yoga a moslem daily practice… · teaching style is different from my friend’s iyengar yoga...
TRANSCRIPT
YOGA
AMOSLEM
DAILY
PRACTICEBy
VITRIWRACHMADIYANTO
PRAIRIEYOGA200HRTT2015-2016taughtbyTRICIAFISKE&CHRISLUND
Introduction
IwasbornaMuslimbutwasn'tareligiouspersonandhadn'tlearnedorpracticedthereligion
untilIwasinmy40s.GrowingupinIndonesia,Ihadalwaysbeenactive,tryingmanysportsand
otheractivities,butneverknewyogauntilIwasincollege.Yogaclassesweren'tofferedatmy
college,onlyatayogastudio,and Icouldn'taffordthem.When Iaskedmyparents forextra
money so I could learn about yoga, they discouragedme, sayingyoga is a religious practice.
ManyofmyotherMuslimrelativesandfriendsalsocalledyogaareligiouspractice.Thisiswhy,
although I'd heard about themind-body benefits of yoga, I never got to learn about it and
practiceit.
In 2006, after my father passed away, I started to learn more about my religion and its
practices,includingwearingahijab.Unfortunately,wearingaveilmademefeeIIcouldn'tbeas
active as before, and soon I started gaining weight. In 2014, at my heaviest weight ever, I
decidedtobecomeactiveagain.Istartedoutjoggingandthentookuplong-distancerunning.
But running gave me new problems, from toe pain to plantarfasciitis. That year, I went to
Indonesia for vacation, and a friend invited me to take ayogaclass with her at
herIyengarschool.Therewasnoreligiouspracticeatall.
WhenIcamebacktotheUnitedStates,Istartedtolookforayogaclassbutwasintimidatedby
whatIbelievedwastheU.S.imageofyogaasanexpensiveandexclusivesport.Youhavetobe
sexy,richandlimbertodoyoga,Ifelt,andasawomanwhowearsahijab,IalreadyfeltlikeI
didn'tbelonginayogastudio.SoIgatheredmycourageandtriedayogaclassofferedatmy
communitycenter,whereImetmyveryfirstyogateacher intheUnitedStates.Althoughher
teaching style is different frommy friend’s Iyengar yoga style and the classwas bigger, she
showedmethatyogaisforanytypeofwoman--fromthintoheavy,evenonewithahijab--and
thattherewasnoreligiouspractice.Ifound,however,thatmanyofthebasicposesaresimilar
toIslamicdailyprayermovements.
AfterI'dbeenpracticingyogaregularlyformorethanayear,myteachersuggestedIlearnmore
bytakingteachertrainingclasses.Thetrainingprogramhelpedmeseemoreparallelsbetween
Islam and yoga--their values, way of prayer and yogapractices.Perhaps because yoga came
fromIndia,fromaculturalperspectiveitisalsosimilartoIndonesia,myhomeland,especiallyin
the language. Moreover, when I learned aboutAyurveda,I found similarities toIslamic
teaching.
Basedonmyexperience,Idecidedtodomythesisonthismatter:theparallelpracticesofyoga
inIslam,themisunderstandingsandmisperceptionsaboutyogapracticeandalsoaboutIslam,
especiallynowadayswiththenegativeportrayalsofIslambythemedia.
Thespace
Yoga canbedone anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and it doesn’t require a specific room for
practice, as long as the environment is clean.Unlike other "exercise" classes, especially the
cardioclasses where students jump around and move a lot, yoga isdonewithin the mat
size.Thereasonforusinga"stickymat" ismostlytopreventslippingduringpracticeandstay
clean.
ThesameasinSalat(prayer),italsocanbedoneanywhereaslongastheplaceisclean&while
doingsolatoneisfacingtheKa’bahinMecca.Wealsodouseamatorarugandthereasonfor
ittoensurethecleanlinessoftheprayerareaandwedonotmovearoundbeyondthematjust
likeinyogapractice.
Yogastickymat
Prayerrug
Dailyprayerasasalutation
InHathayoga practice,thereareposes that weholdfor several breaths. There is also a flow
calledvinyasa, themost common of which is SuryaNamaskara. In Tantric yoga,there a is
practicecombiningdynamicmovementofasanaswithmantras.
