loki]

In Indian society, the female gender has no standing. Physical rape or societal rape, is all the same, here. It is sad. India truly follows the Y-chromosome logic. LOL.

I hope education and more media exposure about this will help to change this mindset.

[Loki]

Maybe they just want some indian pussy?

Many white men desire that.

[Nurzat]

most famous and best Yoga school outside Asia is the MISA in Romania. very controversial in its home country also. has tens of thousands of followers in Romania and probably the same as much outside it:

http://www.yogaesoteric.net/content.aspx?lang=EN&item=0

their website is quite awesome, you should check it out even if you're not into Yoga. they insist on Tantra (sex part)

[Aurvandil]

Hinduism, or an ancient pure and unmodified version of it, usually called Vedic-brahmanism, is the real "religion" of the Aryans, it's inherently related to all pagan pantheons of the Aryans througout Eurasia. When we invaded/migrated to the rest of Eurasia from the historic homeland of the Aryans (according to the Kurgan hypothesis), northern India was basically the first civilization developed by the Aryans, the RigVeda tells this story, of when Indra defeated the dasius (Aryans defeated the dark skinned australoid populations of the south) and formed the Vedic civilization. The first forms of science we have in the western world, like mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, were developed during this civilization, Yoga was also a spiritual practice that they developed. So, even though the reason whites are usually drawn to things like Yoga, Hinduism, Hare Krishna, Buddhism... isn't because they know about our connection with said culture, and they have deviated from its original forms and meaning, to me, any sort of cultural or spiritual manifestation us Aryans/Whites can have that link us with our origin and true identity and culture is valid and encouraged.

[LightHouse89]

subhumans like it....usually the middle class faggots who live by the ocean.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Hatha Yoga is the best form of exercise, and, as it is practised in the Anglosphere today, is a synthesis and culmination of the research and practise of a tradition many thousands of years old, and Western physical culture and gymnastics.

One only has to look at the youthful physiques of elderly yoga practitioners to see evidence of this.

[Wadaad]

I am agnostic..

I have seen many Whites going crazy about Hinduism and its Yoga.

What are the reasons behind this?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

First of all, Whites taught you about sanskrit, aryans and made hinduism a religion when it barely was one.

Secondly, the direct root for their interest is the Theosophical society: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophical_Society

[Wadaad]

Hinduism, or an ancient pure and unmodified version of it, usually called Vedic-brahmanism, is the real "religion" of the Aryans, it's inherently related to all pagan pantheons of the Aryans througout Eurasia. When we invaded/migrated to the rest of Eurasia from the historic homeland of the Aryans (according to the Kurgan hypothesis), northern India was basically the first civilization developed by the Aryans, the RigVeda tells this story, of when Indra defeated the dasius (Aryans defeated the dark skinned australoid populations of the south) and formed the Vedic civilization. The first forms of science we have in the western world, like mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, were developed during this civilization, Yoga was also a spiritual practice that they developed. So, even though the reason whites are usually drawn to things like Yoga, Hinduism, Hare Krishna, Buddhism... isn't because they know about our connection with said culture, and they have deviated from its original forms and meaning, to me, any sort of cultural or spiritual manifestation us Aryans/Whites can have that link us with our origin and true identity and culture is valid and encouraged.

LOL see what I mean?

[Linebacker]

I can put one of my legs behind my head while standing up.Im still working on bending the other one as well and still be standing up.Its a bit tricky.

Also my fingers bend all the way till they touch the top of my hand.I am pretty flexible in general and have never trained yoga.Maybe this is the reason I have never had bones broken,they bend to absorb instead of shatter in stiffness.

[Fortis in Arduis]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7c/35/8c/7c358ce7ad08dcc69740cafa949a8cee.jpg

Hmm, really?

I could do this about twelve years ago, as a result of dedicated daily practice of up to seven hours every day.

I followed the course in the back of B.K.S. Iyengar's book, "Light on Yoga", and I was the happiest I have ever been. Real goals, real knowledge, real progress.

