There’s something special about Indian yoga. Even if you’ve not been practicing it yet, most likely than not, if you went to India, you’d be eager to take a couple of courses delivered by Indian gurus. But what makes it so popular?
First and foremost, the appeal of Indian yoga lies in its holistic approach to health and wellness, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of well-being. In addition, it offers a diverse range of practices that resonate with just about everyone, making it ideally suited for people with various physical conditions and age groups.
Want to know more about the reasons why Indian yoga has captured the hearts and minds of so many people around the world and why it’s actually worth practicing? If so, this article is for you. Keep reading and exploring!
Why You Should Practice Yoga
Perhaps, it’d be easier to answer why you should not practice yoga rather than to list all the benefits that practicing it offers, but we’ll try to focus on the most important ones. In brief, the benefits can be broken down into the following:
- Physical benefits;
- Mental benefits;
- Self-care and self-awareness;
- Versatility.
Let’s go over each of them in more detail.
First of all, practicing yoga allows you to improve your physical health. It poses help stretch and strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and increase overall body awareness without putting pressure on your joints.
If you keep practicing yoga on a regular basis, you can also improve balance, coordination, and posture, which can have a positive impact on your daily activities and prevent injuries.
Besides improved physical health, yoga is known for its mental health benefits. Through mindfulness and deep breathing, it can effectively reduce stress, calm the mind, and promote relaxation. As a result, practitioners often experience a significant decrease in their cortisol levels and stress hormones and feel much more productive throughout the day.
Of course, as you’ve most likely heard, yoga also promotes self-care and self-awareness. This effectively results in better control of thoughts and emotions, leading to improved decision-making, better stress management skills, and a greater sense of self-compassion.
Finally, yoga is one of the sports that can be practiced by any fitness level or age group. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced practitioner, there are various styles and levels that can be tailored to your individual needs. You can start with gentle, restorative poses and gradually progress to more challenging asanas as you build strength.
Seeing all of the benefits that yoga offers, it’s not surprising that so many people worldwide incorporate it into their daily routines.
Indian Yoga Centers Vs Western Yoga Centers
Why is it still India that so many people want to go to practice yoga despite a vast choice of Indian centers spread out around the globe? Let’s take a closer look at Indian and Western yoga centers to see the difference.
As you’ve probably deciphered from the name, Indian centers are centers located in India, while Western centers can be any center in the world. Obviously, many people travel now and can learn practices from everywhere. However, what makes Indian centers so unique is that they pass their knowledge down through generations.
The atmosphere in typical Indian yoga centers is often serene and steeped in Indian culture, with many centers located in natural settings such as ashrams or monasteries. The teachers are usually experienced yogis or gurus who have dedicated their lives to the practice of yoga and know everything about it.
Western centers, on the other hand, look different, often leaning toward a more modern and fitness-oriented approach to yoga. Unlike Indian centers, they tend to clearly differentiate styles and practices like:
- Hatha;
- Vinyasa;
- Bikram, and more.
They also tend to put emphasis on a physical level, flexibility, and stress relief, with less emphasis on the spiritual or philosophical aspects of yoga. This can be attributed to the fact that instructors typically undergo formal training without delving into the spiritual side of yoga that much.
Western centers are also known for their commercial atmosphere. They often put on modern music and take advantage of technological gadgets to enhance user experience. At the same time, all of these perks come at a price.
Whereas most of the Indian yoga centers would ask you for a contribution according to the means, Western centers have a fixed fee or a membership fee that they charge for classes depending on the chosen service or package.
So, although both Indian and Western centers encourage people to practice yoga, they vary in their approach and atmosphere, which makes Indian centers more attractive to those who seek authentic cultural experiences and diverse traditions.
Spirituality in Yoga as the Substructure of Indian Yoga
As we’ve mentioned, spirituality is an integral part of Indian yoga practice, guiding its philosophy, principles, and techniques. However, it goes far beyond any specific religious belief or dogma, transcending boundaries and encompassing a universal understanding of the self, consciousness, and the interconnectedness of all beings.
Indian yogis treat the body as a vessel for the soul or the higher self and do not practice yoga just for sport, as most instructors do in Western centers. Instead, they view Yoga asanas as a means:
- To purify their physical body;
- Balance the subtle energy channels (nadis) to prepare for higher states of consciousness.
The same goes for meditation. People from all over the world know how beneficial mediation is, but not all of them are able to unlock its power and get to the depths of the mind. On the other hand, Indian yoga gurus are masters of their inner world.
In essence, every aspect of the practice is interwoven with spirituality, forming the foundational substructure of Indian yoga. From the ethical principles outlined in the Yamas and Niyamas, which are the moral and ethical guidelines of Yoga, to the emphasis on mindfulness and self-inquiry, spirituality is always at the forefront.
