Yes, we did Suryanamaskar on International Day of Yoga

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name

Jo Bole So Nihaal Sat Sri Akaal

Buddham Sharanam Gachchami

Dhammam Sharanam Gachchami

Sangham Sharanam Gachchami

Jai Jinendra

It is with the sentiments expressed in the prayers above that I set out at 7:30 on the Sunday morning of 21st June 2015 - the first ever International Day of Yoga - to join my yoga group.  A fifty of the group’s members had already congregated and our instructor was putting them through the paces.  

There was another larger group that was assembling not far from our venue, but we had already decided not to join them.  The reason was simple.  They were following the program prescribed by the central government, which did not include the prayers and Suryanamaskar that we normally do along with our daily yoga practice.  

It is not that we wanted to be different from others, but it was a form of a gentle protest against the notion that Suryanamaskar, which is the essential component of daily yoga practice should be excluded just so that religious sentiments of certain bigoted sections of society are not offended.  

So we embarked on our own little civil disobedience movement, and it paid off!  It was heartening to note that there were several new entrants who had joined us to commemorate the day.

Let me put this plainly.  Yoga is a vedic/Hindu/Sanatana Dharmic construct, and there are no two ways about it.  We do invoke the sun god during Suryanamaskar, we do chant Om throughout the course of the practice, we do recite Sanskrit shlokas, and we do meditate at the end to concentrate on the inner self.  

As B K S Iyengar puts it, the principle aim of doing yoga is to progress through the body and mind to reach the realm of our spiritual being.  If this is an advaitic philosophy - that is recognising the inner self as being a part of the cosmic self and trying to merge with it - then yes, yoga is a Hindu practice.  

Having said that, the principles of yoga hold universal relevance.  After all, no matter which faith your adhere to, your body and mind are made of the same matter, and are afflicted by the same maladies.  Besides, even though the external manifestations and rituals of different religions appear to be radically different from each other, at their core, all religions profess the same tenets: humanity, truth, peace and union.  

In that case, nobody should have an objection to the Hindu contents of yoga practice.  It is only the bigoted; those with ulterior motives and closed minds who raise objections.  The needless controversies that broke out just prior to yoga day are reflective of our pseudosecular outlook.

Surely, a religion that advocates oneness of all souls regardless of caste, faith and nationality is secular in its outlook.  If it makes you happy, you are welcome to begin your yoga practice with any of the prayers listed above.    

But for those who continue to live with the notion that their's is the only true faith, the only way to emancipation, and deviating from their path would only beget hell and damnation, yoga will remain an abomination.  As one pastor in the US put it, "yoga is demonic".

However, there is always hope.  Leaving aside the bigoted for a minute, let us also celebrate those with an universal vision.  Somebody like Maryam Asif Siddiqui, the 12 year old girl who gave us one of the greatest examples of brotherhood by winning the Bhagawad Gita recitation contest organised by ISKCON, besides donating the prize money she had won to the prime minister's Swachcha Bharat Abhiyaan.  

The beauty of yoga and the prayers that go along with it is that it wishes everybody well.  Yes, not just Maryam, but also the pastor in US.  Not just those who are our friends, but also those who go against us.  Not just the rich, but also the poor and ostracised.  Not just men and women, but all plants, birds and animals.  

Except for the fact that we did Suryanamaskar, we followed all the other asanas and pranayamas prescribed in the national program.  So we finished the practice with the following sankalpa - a resolution that is again reflective of the principle of oneness:

"I commit, to make myself into a healthy, peaceful, joyful and loving human being.  Through every action of mine, I will strive to create a peaceful and loving atmosphere around me.  I strive to break the limitations of who I am right now and include the entire world as my own.  I recognise the kinship of my own life with every other life.  I recognise the unity of all there is."

Finally I leave you with the prayer that we recite everyday to conclude the day's yoga practice:

Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah

Sarve santu niraamaya

Sarve bhadrani pasyantu

Maa kaschit duhkha bhaagbhavet

Om shanti shanti shanti

May all be happy

May all be free from illness

May all see what is auspicious

May no one suffer

Let there be peace, peace, peace