Myths about Yoga

Yoga is a science about the connection between man and the powers of the universe and as any science has a theoretical and practical part. Yoga has different divisions and trends but Yoga is something integral and cannot be studied or examined in fragments. This is a very common misunderstanding and various false believes and extreme conceptions on yoga occur.

• Yoga is not a fitness programme and your progress in yoga is not achieved by painful, intensive trainings as in sports but with regular exercices which brings you inner satisfaction and joy.
• Yoga is not an asceticism, negation from the world, for yoga it is not necessary for a person to suffer deprivation and self torture. This will not lead to spiritual advancement but to the development of a different type of vanity – I am more faultless then the others.
• To practice yoga it is not necessary for a person to change its religion or culture. Exotic cloths, hairdos, postures and manners have none effect what so ever for the advancement in yoga.
• A very common myth about yoga is that for a person to master yoga he or she has to go to the Himalaya caves or to withdraw far from the civilisation or that a person should entirely devote his or her life to yoga by giving up his family, professional duties and social cercle. Isolation will not help at all a woolly and shaken mind. The external restrictions will not lead to internal enlightenment. Yoga is perfectly combining with professional career and family life.
• Other huge myth is that a person has to have available all the time a guru who will constantly occupies with him or her. Guru is a window to knowledge, the guru illuminates the path towards awakening which the adherent must walk by himself. Guru is not the one that will carry the adherent on his back. Guru is not a person but a process.
• Quite common is also the myth that there are many types of Yoga which excludes each other. For instance Hatha Yoga – for the body, Raja Yoga – for the mind, Kundalini Yoga – for the energy and etc. Yoga is an integral science and these are only parts of one whole. In Yoga there are not different types of exercices for head, lungs, flexibility or enlightenment. All techniques aim at balancing and harmonizing the entire human being not separe parts of him. Enlightenment is not the result of the enormous personal efforts of the adepte (adherent) nor only from the guru's blessing. Enlightenment is the consequence of the awakening of the spirit and the exercices only facilitates that process.
• Many sects and cults use the Yoga terminology or some of its elements which must not mislead us.
• Other popular myth is that the purposes of Yoga are health, rejuvenation, thin figure or reduction of the wrinkles. These are just side effects from the complete balancing of the vital power. The enlightenment understood as a spiritual experience – vision of celestial lights, mysterious voices from the afterlife, clairvoyancy or supernatural powers is not either a purpose of Yoga. The appearance of siddhas (occult powers) in many cases are treated as diverting factor. The purpose of Yoga is dharma (harmony). Dharma is manifested as Sat Chit Ananda – an existence in wisdom and bliss.
• Any person can practice Yoga and it is not necessary to be in perfect health or thin figure nor to be practicing absolutely all yoga techniques which are great number. The other extreme that with only one practice or exercise the person can achieve progress and enlightenment is also wrong. The success in Yoga is guaranteed when the adepte performs the exercices of the first five levels of Yoga.