Why some religions are uneasy about Yoga teachings

In the first ever designated annual International Day of Yoga, the world last week took a pause to celebrate Yoga. The day was officially established by consensus at the United Nations General Assembly in December last year, after a request by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The date was consequently selected to coincide with the June 21 Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and which apparently holds special significance in many parts of the world.

In Kenya, several dignitaries gathered on Sunday June 21, 2015 at the UN Complex in Gigiri to celebrate Yoga. Speaking at the event, both the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Governor Evans Kidero urged Kenyans to embrace Yoga for overall physical and mental health. Since then, however, several have wondered about the significance of the day.

In his speech declaring the Yoga Day, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, testified how he had just had the opportunity to practise Yoga with Vijay Nambiar, one of his senior advisors, during a visit to India earlier in the year. He thus extolled Yoga as possessing “inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations.” It is this very statement that has stirred debate on the rationale of the UN designating a day for the practice.

Under normal circumstances, UN designated International Days are few but of great significance. They are days designated to help the world take a pause and reflect on an aspect of life that has impacted or continues to impact the world significantly.

Some of the significant days include: World Refugee Day (June 20), World Environment Day (June 5), International Literacy Day (September 8), International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17), or the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3). Even with all its extoled benefits, many wonder where Yoga fits into the equation.

Yoga is a practice that has solicited much debate, particularly in religious circles. And whereas the origins of Yoga are a matter of deliberation, scholars argue that a systematic and comprehensive or even integral school of Yoga practice can only be found in Buddhism as expounded in the Pali Canon.

Hence, key Yoga techniques find anchor in ancient Buddhist text. However, Hinduism also has a strong claim on the practice of Yoga. In Hinduism, classical Yoga is considered as a philosophical school rooted in Hindu scriptures.

Interestingly though, it is not Yoga’s apparent connection with Buddhism or Hinduism that is the main disconcerting factor in religious circles.

In recent times, Yoga has been more associated with the New Age movement — a universal movement with a strong emphasis on self-spirituality, authority of self, and a focus on healing through cultivating inner energy. According to studies, New Age not only embraces various Indian teachings such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Yoga; but also extends to incorporate elements of metaphysics, perennial philosophy, and self-help psychology.

The emphasis is thus on taking master of one’s inner self. In this regard, Yoga is often considered as an expansion of consciousness, a path to omniscience, and even a technique for the attainment of other supernatural accomplishments.

It is this move towards establishing the human person as his or her own god that unsettles many religious groups when it comes to New Age, and especially the practice of Yoga.

From records, the Muslims appear divided on their perspectives on the practice of Yoga, with extremes at both ends. Nations like Malaysia, Egypt, and Indonesia are recorded to have placed strict bans on Yoga and especially on religious chants associated with the practice. On the other hand, others like Iran have had no difficulty allowing Yoga centres in the nation.

Among Christians, the Roman Catholic Church, while allowing for meditation, has warned in its communication from the Vatican that physical aspects of meditation can degenerate into “a cult of the body” and that delving into mysticism could lead to psychic disturbance or moral deviations.

Many other Christian groups consider Yoga to be part of the New Age movement and therefore inconsistent with Christianity. Others associate Yoga with mysticism and the eventual worship of other than the Christian God.

It does appear that, whether or not Yoga holds the inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations, the endorsement of a practice that apparently has its roots in religion, may turn out to be at odds with the long held religious neutrality of the international body.

It is interesting, for example, that while we celebrated Yoga, the International Day of the African Child (June 16) passed rather quietly with no call to reflection or meditation on some of the serious issues that still dog the children of this continent.