Don't be Shamoji; get back to yoga.

Don't be Shamoji; get back to yoga.

I have some good news and some bad news. I'll start with the bad news. There was an attempt to kidnap yoga from us. And now for the good news: you can bring it back. Many practitioners call themselves yogis or yoginis, but they have taken sacred yoga practise and changed it into an inaccessible and inauthentic practice. They're what I call shmogis (ginis), or phoney yogis! Many of these Shmogis attempted to take yoga away from the masses by spreading myths about the practice, and they wished for us to reclaim yoga.

Yoga includes many aspects, including physical attitudes, the study of sacred philosophies, mindfulness, discipline, meditation, and the recognition of perfection, to name a few. I personally believe there are benefits to the proposed general guidelines and yoga pathways. However, as you will see below, some of these have become myths, limiting yoga to those who follow very specific paths and keeping all other researchers at bay. We should ask, "Why do some insist on portraying yoga as something that young people should do, along with physical beauty, fitness, and acrobatics?"

How I discovered yoga, and how you can, too

In 2000, I was grieving the sudden death of my mother from a rare cancer and adjusting to moving across the country from New York to San Francisco. During that time, I had no permanent work or resources, and I was dealing with other crises leading to a physical, emotional, and spiritual breakdown. I decided to try yoga as a stress control strategy. I trained alone in my apartment because I didn't have money to go to the studio and I didn't want to expose my devastated self to others. Yoga was much more to me than just physical postures, as I gradually realized.

At a certain point, I became confused because I did not understand its philosophical or spiritual components well. I learned different ways of practising by watching videos, reading books, and other literature that suited me. I'm so stubborn that I decided to do my own practise and tailor it to material and financial constraints. It has been over a decade, and I still consider myself in the early stages of exploring yoga as an integral part of my life, as I have also learned that yoga as it is practised in the Western world has taken some winding turns away from the truth.

I hope that by exposing the myths and propaganda of shmogis and industries that over-practise yoga, I can save others from the frustration I experienced at times.Many practitioners believe in the seriousness and perpetuation of these myths, exacerbating the problem. You may have very different reasons and desires to explore yoga, and each individual's path is individual. But if any of the myths below have affected you in the past, you can probably now go back to where you belong in the world of yoga.

Myths that discourage the general public from doing yoga

Pay for yoga. I believe in energy exchange and compensation for goods or services. But you should be able to do yoga even if you can't afford it. There are some studios that allow you to pay what you can. As long as you can honourably offer something within your means, you can access their yoga studio. This arrangement clearly works better than paying exorbitant prices. You can also be a unilateral practitioner. You can practise yourself using various resources, some of which are listed below. When your circumstances change, you can then choose the fee-based studio experience.

Evasive and ambiguous practises: 

some individuals or groups try to hide yoga with vague rituals and terminology, and this scares many researchers. Yoga brings many physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits, and like anything with many opportunities, it should be open to anyone at any level. Yoga can be as simple as finding a place to sit for 5 minutes a day to stay calm or as complicated as you wish. The point is that you don't choose others.

You must be very thin, flexible, and full of vitality. Anyone of any age, size, or physical condition can practise yoga. Yoga is more than just physical postures. So, even when you do some hand gestures called modra or simple breathing exercises, you are basically doing yoga.

convinces you to practise yoga in one specific way. 

There are many kinds of situations, breathing techniques, meditation levels, and philosophical depths that can be explored in yoga. But yoga is all about living life in balance and harmony and walking at your own pace. Different yoga practises today emphasise different things. Some focus on reaching enlightenment, others on controlling one's mind and body, others on loving kindness, and others have a different focus. So it's better to figure out what needs to be balanced in your life first and then look into different types of yoga.

Insisting on collective yoga is better than unilateral practise

why is the focus on collective yoga? If you choose to practise in a group, do so because you believe it is absolutely necessary or superior to practising alone. Yes, it is necessary to know how to handle certain situations correctly and understand philosophy and history. Many people who practise yoga in groups feel that they are helpful, useful, and very positive. However, the practise of collective yoga is not the only way to practise yoga.

Gender determination in yoga The illusion was created that yoga is mostly practised by women. 

By showing women mostly in media, magazines, and advertising, this myth persists. Men, women, and children of all ages have been practising yoga for thousands of years. Sadly, many men are ashamed of feeling ridiculous even when considering their practice. Men may also fear going to misplaced female-dominated classes. But it's not fair to anyone. Yoga is for all, and everyone can benefit from it.

Over-commercialization: 

just one look at any yoga related material will quickly take the researcher to a world where he/she is drowned in specialised advertising for special yoga clothing, jewelry, luxury props, philosophies, clubs, travel venues, retreats, and events. But this unnecessarily makes money from a sacred practice. Many of these "things," devices, etc., have their benefits and places, but the cost and position are already in doubt.