Salatissimilartoavinyasawithmantras,too.Thefard(obligatory)prayersaredonefivetimes
aday,atspecifictimes.Eachsalathasadifferentcycle/roundofvinyasacalledraka’at.Thereis
a certain supplication or mantra for every asana or pose.During a prayer aMuslim
concentratesandmeditatesonGodbyrecitingQur’an(theHolybook)verses.
Thedhristi (gaze) inyoga iseitheronthehorizonortheupperhand,dependingonthepose,
whileduringSalat,thedhrististaysononefocalpointtheground.
Invinyasa,theposesflowfromonetoanother,butSalatismorelikeregularyoga,inwhichwe
hold one posewhile reciting the supplication,calledtu’maninah. Also, as in yoga, wherewe
quietourmindsandfocusonourbreathingwhileholdingaposition,thesamethinghappens
inSalat.Itiscalledkhusyu’.
Hereisacomparisonofprayerpositionandyogaasanas:
TADASANA–STANDINGMOUNTAINPOSE
QIYAM
Althoughtherearenospecificstudiesonwhytheseprayerposeswerechosenandwhattheir
benefitsare,Ilearnedthroughyogateachertrainingthebenefitofdoingthemproperly.Ialso
learnedwhatI’vebeendoingwrongalignment-wiseinthesepositions.
Here,bothpositionsofTadasanaandQiyamarethesame,standingwithastraightback,with
evendistributionofweightonboth feet.Before I learnedmoreaboutyoga,whilepraying in
thispositionIoftenstoodwithonestraightfootandonebent.ThroughyogaIalsolearnedthat
I hyper-extendmy knees and elbows. For years, I'd wonderedwhat causedmy left knee to
make a crackling noise. Now I know to micro-bendmy knee and push my thigh back to
straightenmyspineandtoopenmychestwithouthikingupmyshoulders.
Tadasanainyogaisabasicstandingposewhichisveryimportant.
Qiyaminprayeriswhenoneissayingtheirintentionbeforetheirprayer.
For everything I do in life I start by saying بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم ِ (b-ismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-
raḥīm)–InthenameofGod,TheMostGracious,TheMostMerciful
EspeciallyforyogapracticeIadded:सो ऽहम् (SoHam)–Iam
Inyogatradition,beforepractice,classusuallyopenbysaying ॐ(aum)orsomeothermantras
such as Gayatri,Mahamrtyunjaya, etc lead by the teacher and the students will response. I
guessthispartiswhatalotofMuslimbelievedaspartasHindureligionpractices.Whatthey
don’tknowisyesthereisthistraditionbutstudentsarenotmandatorytosaythemantra.They
can justsit thereand listen,respectingthetradition. Inmanyoccasionbothduringclassesor
workshopsIcanexcusemyselftodomyownprayerinadifferentroom,theteacherswillallow
itandotherstudentswillrespectthat.
Tomethebeginningofthepracticeisveryimportant,thatiswhenIgatheredmyenergyandmy
concentrationbeforeIgofurtherinthepractice.Ifocustodedicatemyselfandmytimeto
somethingthatIreallylovetodoformyself.
InayogapracticeiswhenIhaveaconversationwithmybody,Ilistenverywelltowhatmy
bodyissayingtome,ifthereisanypain,whereIshouldstopandletgowhatIcan’tdo,and
whereIcanworkmoretotrytofindmorelengthinmybody.Insalat,itswhenIhavea
conversationwithandremembranceofGod,whereIcometoHiscalling,obeyingwhatHe
orderedhispeopletodo,standbeforeHim,thank,praise,askingforguidanceandalso
forgivenessfromHim.
URDVAHASTASANA
TAKBIR
UrdvaHastasanainyogaisdonebyraisingthearmsup,withbicepsclosetotheears.Thispose
isdonealotinoneyogapractice.Itstretchesthethoraciccavity,bringingfluidtotheshoulder
joints, stretches the belly and straightensthe spine. Ithelpswith plantar fasciitis,makes the
diaphragmaticbreathcomemorenaturallyandhelpsrelievemildanxiety.