[Marusya]

My yoga studio offers these types of yoga forms. I go to them all at various times during the month, but I like the Ashtanga the best. There is nothing particularly religious about any of it, though.

Short Form Ashtanga
Foundations of breathing, sun salutations and postures.

Ashtanga
​A disciplined sequence of postures using the breath and movement together to create heat that purifies the body, nervous system and mind.

Vinyasa
​Vinyasa is a method of yoga that involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures. A process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs.
​
Slow Flow
​This class is meant to serve all students. It articulates breath and movement in a form of a slow flowing sequence. Students awareness of their own body develops, strengthens and opens within its natural boundaries.

[Dzihadovic]

I don't give a fuck about yoga but damn do I love yoga pants, girls in yoga pants that is. :love:

[Fortis in Arduis]

I started with the Iyengar system, and then moved over to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, progressing to Second Series, in my glory days.

After getting used to the flow and breath synchronisation of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, I could not bear the Iyengar approach, but I still love the precision that the Iyengar system taught me.

It became also hard to find Iyengar classes that were challenging enough, and so I relied upon following his brilliant aforementioned course.

It is all beautiful, and it is important to note that both Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois (of Ashtanga fame) were students of T. Krishnamacharya.

[coolstorybro]

Whites love India, Hinduism and Yoga, since they are leftovers from the Aryans and the Aryans of course were white.

The Swastika is a European symbol found in many stone age, bronze and iron age cultures in Europe.

Even Hindu scholars recognize that a lot of the Vedas are Aryan.

Whites intuitively sense their own past in Hinduism and its paganism, they are trying to rid themselves of the Jew religion Christianity.

[Wadaad]

Whites love India, Hinduism and Yoga, since they are leftovers from the Aryans and the Aryans of course were white.

The Swastika is a European symbol found in many stone age, bronze and iron age cultures in Europe.

Even Hindu scholars recognize that a lot of the Vedas are Aryan.

Whites intuitively sense their own past in Hinduism and its paganism, they are trying to rid themselves of the Jew religion Christianity.

I guess we are Aryans too because there are swastikas in the Horn:


http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/swastika-4.jpg

[sql]

Hinduism is whiter than Christianity

[coolstorybro]

^Where is that swastika from exactly, very interesting.

The Swastika is definitely without doubt the symbol of the Aryans, since the earliest one is found on a mammoth tusk in Ukraine and it's more than 12.000 years old.

https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/71kknk3nnk4bywdf/images/2-0cdb3f509c.jpg

Of course you probably realize that most of Middle East and North Africa was white in antiquity. There is this people you know called the Hittites who lived in what is now Iraq and they spoke an Indo-European language.

So yes, the Indo-Europeans probably ruled over your ancestors too.

[coolstorybro]

Many white men desire that.

I don't find Indian women very attractive, but it is because like arab women they are mostly covered up so you don't get to see what they really look like except the poor ones who are rarely hot. If they look anything like Persian women then count me in.

[de Burgh II]

Simply put; Abrahamic religions are founded upon superstition, zeal and conventional faith, whereas Eastern Religions are grounded rationally since their "religions" are more philosophically rooted that espouses a more sagacious, virtuous lifestyle that endeavors to convey this on a deeply involved spiritual level that conveys some conventional stability with it.

[Wadaad]

^Where is that swastika from exactly, very interesting.

The Swastika is definitely without doubt the symbol of the Aryans, since the earliest one is found on a mammoth tusk in Ukraine and it's more than 12.000 years old.

https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/71kknk3nnk4bywdf/images/2-0cdb3f509c.jpg

Of course you probably realize that most of Middle East and North Africa was white in antiquity. There is this people you know called the Hittites who lived in what is now Iraq and they spoke an Indo-European language.

So yes, the Indo-Europeans probably ruled over your ancestors too.

Lalibela, Ethiopia

The swastika is a natural human design, like the wheel or triangle/pyramid. Nothing spectacular about it for it to be a signature of a people.

