JAY JOSHI
On World Yoga Day today, people around the globe are celebrating the benefits of the ancient Indian system of exercise. Combining asanas ranging from the rigorous Surya Namaskar to pranayama and meditation which regulates breathing, yoga remains a unique discipline as it offers not just physical fitness, but a balance between mind and body.
In recent years, the popularity of yoga has grown tremendously, and the number of yoga practitioners around the world is estimated to be around 300 million. But with this growth, the way people practice yoga too has changed. A number of new styles and techniques have developed, as various yoga practitioners have modified the practice to suit their own needs and tastes. Out of these, some practices such as laughter yoga have attracted growing popularity while others such as beer yoga, where participants sip beer between asanas, have created controversy. While such fancy developments have generated debate and brought international attention to yoga, the key question is how far are they beneficial for the people?
We took this question to dedicated researchers and scholars of traditional yoga around Goa and received a mixed response.
“The one true yoga is the traditional yoga. Styles such as speed yoga, or beer yoga are gimmicks that people in Western countries have developed to turn yoga into a profitable business” says Merces-based Megha Kampli, a certified yoga instructor, and national level Bronze medalist in yoga. “Further on, practices such as speed yoga are designed to give you quick weight-loss. They do work, but then as soon as you stop practicing it, you begin gaining weight. Such quick and speedy solutions are only a temporary fix. Certain styles that have arisen in recent years are eroding the authenticity of traditional yoga, and this must stop” says Kampli, who herself is currently working on a project integrating yoga with music.
“The project that I am currently working on, makes an effort to teach yoga to people of all ages- kids from age 8-12, 12-18, and adults from 18-40, and those above 40”, Kampli informs. For smaller kids, I generally use nice happy music, but for adults, I mostly use calm flute music. It is advised to use calm music for yoga. This is because while exercise such as gymnastics done on fast music focus on quick body movements, yoga pays attention to regulating breathing”, the instructor states.
Similarly, Pankaj Sainekar from Panaji also takes a balanced stand on changes in the discipline of yoga. “Practices such as laughter yoga have indeed shown positive results for many people. However, concepts such as wine or beer yoga are ridiculous. Innovation and experimenting in any field is welcome. For instance, now doctors as well as yoga instructors use a number of props such as blocks and ropes etc to give stability when one is performing asanas. This has brought health benefits to people across all ages. The point is that the changes should take us in a positive direction. Combining yoga with alcohol or other negative substances and ideas is not a step in the right direction.”
Rani Puranik, an IT professional from Margao who calls herself a reluctant yoga practitioner, expresses curiosity about speed yoga. “I practiced some asanas during pregnancy, and it did help, but yoga is too slow for my taste. I think i would consider something like speed yoga.” she says.
Whether such modifications are good or bad for yoga is debated, but yoga is popular than ever today, Power yoga: Power yoga is a more active approach to the traditional Hatha yoga poses. The Ashtanga yoga poses are performed more quickly and with added core exercises and upper body work.
Goat yoga: Here, you practice yoga while goats roam around you and step on your body providing a sort of massage. Its creators claim that goats help heal depression and anxiety.
Tantrum yoga: Tantrum yoga involves participants screaming as loud as they can, stomping their feet, pounding their chest, and more. It is claimed to bring relief from frustration.
Beer yoga: A practice where you drink beer while simultaneously practicing yoga!
Aerial yoga: Yoga, but in the air. Held up by carabiners 3 to 4 feet above ground, these soft fabric hammocks are made of high density nylon material and can support up to thousands of pounds.
Acroyoga: Acroyoga is a partner practice that involves a combination of three things: yoga, acrobatics, and Thai massage.
