DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
Catholics also not in favour of Yoga
Kota Kinabalu: Muslims are not the only ones who are having reservations on yoga.
Sacred Heart Cathedral Youth Counsellor, George Thien, said the Catholic church's advice to Christians is also "not to go for it."
Thien was commenting on the National Fatwa Council's Fatwa (edict) banning Muslims from practising yoga, which is said to involve mantra (chants) and the concept of oneness with God which are based on Hindu beliefs and, thus, deviate the faith of Muslims.
George said it is not difficult to understand the reason for the Fatwa.
"They believe in one God and not in any other. Meditation in yoga is like tapping into a different realm but where is the source?
"We (Christians) believe in Jesus Christ and that every peace and joy only comes from the Lord. That's why we don't go deep into yoga."
A yoga instructor concurred George's view that Christians, generally, were also against yoga.
However, she said there are some Christians who see the benefits of the various yoga exercises but abstain from the chants and meditation aspects.
In fact, certified Yoga Society instructor Beeda Christina Gautier said there are many types of yoga that do not involve meditation or chanting but this is not helped by a misconception about the age-old practice, leading to the anxiety.
She said the yoga she teaches, called Hatha yoga, does not entail chanting but physical exercise, which incorporates intricate breathing techniques.
"The main objective of yoga is ultimately to have peace of mind...I tell my students that yoga is awareness of your body, a journey of health.
"There are so many types of yoga but we don't do chanting or meditation at all, just body conditioning exercise," she said, referring to her thrice-weekly classes in Bornion Centre, Luyang.
Beeda was of the opinion that because of the way yoga was normally portrayed, especially on television, the public generally tend to perceive that everything about yoga had to involve spirituality.
"Yoga originated from the Himalayas thousands of years ago, it came even before religion. But along the way, there have been many schools (of yoga), where some practice chanting, then it becomes religion-based," she said, adding those that involve meditation are, among others, Mantra yoga, Tantra yoga and Raja yoga.
She said besides Muslims, some Christians also questioned if she practised meditation. "I show them through the Internet that Hatha yoga is not about meditation."
Nevertheless, Beeda is not worried how the Fatwa will affect her classes, saying she only has two Muslim students.
Michelle, who runs the Scott Michelle fitness centre in Damai, here, also echoed Beeda's sentiments, saying yoga was not all about closing one's eyes and chanting to a higher being.
Being a Christian, she was also against yoga meditation but as far as she is concerned the sessions at her centre did not involve chanting.
"I don't instruct the yoga session but in my centre we only stretch and tone.
"Yoga for me is not a religious issue, unless it involved meditation, so I do not interfere with the sessions," she said.
With the new fatwa, Michelle said she had no problem adhering to the law.
"I will obey the law É if it (yoga) is not meant for Muslims then I will not encourage it."
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so kitorang sumer kena la patuh kepada ajaran agama masing-masing...
-cheers-