Also, Idk why you thumbed up my previous post...Cultural appropriation is not cool whether by afrocentrists or eurocentrists. The aryan invaders of india were peripheraloids who wouldnt be 'idealized' in contemporary west.

[Raikaswinþs]

There are no whites.

Some middle class westerners love yoga but most haven't got any idea of what Hinduism is really about or that it is connected to Yoga.

[coolstorybro]

Lalibela, Ethiopia

The swastika is a natural human design, like the wheel or triangle/pyramid. Nothing spectacular about it for it to be a signature of a people.

Also, Idk why you thumbed up my previous post...Cultural appropriation is not cool whether by afrocentrists or eurocentrists. The aryan invaders of india were peripheraloids who wouldnt be 'idealized' in contemporary west.

Ok, so show me the Swastika in Sub-Sahara Africa, South America or Australia?

[Wadaad]

Ok, so show me the Swastika in Sub-Sahara Africa, South America or Australia?

lalibela is in sub saharan africa genius.

Anyways, here's an Ashanti weight from Ghana:

http://www.proswastika.org/e107_images/newspost_images/africa_ghana.jpg... I guess Aryans lived in the savannas of west africa too?

[coolstorybro]

^Show me a credible source for it being authentic and from Africa.

[coolstorybro]

lalibela is in sub saharan africa genius.

Anyways, here's an Ashanti weight from Ghana:

http://www.proswastika.org/e107_images/newspost_images/africa_ghana.jpg... I guess Aryans lived in the savannas of west africa too?

The Horn is not what people think of as Sub Sahara.

The Horn has been traded with for thousands of years, Nubia and so on, the Nile and so on. It might just as well have found its way there through trade. Prove me wrong. Prove the age and the origination.

[Wadaad]

Ghana is in the Horn now...nice

[coolstorybro]

Answer the question, how do you know this is made in Ethiopia and not a trade artifact?

We have bronze age findings from India in Scandinavia. Trade was global many, many years back.

[Siberian Cold Breeze]

Why Whites love Hinduism and its Yoga?

Not necessarily white but the ones culturally belong one of Middleastern religions tend to look for a more spiritual paths rather than a manupulating religion .Some follow Hinduism and practise yoga , some find Buddhism a better path to follow .
Especially if your body is frown and looked as a device of sin while your soul is enslaved by your belief and you feel teared apart in two , it's normal you look for other practises and beliefs since now there is no authority to punish you ,you can follow any belief or none.

[coolstorybro]

Ok, enough trolling, but I think paganism in general is much better than the evil Abrahamic religions.

The pagan religions all originate in humanities earliest experiences with nature, life and conscience. When we study pagan religions we feel the heartbeats of thousands of generations, we feel that original marvel when early man sat at night and looked at the stars, we feel the wonder of all that nature has to offer. We cherish our ancestors and we understand that we are all just playing the same scene over and over. It is why re-incarnation is fundamental in all paganism. Human life is short, we are lucky to just reach a point of understanding the collective of what our ancestors have discovered over the aeons. The search for 'enlightenment' in Hinduism and Buddhism is a noble goal, it is the great accomplishment of a human who has managed to break free of the cycle of human nature, particularly the nature of human nature which makes us commit the same mistakes that our parents did and their parents before them.

[Fortis in Arduis]

I am not sure why my thread on "Simple Aerobic Yoga (http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?8833-Simple-aerobic-yoga)" was posted in the "Weird and Paranormal" section, if Hatha Yoga is so beloved of us "white" folks.

Two most salient points were raised above.

The Abrahamic faiths expound upon morality to the extent that the divine, which is amoral, is often an obscured esoteric element.

Hatha Yoga was seen as heretical, and not terribly respectable until its sanitised reinvention early last century. Hatha Yogis were viewed with suspicion, as cultural outsiders in Hindu society.

