What half-witted American practitioners and marketers need to know about Yoga.

What is Yoga?
       
                            संयोगो योग इत्युक्तो जीवात्मपरमात्मनोः॥

                           saṁyogo yoga ityukto jīvātma-paramātmanoḥ॥
             Union of the self (jivātma) with the Divine (paramātma) is said to be yoga.

                                  —Yoga Yajnavalkya

This is the most ancient definition of Yoga according to the Vedas. Jivatma means the individual soul and Paramatma means the Sun God Surya (Sun Salutations remember!). So the practice of trying to union the individual soul with God is Yoga. See how I use the same Sun Salutations (How to worship the Sun God) which you guys call as stretching to obtain my redemption which is very much different from the redemption of orthodox Christianity.

Yoga in later Hinduism

I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku. The supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” 

- Bhagavad Gita 4.1 & 4.2

 Who has the Authority to practise Yoga? 

“Arjuna, one who practises yogabhyasa following yama and niyama is a superior atma to those who are tapasvi, gnani and those who practise nitya naimitya kaamya karma etc. Hence you should follow the yama and niyama and conquer your mind and become a yogi.” 

Thus advised Sri Krishna paramatma, extolling the virtues of yogabhyasa, and from this it is clear that yoga gives very superior benefits. Everyone has a right to do yoga. Everyone — brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, sudra, gnani, strong, women, men, young, the old and very old, the sick, the weak, boys, girls, etcetera, all are entitled to yogabhyasa with no restrictions on age or caste. This is because yogabhyasa rapidly gives maximum visible benefits to all. It does not stop anybody from acquiring the visible results of practice, whatever their capabilities. Everyone is entitled, irrespective of caste, to follow the path of yogabhyasa even in order to obtain divine virtues and the resulting eight animadi siddhis, and, if one ignores these siddhis, to proceed further on the ultimate path. But many do not agree with this opinion. This only reveals their confusion and the absence of a sattvic state of mind. (The sastras do not forbid yoga for anyone.) Whoever wishes to do yoga has the right to do it. Yet whoever it is, it is very important that they should only learn all the aspects and practise it under the guidance of a proper guru. One encounters obstacles and problems if yoga is practised without a guru. 

But “Ruffians, those who eat wrong food, talk filth or use abusive language, those who speak ill of others, lie about others, are obsessed with food, those who are addicted to sensual pleasures, those who pretend to be good, those who destroy and cheat, carry aversion in the mind, those who are disrespectful of the vedas, are alcoholics, or have any such bad habits, these people, no matter what caste or religion, are not fit to practise yoga.” This is firmly stated by Gherandacarya. 

The reason for this is that although these people are capable of practising yoga, these practitioners with their cunning could cause problems and injuries to others in spite of the yogabhyasa being “pure”. There have been many examples to substantiate this in the puranas and in our experience. For example, everybody knows that pure cow’s milk gives good health and happiness. Yet if it is poured in a cup made of pig’s skin or dog’s skin, it turns into poison and becomes harmful. Similarly if you teach the pure divine nectar of yoga to ruffians and cheats, it will only cause disaster. Like a king who entrusts his kingdom to a no-good useless son who destroys it instead of protecting it, a guru with good intentions may teach yoga to cheats and the latter will not know how to use it properly and will cause only destruction to the world. 

Those who are eager to learn good skills, those who can learn to control their senses and are peaceful by nature, those who speak the truth, who wish to serve their guru, who are devoted to their mother and father, who do karma according to the sastra, who are clean, who love bathing in the Ganga, who follow their caste dharma, who are modest and patriotic, who have pride in their family, all these people are good vessels for yoga. If the guru, following the correct path and method, advises such people and makes them practise in front of him, they will quickly become adept. The readers should remember this very well. You will not become a skilled yogi just by putting on the costume and faking it. Whatever occupation you are engaged in, you have to be very serious and strict and dedicated and at least follow the proper standards and restraints. Those who do not fall under the previous categories do not have the right to practise yoga.

Its quiet clear that American Yoga practitioners don't respect the Vedas at all and hence they do not have the authority to practice Yoga. Neither they lead an ascetic life as it is required in the Yoga guidelines nor do they lead a spiritual life. If you want to practice Yoga you have to respect the Vedas and the Vedic deities in them otherwise you have got no authority to practice it. Yoga belongs to no one it belongs to the Sun God and if you don't even give a prayer of thanks to him that just speaks your hearts. I know as Christians you cannot pray the pagan Sun God then please acknowledge that it is pagan ritual and go to a gym instead, but please don't make me do this, don't make me mock at you guys for all the stupid things you do in the name of yoga which is a very sensitive religious practice for us.

As a follower of King Helios I have to do sun salutations in the morning as well as in the evening but I have left doing it for quite a few years because I know the kind of purity of mind and heart it takes to do such a ritual and its not something which should be taken lightly. Its a irony that what one country calls it stretching and falls into New Age nonsense, devil worship, witchcraft and other stuff instead of gaining good wisdom an another country reveres the same stretching exercise as the most auspicious and sacred redemption ritual ever.

I warn both Indian and Western marketers to not sell yoga like a brand product, I know you all practice yoga to make up for your crappy lives rather than to gain wisdom and gnosis so go to a gym instead, yoga is not the answer for your crappy lives, it is meant for something more than this world.

Don't test our patience we will no longer tolerate it anymore.