Asintheprayer,IlookatitasapraisetoGodandalsoasurrenderpose.Weraisedourhands
while saying, "God is The Greatest," and by doing that we praise God and surrender to His
greatness.AsfarasthebenefitofthisposeinSalat,I’mnotquietsure,becauseasyoucansee
in the picture, the hands are not raised all the way up. It's amore gentle stretching of the
thoracicandtheshoulders.
SAMASHTITI
QIYAM
DuringSamastitiand/orQiyam,thereisevendistributionofweightonbothfeet.Inthis
position,thebodyischargedwithpositiveenergy,asthepostureisbeingimprovedbykeeping
thespinetall,engagingtheabdominalsandaligningallthebonesandjoints.
Inthisposition,aversefromtheQur’anisrecitedandrepeatedoneveryraka’ah(round):“and
guideustothestraightpath."Somescholarshaveinterpretedthistomeanalignmentofthe
chakras,andsomeothersinterpretthisasaskingforguidancetostayontherightpathindaily
life.
Tome,beinginthispositionisaconstantreminderofhowinlifewehavetobemindfulabout
being inbalance.AsfortherecitingoftheQur’an, Iasktobeguidedinthepositivepathand
nottofollowmoreofmyego.
ARDHAUTTANASANA
RUK’U
ArdhaUttanasanaisagentleversionofUttanasana.Thispose,ifdoneproperly,willstretchthe
backofthebodyandlengthenthehamstringsandspine.Inyoga,thisposeispracticedoften.
Itcalmsthemind,strengthenstheback,improvespostureandstimulatesthebelly.
Inprayer,though,inbowingIrenewmysubmissivenessandhumility.Italsocouldbelike
honoringandrespectingtheLord,likeapersonbowingtohisorherkingorqueen.
InthisposebeforeIlearnedyoga,Ialwayspushedmyhandstomyknees.Iwasn’tawareIwas
hyper-extendingmyknees.NowthatIknowmoreaboutit,Ionlyrestmyhandsonmyknees.
ADHOMUKHAVIRASANA
SUJUD
Inyoga, thispose is considereda restingpose. Itsupposedtobecalmingand relaxing to the
nervoussystemandreducebloodpressure. Inaprayer,Sujudis themost importantposition.
Notonly does this pose stimulate thebrain’s frontal cortex, but it also leaves theheart in a
higherpositionthanthebrain.Thispositioninsalatcansymbolizegratitudeforthegoodinlife
andalsoaskingforgivenessforoursins.
Through yoga, I learned that if I align my hips above my knees and lift my abdominals,
itpreventsthegrowthofflabbinessinthemidsection.
VAJRASANA
JULUS
Vajrasanain yogaissupposedly to stretch the thighs,ankles, knees and feet.This pose is
believedtohelpdetoxifytheliverandstimulatetheintestines.Doingitregularlyitwillincrease
flexibilityandstrengthenthepelvicmuscles.
Julusinprayer,tome, is likethemomentwhenIhaveaconversationwithGod. InSoutheast
Asian culture, many important events are done in these positions, like the Japanese tea
ceremony and the IndonesianSungkeman,where the bride and groom ask for their parents'
blessing.
Just like in ChandraNamaskara--fromBalasanato salute and back toBalasana--in Salat, too--
fromSujudtoJulusandbacktoSujud,withadifferentfootposition.
VAJRASANA
JULUS
BROKENTOEPOSE
COMBINATIONOFVAJRASANA&BROKENTOE
Thesefootpositionsbothinyogaandprayerstretchthefascialwebofthefeet.Stayinginthese
positions for several breaths willhelpthe feet stayhealthy, especially when done barefoot,
sinceourfeetareusuallystuckinsideshoes
TAKHIYATwhichissimilartoBHARADVAJASANA
exceptwithoutthetwist
Samepositionoffeettoo
In yoga,Bharadvajasanais an open twist thatworks the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine.
InSalat,though,thisposeisnotdonewithatwist.Sittinginthisposewithorwithoutthetwist
forseveralbreathswillstretchthehips,knees,anklesandfeet.