Hatha Yoga, as it was revived in India, was the cultural counterpart to the Lamarkian eugenic, and physical culture movements in Europe, and so it fitted into those existing niches within European culture, and indeed had itself been influenced by Western gymnastics.

Naturally, the teachings of the Buddha, and Vedic knowledge are relevant to all peoples, and have spread far from their places of origin. What the European finds lacking within the Abrahamic Christian teachings, he may find answered elsewhere.

[Pigling]

Hinduism is true Aryan religion.

[Fractal]

Hinduism is true Aryan religion.

Europeans don't have any connection with it, anymore than Africans do. Also, white people make a mockery of Hinduism. They think hatha yoga is Hinduism.

[Ken2234]

Beacsue Yoga was ancient Vedic philosophy that would unlock the meridian points in the body aka Chakra. The Vedic came from the Hyperboreans (Japhethians) and they had an ancient city near Kush called Bactria. Most of the Hindu / Jainism religion is biased off our ancient religions.

[Ken2234]

Europeans don't have any connection with it, anymore than Africans do. Also, white people make a mockery of Hinduism. They think hatha yoga is Hinduism.

Not true

Go read this book and tell me if you still think that

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41SHKknysZL._AC_UL320_SR208,320_.jpg

The Arctic Home in the Vedas - 1903
by Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Or


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NVMWJ2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Origin of the Aryans. Hardcover – 1898
by Issac Taylor (Author)

[Vigilance]

My yoga studio offers these types of yoga forms. I go to them all at various times during the month, but I like the Ashtanga the best. There is nothing particularly religious about any of it, though.

Short Form Ashtanga
Foundations of breathing, sun salutations and postures.

Ashtanga
​A disciplined sequence of postures using the breath and movement together to create heat that purifies the body, nervous system and mind.

Vinyasa
​Vinyasa is a method of yoga that involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures. A process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs.
​g
Slow Flow
​This class is meant to serve all students. It articulates breath and movement in a form of a slow flowing sequence. Students awareness of their own body develops, strengthens and opens within its natural boundaries.

Yoga isn't just about "bodily movements" and "physical exercise" its a philosophy/belief system. Yoga is one of the 6 major schools of Orthodox Hinduism (Sat Darshana). A school of Hinduism is an Orthodox(Astika) school so long as 1) it has its own sutra text (which Patanjali did) 2) pays at least lip service to the infallibility of the Vedas and has room for it in its scholastic expositions.

Patanjali is a big figure scholastically even in modern Hinduism. If you are a serious Hindu guru, you should be having some knowledge of it. ISCKON websites even link to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Adi Shankaracharya even did commentary on the Yoga Sutras.

I myself found some gems in the Yoga Sutras which I did not find anywhere else. So in my opinion its a pretty good text.

I don't think there are any purely Yoga school lineage continuing communities anywhere today. But much of it is absorbed into modern Hinduism. Vedanta is the only surviving and widely spread school of Hinduism today.

What do you think of when you see this even as an uneducated Westerner? you will think "this must be some Yoga pose"
https://i.ndtvimg.com/i/2015-05/yoga_624x350_71431425500.jpg

well that reflex sums it all up for me. Actually that pose(is one of the poses) is used by Hindu ascetics to acquire "spiritual powers".

This relief in Mahabalipuram depicting the episode in Mahabharata, where the main protagonist Arjuna does "spiritual austerities" to appease Lord Shiva so that he can get special powers and weapons.

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/01-12/astra9.jpg

[Farmagud]

Read the Bhagavad Gita. In a way, I am still torn between Vishnu (Lord Krsna) and Christ.
Hinduism, or sanatana dharma, to me is the clear cut way to moksha in life. However, I at the same time I feel a strong connection to Christ and the Trinity.
I guess I am a Christo-Hindu

[ChristianMed]

They see it as outside the norm of traditional white America, which is something they do not like.

[x54xx]

They see it as outside the norm of traditional white America, which is something they do not like.

Whites are weird in states like Washington, New York and California. They are more receptive to Hindu temples being erected in town, funded by the Indian community. The church attendance is low in those states, mainly in the upper class suburbs. haha.

