Talk by Smt. Hansaji J. YogendraThe entire
approach to
this subject of
yoga is very
different all
over the world.
When I look
at the world, I
feel that we are very lonely from this
angle because what we teach is not
taught anywhere else. There are a lot
of problems in the kind of yoga that
is taught worldwide today. They do not
understand that yoga is a science of
how to live life. We took two workshops
in Hong Kong. One was ‘Prevention
of Diseases’ and the other one was
‘Obesity: Weight Management’. We
had gone there for seven days. We also
took personal consultations where
people with problems came and they
were given
appropriate
guidance and
advice.
When people
heard the
session on diet,
understanding
of life
philosophy,
they asked
where yoga
comes into
all this. To
them yoga
only consisted
of Asana and
Pranayama.
This idea
of yoga was
fixed in their
mind. That is why when they heard
about diet, how to live life, routines,
thinking and then taking action, it was
not yoga according to them. For them,
yoga was just standing on your head,
etc.When I went on a drive I saw how
strongly, aggressively yoga was
marketed in Hong Kong. Huge, shining,
one storey high posters were put up
everywhere. They showed a man doing
different postures holding hands with
a lady, bending forward in one posture,
bending backwards in another, with
his legs up, etc. Hatha Yoga, Power
Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga are taught over
there. Dance and other things are also
included.There is a very huge hall where
almost 200
people lay
mattresses
and do yoga.
Everything
is yoga. The
mat is yoga,
towel is yoga,
shirt is yoga.
All of them
do Asanas
together. The
master stands
in front and
the students
follow him.
If a student
does not
bend enough,
the master
runs to him
and shouts,