35
april 2018yogajournal.com.auCan modern yogis access the sacred
essence of yoga, or is it all but lost
in Western culture?
By Jessica Humphries
AS NEW YOGA STYLES continue to surface, in most western cities
you can now fi nd everything from hip hop yoga to goat yoga.
The yoga-lebrity culture is on the rise, and bikini clad yoginis
are abundant on social media, leaving many devotees feeling
that modern yoga is disrespectful to the tradition.
The traditional yogis’ practice was mostly focussed on
knowledge, which, through meditation and contemplation,
reunites one with their true self whose nature represents
consciousness, truth and bliss (Sat Chit Ananda). The purpose
of yoga is freedom, and liberation from all bondage, pain and
suffering (Moksha). The practice is an act of devotion whose
meaning seems to have been diluted through modern practices
that focus on fi tness, fun and self-esteem.
Recent research illustrates that one in 20 Australians now
practice yoga – a fi gure that has doubled since 2008, making yoga
Australia’s fastest growing fi tness activity. But are today’s, western
practices honouring the tradition of yoga, or are they so watered
down that its essence is all but lost?