[ChristianMed]

Yah its all an part of the delusional upper class utopia mentality.

[x54xx]

Yah its all an part of the delusional upper class utopia mentality.

Upper class Whites in those states know more about Yoga and Hinduism than they do about Jesus or the Bible. It's embarassing since they are ashamed of their roots.

[Div1]

Other than the retarded hippy liberal whites. Serious white pagans are very interested in Sanatana Dharma, and its forebearer "Vedic Paganism". Other than perhaps Norse Paganism, Vedic Paganism offers the most complete doctrine. The Vedas are considered the books originally created by the Gods themselves, that's how old they are. And they were carried by the Aryan invaders into the Indian subcontinent.

The key difference between the two is that in Vedicism Indra is still considered the supreme God, where he was demoted due to his supposed "insolence" in later Sanatana Dharma writings.

[NordicStarseed84]

It benefits health, body and spirit.

Hinduism is GREAT!! It is both profoundly spiritual and philosophical. I have downloaded many of the fundamental Texts of Hinduism: The VEDAS, UPANISHADS, the MAHABHARATA and RAMAYANA, and also many of the PURANAS, which are still very little known in the West, unfortunately! All of these are fascinating, wonderful and uplifting reading!... I am just starting to study all of this, though. For a good introduction, I have read Swami VIVEKANANDA(his book on "Jnana-Yoga" is amazing!)and SRI AUROBINDO's Works. This entire Tradition is incredibly rich and profound. No wonder that so many European Philosophers were so interested, indeed, FASCINATED by it!... And yes: YOGA is a wonderful bodily and spiritual practice. It's too bad that the versions practiced in the West are so impoverished, in comparison to its original richness and variety!

[NordicStarseed84]

Upper class Whites in those states know more about Yoga and Hinduism than they do about Jesus or the Bible. It's embarassing since they are ashamed of their roots.

The UN-holy Bible is a big crock of anti-aryan semitic rubbish!... No thanks!

[arkas]

I think only a small minority do, the weirdo hippie types. They go to India where they can easily get marijuana. I saw many White hippie tourists with dreadlocks when I holidayed in India a few years ago.

http://stampartrecife.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/we-asked-the-hippies-of-lightning-in-a-bottle-what-it-means-to-be-a-hippie-body-image-1464803380.jpg
https://totravelistolive.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hippie-trail-goa-photographs-v2.jpeg
https://totravelistolive.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hippie-trail-goa-photographs-v14-1024x682.jpeg
https://assets.shoesonloose.com/image.thumbnail_medium.a3d2f2c70170c682.64622e696d 6167652e373935395f36303070782e6a706567.jpeg

They are nice people when sober.

[Iloko]

I've observed this phenomenon too lol!

[Herr Galke]

White suburban guy here. I took a yoga class in 2014.All white people, instructor was white ( She had a separate practice doing Reiki) Anyway, my point is that everyone of the students were the stereotypical "Starbucks drinking Buddha quoting city hippies". Chakras were discussed, but exclusively only 4 instead of full seven. All was focused onto Buddhism - no Hindu at all.

No I am white, in the west, and Getting back into Hinduism. But seriously this time.

[Vigilance]

I think only a small minority do, the weirdo hippie types. They go to India where they can easily get marijuana. I saw many White hippie tourists with dreadlocks when I holidayed in India a few years ago.

http://stampartrecife.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/we-asked-the-hippies-of-lightning-in-a-bottle-what-it-means-to-be-a-hippie-body-image-1464803380.jpg
https://totravelistolive.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hippie-trail-goa-photographs-v2.jpeg
https://totravelistolive.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hippie-trail-goa-photographs-v14-1024x682.jpeg
https://assets.shoesonloose.com/image.thumbnail_medium.a3d2f2c70170c682.64622e696d 6167652e373935395f36303070782e6a706567.jpeg

They are nice people when sober.

Which part of India is this?