Jon Stewart and Rob Corddry's Yoga Rage:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-30-2003/ohm-my-god
"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions." -B.K.S. Iyengar, Astadala Yogamala
What is it about yoga that has Western culture entranced by its practice? Is it the fact that it promotes a healthy body, incorporates mental and physical strength, and brings a person to peace with themselves? Or is it just a trend that people follow? Fortunately, it is all the above and also beyond. Yoga, as Joseph Alter states in his article, "Modern Medical Yoga: Struggling with a History of Magic, Alchemy, and Sex", "...can, and is, used effectively in the treatment of diabetes, asthma, depression, hypertension, and drug de-addiction, among a host of other medical problems." (Alter, pg. 134) In the article, Alter also expresses some doubt in the efficacy of yoga therapy. What bothers me about this is that yoga therapy has been proven to provide beneficial aspects to those who are health-compromised. For instance, an article titled, "Clinical Study of Yoga Techniques in University Students with Asthma: A Controlled Study", 17 college students with asthma were separated into a "yoga group" and a "non-yoga" group. The "yoga group" practiced relaxation techniques, yoga poses, and breathing techniques, all leading to, "...significant degree of relaxation, positive attitude, and better yoga exercise tolerance. There was also a tendency toward lesser usage of beta adrenergic inhalers." (Vendathan, Kesavalu, Murthy, Hall, Baker, Nagarathna)
However, Alter mentions as a footnote that although there really is no scientific proof for the efficacy of yoga therapy (which is not necessarily his argument in the paper), people who practice yoga do not know the historical context of it or what yoga truly is. The historical context of yoga is based highly on spiritualism, which makes sense considering it was brought about during the Vedic period (also known as the basis of modern-day Hinduism). At that point in time, it was easiest to explain processes as an act of magic as opposed to science. Cultural perceptions played a significant role in "assigning yogis with supernatural powers" (Alter, pg. 122) and that was how they were essentially enlightened. In the "Rethinking the Role of Diagnosis in Navajo Religious Healing" by Derek Milne, Milne states the significance of ethnomedicine in correlation to diagnoses amongst three religious groups of the Navajo. Spiritual techniques are used to diagnose the patient and ceremony rituals are used to heal the patient of their symptoms. (Milne, pg. 545) Both, the historical context of yoga and the Navajo religious healing system have in common the idea that spirituality can heal the body of its ailments. To me, this is just another form of the Placebo Effect.
As we've come to learn in class and our previous readings, the mind can be manipulated which in turn can manipulate the body. An example of this is in Milne's article in regards to the case-study patient. "... narration of illness experience is the process by which thought and speech are used to bring the body back to a state of health." (Milne, pg. 565) With this in mind, the patient Lori did not have physical symptoms of illness until she began to think about it. Consequently, these thoughts came about in the form of sores. Lori goes on to emphasize that the, "... ceremony changed her thinking and the effects she felt, both mental and physical" and that the "... act of telling her story literally expulsed the causes of her illness that were 'lodged in her body'." (Milne, pg. 565) As with yoga, especially modern medical yoga, the idea is to be able to reach a degree of relaxation and clear the mind of negative thoughts. Modern medical yoga also emphasizes breathing exercises known as Pranayama in which there is, "decreased oxygen consumption, decreased heart rate, and decreased blood pressure, as well as experience of alertness and reinvigoration." (R. Jerath, Edry, Barnes, V. Jerath)
Pranayama is a technique that I have been practicing myself for about two years. Before I started, I struggled with allergy-induced and exercise-induced asthma, which eventually became moderate persistent asthma. Once I was diagnosed, I was prescribed a beta adrenergic inhaler which I took twice daily. Needless to say, it was hard for me to take an inhaler every day especially when I was always in a rush to go to class or just plain forgetful. A close family friend of ours had recently been in India and was taught by a yogi master about yoga and pranayama and introduced my family to it. Pranayama at first was very difficult for me to do considering I would start wheezing with every deep breath. Five minutes per day of deep breathing was all that was needed and every morning I would wake up and dedicate five minutes to just focusing on my deep breathing. Within two weeks of doing it, I'd noticed that my breathing was much better and I could breathe much more deeply. The best part about it was that I didn't even need my inhaler any more.
Truth be told, I never knew the history of yoga in the context of "magic, alchemy, and sex" and so this article opened my eyes. But at the same time, when one looks up a brief history of yoga, it is rare to find information about magic and alchemy. More so, the significant history of yoga lies in the idea of what B.K.S. Iyengar mentions: yoga as a tool to maintaining bodily health, self-realization, and balanced attitude. Although the in depth history of yoga should not be forgotten, people must realize that yoga does have beneficial aspects to it if a person truly looks into the concept of yoga. The contextual history of yoga may unfortunately be ignored, but if people understand that yoga is more than a trend and can be used to ease the body, mind, and soul, then what's the harm in using it as another mode of therapy? Same goes for the ritualistic healings that the Navajo practice. Their emphasis lies in the idea of narration of the illness experience where, "... the process of narration is the primary way an individual can exert control over his or her health and facilitate a return to balance." (Milne, pg. 565)
Sources:
Clinical Study of Yoga Techniques in University Students with Asthma: A Controlled Study
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ocean/aap/1998/00000019/00000001/art00002?token=00561aaa03cf0439e1573d2570257070234a2f7a4044593547677c4e75477e4324576b64273805899a8a5d
Physiology of Long Pranayamic Breathing
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877%2806%2900166-6/abstract
A fun little article as to why Christianity views yoga as a spiritual sin:
http://www.allaboutspirituality.org/history-of-yoga.htm
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