This isthe lastpose inSalat,anditendswithaheadtwisttotherightanddhristitoshoulder
thentotheleftside.BeforeIlearnedyoga,mybodyleanedtotherightbecauseofthenature
of theposeand I slouched,dumpingallmyweight tomy lowerback.Nowthat Iknowmore
aboutyoga,IkeepmybackstraightandengagemyabdominalssoIdon’tdumpmyweightinto
mylowerback.Havingmychestopenalsohelpsmebreathebetter.
Meditation
Islamalsosuggestsmeditation,whichiscalledDzikr.Whiledoingthemeditation,somepeople
use their fingers’ span to count theDzikr, but, in anotherparallel betweenyogic and Islamic
practices,most people also use the beads similar to Mala beads. These are called
Tasbeeh.Mala has 108 beads but only 100 repetitions per mantra, while Tasbeehhas 103
beads,withthethreebeadstomark33counts.ThemostcommonDzikris33counts.Justasin
yoga practice, Dzkiris usually done after a prayer, but one can do itanytime and anywhere
even,whennotpraying.
MALABEADS
TASBEEHBEADS
Ayurveda
Before humankind had a proper understanding of how germs and bacteria work, Islam had
made it clear that cleanliness important. Its teachingsmake sureMuslims clean themselves
from anything that could possibly harm them--something people only understood the true
importance of years and years later.In Islamic tradition, it is suggested to scrape the
tongueandbrushtheteethbeforeeveryprayer.Theuseofholisticmedicineisalsoamongthe
traditions,includingtheoils.ManyotherAyurvedicpracticesarealsoinIslamictradition.
Yogaandprayeraspersonaldailypractice
Formepersonally,findingoutthatthereissomuchsimilarityinIslamicprayermovementand
yoga,Iintegratedmyknowledgeaboutthealignmentintheposesofprayerthataresimilarto
yoga poses. Also the focus of meditation in prayer anddhikr,engangingin these I could
increaseconcentration,makingitamorespirituallyrewardingexperience.
Practicingdailyyoga is fulfilling theneedofmyhealthybody,meditation is formymindand
prayingisnotonlytofulfillingtheobligationasaMuslim,butalsoformyspiritualneed.Ican
say that combiningallof thesehashelpedmeachievepowerofmindandbodyand spiritual
growth.
Icouldgoandexplaintofriendsandfamilywhohavebeenmisinformedaboutyogathatthey
haveactuallybeenpracticingyoga in theirdailyprayers. In theyogacommunity, too, I could
explainthattherearesomanymuchparallelsinIslamicteachingandyogaprinciple,especially
theYamaandNiyamas.
Througha combinationofyogaasa lifestyleanddailyprayer, Ihave foundmyself. Yoga isa
lifestyle for me, and prayer is the highest form of yoga. The combination of yoga
andSalatdoubles the advantage of enhancing my mental health. I found peace
withinmyselfthatnever inmy life I couldhaveachievedwithoutintegratingbothinmydaily
life.
At the end of a yoga practice, the tradition is for both teacher and students to say नमस्ते
(Namaste)–thedivineinmehonorsthedivineinyouasasalutationandvalediction.
InIslamictraditionasasalutationwesay uponbePeace–(ʿalaykumAs-salāmu)السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
you,andtheresponsefromtheotherpartywillbeوَعَلَيْكُم السَّلَام(waʿalaykumus-salām)–And
uponyou,peace.
IendeverythingIdobysayingالحَمْد لله(alḥamdulillāh)–PraisebetoGod,evenafterayoga
practice,IthankandpraiseGodforthepreciousgiftwhichismyhealthybodysoIcanpractice
myyoga.AnddoingyogaisawayformetoappreciatewhatGodhasgivenme,ahealthybody,
maintainittostayhealthysoIcancontinuetoworshipHim.Itgoesbothways.
Acknowledgements
Iwould like toexpressmygratitudetomyTT teacher,TriciaFiskeandher teachingassistant
ChristineLund
Iamdeeply indebtedtomyfirstyogateacherLyndaCarr–thankyouforsteeringmeinthe
rightdirection
My sincere thanks to allmy teachers I have taken their class at Prairie yoga studio and the
wonderfulstaffthere.
Thankyoutoallmyfamilyandfriendsforalltheloveandsupport.