Introduction
In my view, one of the essential elements of 21st-century life is the inevitable process of globalization. However, some differ with this notion claiming that globalization leads to various countries losing their identity or distinctiveness and their claims have some shreds of truth in it. Nonetheless, it should be noted that globalization has enhanced persons to access the cultural heritage of other countries and ends up enriching their own. Consequently, the west has a way of molding things to suit their lifestyle, be it dance, food, philosophy or music, and Yoga has not been left out. Several yoga systems and meditation derived from the Indians have today become a mass cultural phenomenon in America. This work will seek to compare and contrast yoga systems taught in America and the ones practiced in India.
American Yoga Focuses on Postures (Asanas) and Breath .
The media especially the adverts on the internet consistently portrays a picture of a man or woman seated in the Lotus Posture, or in some other postures which are typically expected to be in a particular shape. Even if you search on Google, you will find that yoga is viewed as a variation of fitness. In contrast to this perspective, Indian yoga is all about improving the mind as well as the body control (Gangadhar & Varambally, 2015). It is based on four elements which are cleansing of the sinuses, breathing, posing and meditating. It is not based on exercise but to discern the sense of oneness with yourself, the nature and the world around you.
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Teaching Methods Differ Significantly Between India and American.
In Indian culture, education is believed to be the noblest career. When an individual passes their knowledge to you, it is viewed as the highest honor. Even though both instructors use the English language in training, there is a significant difference in the manner in which Indian teachers instruct a class and the American instructor. Many Indian teachers’ instructions are focused on the breathing patterns, alignment, mind focus among other rules on the asana and its importance (Acharya, 2016). However, the language used in American is understandable and easy. When you view in the media, some talked about relationships, pain, joy, heart opening, healing, etc. in training (Adavi, 2016). On the other hand, this would have been considered to be a distraction in India irrespective of the fact that different things work for different people.
The Yoga Teacher-Student Relationship in India is Drastically Different than in the US.
Although there are great teachers in the US, it is very clear that the training styles differ dramatically. For instance in India, the traditional understanding of “Guru-shishya parampara” commonly understood as teacher-disciple traditions is a substantial part of the tradition both in yoga and even outside yoga. As evidently seen and presented in various media, the instructor is valued and respected, and his or her word is final since he or she takes away the ignorance and brings you to light (Acharya, 2016). Unlike in American, students interact informally with the trainer, and others don’t even acknowledge the teacher. More so, some practice on their own sequence while others talk back to the instructor.
Conclusion
To sum up, despite the differences, Yoga plays a vital role in bringing persons together all over the globe. People may appear to be different on the surface, yet they are all in search of the same goals of liberation and good health. There are several paths taken towards yoga, but eventually, they all unite us. However, the most compelling element of yoga is the Indian Yoga. The Indian yoga tends to focus more on the meditation aspects of training yoga. They concentrate more on the exploration of the deep self of practitioner and views the postures and other styles as methods and not as goals. There are no distractions like music, and one has to train with a teacher hence minimizing the chances of getting hurt. Yoga should be understood as the key to liberation that can be practiced by all humanity.
References
Acharya, C., & Jain, M. (2016). Indian Classical Dances as Yoga: a Route to Powering Positive Psychological Traits. Journal of Psychosocial Research , 11 (2), 409-415.
Adavi Poorvi. (2016). How Yoga has Evolved and Changed from India to America. India Web Portal.
Gangadhar, B. N., & Varambally, S. (2015, June). Integrating yoga in mental health services. Indian Journal of Medical Research . pp. 747-748.