Insisting on doing yoga with a teacher

a teacher is a person who has been subjected to the right of passage, so to speak, on a particular path in life. Someone who has attained wisdom can then lead others with no experience or students down the same path of growth and learning. But is it an absolute necessity? Probably not. Having a teacher is very personal, and you'll just know if and when you want to.

Exotic retreats that are treated as requirements

great treatments and a nice way to focus, relax, and rejuvenate—are available. It's not a condition for finding spiritual enlightenment. It is therefore not a fair or honest way to sell a very expensive luxury travel plan.

Quoting fictional names and philosophies in Sanskrit: 

"Sometimes some people use fictional names, terms, and philosophies to intimidate the average person into not practising yoga or diving deeper into their philosophies." Thanks to technology and a good old-fashioned library or book store, you can translate most terms yourself. Even the pronunciation has become great. Simply check the original Sanskrit language when possible, or call it by its translated name. For example, don't worry about saying Tadasana; just remember that it's also called Mountain Pose. Over time, everything comes together like any other language.

It is characterised by advanced postures as ideal for reaching to be a true practitioner; the fact is that one must move within the limits of one's body. Some, with whom I agree, believe that it is healthy to push oneself beyond what we think is our tradition. We will love yoga as long as we are careful and listen to what our bodies want and need.

Unnecessarily complicating the process with the designation of the types of yoga practises and teachers associated with them There is a huge list of different yoga types that you can practice. It can be very overwhelming. It is interesting and useful to learn about the history of yoga, its philosophy, its branches, influential people in the yoga community, and so on. You learn a certain way that suits you best. It all depends on your goals at any given time as you explore yoga.

Over-sex with yoga: 

one of the most interesting things that has happened to yoga is over-sexualization. Tantra yoga is an old and venerable branch of yoga. It is also complex and interesting. But if you ask the average person or do a simple internet search, it will be considered and treated as a Kama Sutra-like sex practice. Gender is an important aspect of tantra yoga, just like breathing, meditation, and doing the right work. Gender is part of our humanity, but it must not be controlled; otherwise, we become unbalanced and fall into the trap of myth.

Turn them into competitive events

there is another movement to create competitive yoga events. These events will have people competing for shape, complexity, flexibility, and all kinds of acrobatics. Perhaps it will be enjoyable, but I doubt it will be in the spirit of yoga's intention, which is to live a full and abundant life.

Yoga appears to be evolving in an infinite number of ways, including the use of circus-style equipment.Many people use "props," which are items of equipment that assist the practitioner's ability to move in certain situations. But in a funny way, more "props" have been introduced, and their function seems to be to create a circus-like atmosphere rather than to help or expand the practise of yoga. This is good as long as it does not discourage anyone from focusing on their yoga process, regardless of the simplicity or complexity of this process.

Certificate in Yoga: 

in order to be considered a yoga teacher, there is an accreditation process. This is very different from being a yoga master. Again, the ancestors we read about today and those who brought us yoga did not undergo today's formal certification process. But the process exists and once again has its benefits, such as making sure that attitudes are done properly, knowing some philosophy, and providing encouragement and guidance on some issues. But in the end, when you see the cost of obtaining a certificate, it is clear why this accreditation process exists. I respect the time, money, and energy it takes certified practitioners to obtain a yoga teacher's certificate. But are they the "way" to yoga salvation? No, you. You decide that you want to find a way to live your life in a comprehensive, compassionate, and balanced way as you practise yoga.

Restore Yoga

Now that you have read some legends, you can regain control and explore yoga as much as you want. There is a lot of information available, but weeding will make the process easier. So if you buy a magazine and browse several pages of ads for yoga clothing, studios, retreats, etc., you can still enjoy the essence of the meaning of yoga in some articles included in the publication. You'll definitely find all sorts of writers subscribing to legends, but you'll know better. At least we have the freedom to look at materials and choose what works for us and what doesn't.

I find that exploring yoga can be very interesting, and there are a lot of resources for learning. Sources of information on yoga include online streaming videos, books, yoga classes (there are free introductory or donation-based lessons), magazines, websites, blogs, and newsletters.

I don't claim to be very good at yoga. However, I know what I've learned over the years: yoga is accessible to anyone who wants to explore it with an open heart and mind.

If we remain flexible in the guidelines rather than making them inaccessible, VIP is the only way to enlighten, and yoga remains in the spirit of what I think is its true goal, that is to say, as a gift to us and a path to liberation, truth, and awakening. Whatever the reason for exploring yoga, I think you should enjoy the freedom to practise it in a way that is more convenient to you. As I like to say, freedom of life and yoga for everyone