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This unique guide shows both the yoga enthusiast and the yoga novice how to use hatha yoga postures and techniques to physically connect with Jewish spirituality.
"If you are curious about hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga provides a safe introduction to the basic yoga postures and techniques. If you are one of the tens of thousands of Jews who already practice hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga will connect your yoga to something explicitly Jewish. With its Jewish content and intent, Aleph-Bet Yoga will enhance rather than interfere with your religious identity."
-from the Introduction
As we move our bodies through the Hebrew aleph-bet, turning toward the inner meaning of the letters, we can tap into the deep connections between our body, mind and spirit. Drawing on the sacred texts and mystical writings of Judaism, combined with the insights of yoga teacher Steven Rapp, Aleph-Bet Yoga is an East-meets-West experience for our whole selves.
Aleph-Bet Yoga makes it easy for anyone to incorporate yoga into their life, and combines the physical and spiritual aspects of Judaism. It features step-by-step instructions, photographs clearly demonstrating each yoga pose, and insightful words to inspire and guide us in connecting the spiritual meaning of the Hebrew letters to our yoga practice.
What Is Aleph-Bet Yoga?
The Body Connection
One difference between the major religions of the East and those of the West is the role of the human body. In many of the Eastern religions, such as Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism, the body is considered part of the whole self, a temple of the soul. Many of the Eastern religions include specific exercises for strengthening and purifying both body and mind. Generally, however, the major Western religions, such as Judaism and Christianity, do not explicitly discuss methods for exercising and caring for the human body. Rather, the major Western religions, particularly Judaism, have tended to emphasize and idealize intellectual prowess.
But if we look closely at the Jewish texts, we can find acknowledgment of the human body's implicit holiness. In Genesis, the Torah tells us that we (bodies and minds) were created in God's image. Furthermore, Deuteronomy tells us to "choose life" (30:19). This commandment can be taken as an admonishment to take care of our bodies rather than giving in to our inclinations that might hurt us.
Several Jewish prayers also express the inherent sacredness of the body, emphasizing the importance of a healthy body in leading a full life. For example, the prayer that begins with modeh ani (literally, "I thank you") is a prayer one says to thank God for restoring the soul to the body upon waking up. This is clear recognition that without body and soul united, we can serve no purpose; we cannot study, we cannot pray, we cannot do good deeds. So we give thanks for the chance each day tomove forward with body and mind.
Similarly, the prayer known as the Aster yatzar (literally, "who has formed") has an obvious focus on the body. It is a prayer that gives thanks to God for forming the human body with wisdom. It is traditionally said after one goes to the bathroom in the morning. It is a humble acknowledgment that if the body did not work according to its divine design—for example, if one of the openings were closed when it should be open, or one of the cavities in our organs were open when it should be closed—"we would be unable to stay alive and stand before You."
The V'ahavta prayer commands you to "love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Here again, we find recognition that we need more than just intellect to fulfill ourselves as Jews. In the same way, in the Mishehberach prayer, we ask God, as the source of strength, to heal our bodies so that we can make the world a better place. In both of these prayers, we see that in order to participate fully in the drama of existence, we must be healthy and strong in body as well as in spirit.
In the Torah commentary known as the Talmud, there is a parable of the King's Garden. In the story, the king hired a blind man and a lame man to guard his orchard, thinking that neither would be able to steal his fruit, but together they could guard his property. One day, they realized that by combining their abilities they could indeed reach the fruit on the trees. The lesson of the parable is not how to steal fruit but rather that our minds and bodies are not separate beings. Without the mind, our body is like the blind man, unable to find our way or see the fruit. Without a healthy body, we are like the lame man, unable to fulfill the mind's intentions or reach the fruit hanging above our heads.
Can Yoga Be Jewish?
Traditionally, Judaism has not included an explicit and detailed physical wellness component as some of the Eastern philosophical traditions have. For example, tai chi, a mixture of dance and martial arts, is recognized as the physical complement of the intellectual and spiritual components of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. While there is no separate body of traditional Jewish instructions for wellness, any health-centered behavior that helps us to fulfill the mitzvah of "choosing life" could be viewed as Jewish in its intent. If we practice yoga postures and our intention is focused on the Hebrew letters and their meanings, it could be viewed as "Jewish yoga."
