The recent Fatwa hiccup for yoga has presented me a chance for deep reflection, on why we are doing yoga and what I want to accomplish by teaching it, despite not doing so would save much of my troubles and heartache in otherwise my rather contented personal life.
Initially, it sounded rather absurd to hear associating yoga with religion. Then I felt, in a way, it did good to bring the public’s attention that there are different dimensions of yoga, that which was associated mainly with ‘exercise’ to general public. While the majority of yoga practitioners, not only in Malaysia but throughout the world, practice yoga for its physical and health benefits, there are other aspects of yoga besides its physical part, mental and spiritual aspects, that which are not much to do with religion but of about becoming a whole person.
The different dimensions of yoga are like the spokes of a wheel; in the center, there is a hub that which is our awareness, not the Hinduism. Yoga expands our awareness physically, mentally and spiritually despite our different culture, race, gender and religion. Its practice makes stronger of who we are at the core; it does not cause diversion from who we already are. Because its practice is based on our ability to be aware, a unique quality of we human amongst all other mammals.
Religion is a matter of personal faith whereas yoga is a way to enhance one’s overall wellness, in body, mind and spirit that which I could testify the best through my own life. Despite decades treading in this path, I never became anything that I was not before, but become stronger of what I was right from the beginning. Originally I am a reflective nature who loves solitary lifestyle with simple needs for anything external. I am not particularly a religious type who was endowed a strong faith by birth, but more of a philosopher who believes in goodness of nature and humanity.
By chance, I got into Indian mysticism in my late teen and if you count from there my association with yoga and Hinduism, then, it is almost three decades that I am in this yogic path. I never managed to covert into a Hindu till now. I went to a Christian high school before that, who had to listen the school priest’s weekly summon and take a test on our Bible knowledge. I also went to Church often because I liked to sing Gospel. I like to read the Buddhist Sutras and have a Buddhist name given by a renowned Korean monk, when I went to a temple for the memorial service for my late mother. When I came to Malaysia years back, hearing the early morning and evening prayers from a nearby mosque was what soothed the most of my troubled heart then. It sounded like heavenly hymn, so ethereal and mystic.
After all these years of different exposure from different religions, teachings and culture, however, if you ask me what I am, I am still a humanist who doesn’t have any religious propaganda but a good intention to be a useful person to others. Teaching yoga and meditation is my self-chosen mission because it is one of the most comprehensive ways of living, as I found out, to enhance, to elevate our personal as well as collective awareness in our quest for much nobler life.
My choice for this ‘yogic path’ was because it suited the best of my independent spirit. And yet, it was enough for me as this path allowed me to best express my love and gratitude for people and life. It was a self-reformative and self-sustaining path that didn’t need other’s instructions or interventions. It didn’t demand me of changing or converting into anything that I do not agree. Instead, I could take my own time, my own wills and capacity to become, to mold into what I am willing to be at the moment.
Practicing Yoga is like unpeeling the layers of an onion. One layer by one layer… what is there left? Empty space…within that empty space it contains diversity of human race, color, religion or belief system. That empty space is called ‘awareness.’ Within which, you and I become one, diversity and singularity become one. All hatred, conflicts, misunderstanding, shortcomings, melt into nothingness. We become a whole and more complete each time after sweating, huffing and puffing our breaths on the yoga mat. We become a translucent mirror of wisdom after each session on the meditation cushion. We become that much alert and intimate to the very people we are living together as we continuously relish our mental, physical stress, thus refining our spiritual self to be better human beings in all relationships, all aspects of our life.
And yet, the Hatha Yoga, the physical aspect of yoga, is the best place to start for anyone who wants to improve themselves. It directly shows us the limitations of our physical body, and thereby, teaches us how to be patient and compassionate at the same time. Slowly, we will start to glimpse a crack in the junction of our awareness, in between the in and out of regular breaths, to discover the fundamental truth we all hold together deep in our heart. Like you and I, everybody is just searching for somewhere to belong, something that will make us more holistic and complete. We are so much alike, and yet, so different in the ways of seeking for acceptance and fulfillment. Yoga make us to turn around and find the union of body, mind and spirit within, so that we can see how we are connected with others and life without. The ‘seeing’ and ‘knowing’ comes from ‘awareness.’
While everything else, anyone else in our life comes and goes, the awareness we have, born with, will never leave us even a moment till we die. No matter how pleasant or unpleasant events might strike us, threatening to shake off the much sought balance off from our ordinary, uneventful life, our ability to be ‘aware’ at the present moment by turning around is the saving grace for our sanity, wellness and happiness. That extra ordinary journey to discover the treasure land lies within us, all happening in the yoga mat while learning to breathe in and out consciously, while learning to stretch, bend and twist one step by one step, one class by one class. That is why yoga became so popular throughout the world because it heightens the power of our awareness more than anything. When we have that, it doesn’t matter whatever we do; whoever we are; we feel just perfect and complete in each moment. It is our inborn desire to be happier and better. Yoga fills in the gap wonderfully, in a very much congruent way, because it connects our body and mind with breath to uplift our spirit.
That’s why I love Yoga, and why I want others to do Yoga, whether be young or old, male or female, steep or flexible, ill or healthy, etc. It brings us to the center of our being, awareness, to liberate us from all internal and external limitations, numerous polarities we have, so that we can take everyday life much easier, simpler, but more consciously. For me, that is my religion, seeing my own as well as other’s awareness expanding, expanding without boundary from this very yoga mat...
