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The Malleability of Yoga: a Response to Christian and Hindu Opponents of the Popularization of Yoga Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 25 Article 4 November 2012 The Malleability of Yoga: A Response to Christian and Hindu Opponents of the Popularization of Yoga Andrea R. Jain Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Jain, Andrea R. (2012) "The Malleability of Yoga: A Response to Christian and Hindu Opponents of the Popularization of Yoga," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 25, Article 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1510 The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Jain: The Malleability of Yoga The Malleability of Yoga: A Response to Christian and Hindu Opponents of the Popularization of Yoga Andrea R. Jain Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis FOR over three thousand years, people have yoga is Hindu. This assumption reflects an attached divergent meanings and functions to understanding of yoga as a homogenous system yoga. Its history has been characterized by that remains unchanged by its shifting spatial moments of continuity, but also by divergence and temporal contexts. It also depends on and change. This applies as much to pre- notions of Hindu authenticity, origins, and colonial yoga systems as to modern ones. All of even ownership. Both Hindu and Christian this evidences yoga’s malleability (literally, the opponents add that the majority of capacity to be bent into new shapes without contemporary yogis fail to recognize that yoga breaking) in the hands of human beings.1 is Hindu.3 Yet, today, a movement that assumes a Suspicious of decontextualized vision of yoga as a static, homogenous system understandings of yoga and, consequently, the rapidly gains momentum. That movement Hindu and Christian oppositional movements opposes the contemporary popularization of they support, this article uncovers the context- yoga, maintaining that people have been fooled sensitivity of yoga by selecting from the vast into thinking that yoga is simply a fitness array of yoga traditions. Based on that product for enhancing well-being. Opponents assessment, I suggest that the history of yoga target the most widely embraced forms of evidences the absence of any unchanging modern yoga today, those of postural yoga, essence to the function or meaning of yoga. which involve sequences of asana or postures Instead, it is a history of deconstruction and that are, through pranayama or “breathing reconstruction. In other words, the history of exercises,” synchronized with the breath.2 The yoga suggests that the meanings and functions movement warns that, although today millions of yoga are malleable, thus a decontextualized embrace postural yoga as a physical fitness definition of yoga cannot stand serious routine, yoga is in fact religious, and, more historical scrutiny. specifically, it is definitively Hindu. There are both Hindu and Christian Opponents of the Popularization of participants in the movement against the Yoga popularization of yoga. Though Hindu and Christian oppositions are not entirely the same, Christian opponents of the popularization at their core, they share the assumption that of yoga maintain that Christians should not Andrea R. Jain is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Her research interests include theories of religion as well as religion in relation to the body. More specifically, her research focuses on the transnational construction and global popularization of modern yoga. Andrea’s current projects include studies on the intersections of consumer culture and modern yoga as well as modern yoga gurus. She recently authored an article entitled "The Dual-Ideal of the Ascetic and Healthy Body: The Jain Terapanth and Modern Yoga in the Context of Late Capitalism," which was published in Nova Religio. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies 25 (2012):3-10 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2012 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 25 [2012], Art. 4 4 Andrea R. Jain embrace yoga, which is Hindu and is as Pope Benedict XVI in 2005) and approved for consequently in conflict with Christian publication by Pope John Paul II (1920-2005).8 doctrine and an obstacle on the path to The CDF strives to prevent Catholics from salvation.4 undermining Church doctrine when they In 2010, Albert Mohler, renowned embrace ideas or practices that the Church evangelical leader and president of the deems non-Christian. The letter, however, goes Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, became beyond concern with doctrinal compatibility the most vocal representative of this position and deems “eastern” body practices a threat to when he publicly warned Christians about “the human stability. Although the letter does not contradictions between their Christian name yoga explicitly, it is implicitly the object commitments and yoga.”5 Mohler added: of attack, since contemporary Christians embrace it far more often than any other The story of yoga [in America] is a twisted eastern body practice. The letter suggests that tale of how something that is so essentially “psychophysical symbolism” can become an rooted in Hinduism could become part of “idol and thus an obstacle” to experiencing God American popular culture and increasingly and states that body practices “can degenerate a part of the lives of many who would into a cult of the body.”9 In fact, the identify themselves as Christians – it’s a consequences of the bodily experiences that large number of persons.6 result from such practices can include “mental schizophrenia,” “psychic disturbance,” or Other contemporary evangelical Christian “moral deviations.”10 leaders who oppose the popularization of yoga Hindu opponents of the popularization of include: Pat Robertson, television evangelist yoga maintain that postural yoga is the product and founder of the Christian Coalition of of a profit-driven market featuring the co- America; John MacArthur, pastor of the Grace optation and corruption of an otherwise Community megachurch in Sun Valley, authentic, Hindu system. They are similar to California; and Mark Driscoll, pastor of the Christian opponents of the popularization of Mars Hill megachurch in Seattle, Washington. yoga insofar as they argue that yoga is Their positions range from describing yoga as definitively Hindu, though popularized forms self-destructive to associating it with Satan. For dramatically ignore or dilute its Hindu identity. example, in a 2010 discussion in front of a live The two positions also differ. On the one hand, audience, Driscoll made the following Christian opponents doubt yoga’s proclaimed statement about yoga: merits and warn Christians against its embrace. On the other hand, Hindu opponents valorize Yoga is demonic… It’s absolute paganism… what is perceived as a correct form of yoga by Yoga and meditation and Easternism is [sic] reifying its associations with what they identify all opening to demonism… if you just sign as authentic Hinduism and denouncing up for a little yoga class, you’re signing up popularized varieties as inauthentic. In short, for a little demon class. That’s what you’re Hindu opponents are concerned that doing. And Satan doesn’t care if you stretch popularized forms of yoga are corruptions of as long as you go to hell.7 the single authentic yoga, and they do not think most contemporary yogis give Hinduism Christian opposition is not limited to these due credit for being the historical source of Protestant evangelicals. The Roman Catholic yoga. Church officially warned against yoga in 1989 Hindu opponents argue that the frequent when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the failure to acknowledge yoga’s Hindu origins is a Faith (CDF), responsible for overseeing Church self-conscious marketing strategy that is the doctrine, submitted the “Letter to the Bishops consequence of problematic stereotypes about of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Hinduism. A statement by the Hindu American Christian Meditation,” authored by Cardinal Foundation (HAF), for example, refers to the Joseph Ratzinger (b. 1927; elected to the papacy stereotype of Hinduism as nothing but “caste, https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol25/iss1/4 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1510 2 Jain: The Malleability of Yoga The Malleability of Yoga: A Response to Christian and Hindu 5 cows and curry.”11 Aseem Shukla and Sheetal Shah argue that marketers emphasize yoga’s Hindu opponents maintain that, although benefits for mental and physical health without yoga is Hindu, anyone can embrace it, but, mention of Hinduism in order to maximize according to Shukla, they should be warned profit.12 Ramesh Rao suggests that “savvy that yoga is definitively Hindu and will make marketers” avoid defining yoga as Hindu in Hindu anyone who embraces it: order to appease Christians who want to practice yoga and “hang on to Jesus.”13 But be forewarned. Yogis say that the Though concerns about problematic dedicated practice of yoga will subdue the stereotypes are understandable, Hindu restless mind, lessen one’s cravings for the opponents respond to them with yet another mundane material world and put one on problematic, simplistic vision of yoga. Some go the path of self-realization
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