Difference in Student-Teacher Relationships Between Indian and Western Yoga
Not only the approach to the practice in Indian and Western yoga differs, but also the relationship between students and teachers.
In Indian yoga, students view their teachers as a spiritual guide or even a divine figure who has attained the highest level of spiritual realization. They seek guidance and mentorship from them and show deep reverence and gratitude towards gurus.
Yoga students who visit Western centers rarely demonstrate the same kind of awe for their instructors. The relationship between them is informal and less hierarchical and doesn’t involve a lot of the spiritual or philosophical aspects of Yoga. It’s not uncommon for students of Western Yoga to have multiple teachers, too.
The approach to certification and credentialing is also not the same. While in Indian yoga, a teacher’s blessing would be the highest appraisal, allowing their followers to proceed with teaching, in Western one, you would need to follow a standardized system of certification, with various levels of training and accreditation.
Of course, it’s not all black and white, and these are only generalizations. However, understanding these cultural and philosophical differences between Indian and Western practices can provide insights into what kind of student-teacher relationship could it potentially be.
The Style of Teaching
When it comes to the style of teaching in Indian and Western yoga, it differs in several key aspects.
Indian yoga has a strong emphasis on the spiritual and philosophical aspects, such as mindfulness, meditation, and the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Therefore, the teachings often include various ancient texts and yogic philosophies, which help provide a deeper understanding of the practice, and not just the physical postures.
What is also typical of Indian yoga classes is that they can often be conducted in the local language and incorporate cultural rituals and chants that are intrinsic to the Indian heritage.
As you’ve probably guessed, in Western yoga, the focus is on the physical aspects of yoga, with an emphasis on flexibility, strength, and posture. You may be taught some meditation techniques, but they’ll be more about relaxation and stress release rather than your inner self.
The teaching itself could be quite varied from one place to another, as teachers in Western centers often incorporate their own interpretations into the classes. Some would even incorporate elements from other fitness disciplines, such as Pilates or strength training, to cater to the preferences of the Western audience.
Attitudes Toward Food in Traditional Indian Yoga and the Yoga in the West
In Indian yoga, food is considered an essential aspect of the yogic lifestyle and is often viewed as a vital source of nourishment for the body, mind, and spirit. The best food fit for a practicing yogi is the one produced and cooked according to the “Ahimsa” doctrine, which means it should derive from non-violence sources, like plants, vegetables, fruit, and so on.
Many traditional Indian teachings emphasize the importance of consuming sattvic, freshly prepared, and minimally processed foods, including:
- Vegetables;
- Fruit;
- Legumes;
- Whole grains;
- Ghee (clarified butter).
They believe that this food is pure and therefore, conducive to a calm and peaceful state of mind.
In addition to the food itself, it’s important how you eat. Gurus focus on eating mindfully, savoring each bite, and cultivating an attitude of gratitude towards food as a gift from nature.
In contrast, Western practice doesn’t have any kind of dietary restrictions or guidelines, even though it’s not uncommon to meet practitioners of Western Yoga who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Instead, the emphasis is often on individual choice and personal preferences, with the belief that what works for one’s body may differ from person to person.
It should also be noted that Western yoga is heavily affected by the commercial diet culture. This doesn’t mean that some people won’t adopt conscious eating practices, but more often than not, Western practitioners won’t be as committed as yogists from India.
Yoga in India Is a Lifelong Learning Process, Not Just an Exercise
Unlike Western yoga where anyone can start practicing at any point in time, Indian one is often passed down through generations, with parents introducing yoga postures and breathing techniques to their children at an early age.
When they grow older, they are encouraged to delve deeper into the practice to understand its benefits on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
This way, yoga is seen not only as a physical exercise, even though it helps improve physical health, but also as a continuous process of self-evolution and self-discovery that can last a lifetime.
The best thing about Indian yoga is that it’s suitable for all age groups, regardless of their physical abilities or limitations. It has 84 asanas, so it can be easily adapted to the needs and capacities of different individuals.
It is also worth adding that Indian practice pays great attention to spirituality. In fact, everything yogis do, from postures to breathing and meditation, is done in order to align the physical and mental and achieve a state of union with the higher self.
As you can see, Indian yoga isn’t about exercise or strength. It’s a lifelong learning process that yogis choose to follow to cultivate a sense of oneness with all living beings and delve into the depths of their own consciousness.
Conclusion
In summary, both Western and Indian yoga encourages people to practice it and become a better version of themselves, but they aren’t the same.
If Western yoga is more oriented toward a modern audience, often incorporating various modifications to existing doctrines to keep the practice dynamic and fast-paced, Indian one is deeply rooted in traditions. It begins at an early age and continues throughout the lifetime, without being confined to studios or gyms.
Those who seek authentic yoga with a focus on mental clarity and spiritual growth can only get it with Indian yoga, while if you prefer a more flexible approach with no dietary restrictions, you should find Western centers quite appealing.