The Hindu American Foundation wants the 15 million Americans who practice yoga to remember that it's about more than pretzel-like poses, Lululemon togs, and accessories purchased at the local Whole Foods, reports The New York Times. The group launched its "Take Back Yoga" campaign because of "growing concern" about the "conscious delinking of yoga from its Hindu roots" and is calling for Western practitioners to acquaint themselves with yoga's "debt to the faith's ancient traditions." The campaign has sparked fierce opposition from those who claim that yoga's origins aren't so clear cut:
Yoga predates Hinduism: Just as "there was bread and wine before the Last Supper," yoga existed before Hinduism as part of the ancient Vedic culture, says Deepak Chopra in The Huffington Post. The point of yoga is to strive for enlightenment, and "there is no denying that enlightenment has always been outside the bounds of religion." While I sympathize with Indians wanting to be respected, they "would do well to lighten up."
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