Historically, mainstream Judaism's lack of a body component was largely a reaction to the ancient Greek idolization of the human body. In the times of the Hellenistic Greek empire, many Jews refused to participate in any part of Greek culture because it was seen as opposed to the monotheistic philosophy of Judaism. They refused to speak Greek, eat Greek foods, or participate in Greek sports or leisure activities, which were all part of the pagan religious system. As a result, Jewish culture discouraged any activities that focused solely on improving the human body.
Later, in the Diaspora, this thinking was reinforced by the way the rabbis taught Jews to connect with God in the absence of the Temple and by centuries of landlessness. In many countries and cultures around the world, Jews were not allowed to own land. With no land to cultivate or defend by arms, and with prayer and study as the ways to hear God's voice in one's life, Jewish culture generally emphasized and idealized intellectual skills over physical fitness.
Quite a contrast to today, when most Jews, particularly of the baby boom generation and later, feel no threat to their Jewish identities when they speak the local language, eat the local cuisine, or exercise at the gymnasium. In fact, with our current knowledge of science and medicine, many Jews today have a holistic approach to their well-being and an interest in keeping their bodies healthy along with their minds, emotions, and spirits. This may explain why so many Jews are drawn to yoga as an all-around wellness system that complements the rest of their Jewish lives.
A Jew in the Lotus Position
The sixties and seventies were a time when many great teachers came to America from India and the Far East. These men and women came here to introduce the Eastern perspective and teach the healing arts like yoga, tai chi, and meditation, but their positive efforts were blurred by the tumult of those times. As a result, many Americans were left with the idea that activities such as yoga and meditation have more to do with the counterculture, protesting the Vietnam War, and shocking one's parents than with good health and spiritual development.
Now, however, Americans are ready to give the Eastern methods a closer look. Alternative medicine is "respectable," and skyrocketing medical costs, insolvent health maintenance organizations, and soaring prescription drug costs have given us all economic incentives to look for health care possibilities other than pills and hospital procedures. In fact, many health insurance plans today support alternatives such as hatha yoga, tai chi, and meditation for their stress reduction potential. Imagine that in 1960!
In recent years, millions of Americans have begun to include hatha yoga in their exercise routines. It is offered at most fitness centers, gymnasiums, Jewish Community Centers, and the like. In some parts of the country, yoga classes are now as common as aerobics or kickboxing. But many people have begun to realize that yoga is more than just exercise. In fact, in addition to being a comprehensive preventative medicine for the body, yoga can be a profound source of spiritual and emotional well-being.
What Is Yoga?
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to attach or to concentrate one's attention. It can also mean union or communion. In other words, yoga is the systematic methodology of joining all the powers of body, mind, and soul to God or Oneness.
There are four main paths of yoga: the yoga of action, the yoga of devotion, the yoga of knowledge, and the yoga of physical and mental control. This last type of yoga is known as raja, or royal, yoga and is what most Westerners think of as yoga. In Light on Yoga, B. K. S. Iyengar describes the eight fundamental limbs, or stages, of this yoga:
1. Universal moral commandments
2. Self-purification by discipline
3. Posture
4. Rhythmic control of the breath
5. Withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the
domination of the senses and exterior objects
6. Concentration
7. Meditation
8. A state of super-consciousness brought about by profound meditation, in which the individual aspirant becomes one with the universal spirit
Iyengar describes how, essentially, the eight branches aim to harmonize and integrate all aspects of the human being. The rules of personal conduct and moral principles are a social code, providing for harmony in personal relationships as well as in society at large. The postures are designed to harmonize the body in its surroundings and to maintain good physical health. Control of the breath and senses teaches control of the mind. And finally, concentration, meditation, and spiritual absorption harmonize the self with the Infinite. In this way, the eight branches form a practical philosophy that leads to increasingly deeper levels of physical and spiritual awareness and functioning, ultimately resulting in enlightenment.
Many Westerners are familiar with the specific branch of raja yoga called hatha yoga. Hatha yoga teaches mastery of the body and control of the breath. The word hatha means "force." It is derived from two roots: ha, the sun, and tha, the moon. Learning hatha yoga, therefore, is like learning to harmonize the active, fiery forces with the cooler, contemplative forces that are contained within us all. Hatha yoga uses poses, or asanas, that often mimic animals or forces found in the natural world to exercise and massage all parts of the body. Some of the basic hatha yoga movements are similar to the stretching exercises used by athletes all around the world.
Although hatha yoga is primarily a system of movements that tone the whole body, the contemplative movements also focus the mind for spiritual or meditative endeavors. While it can be practiced as a form of physical exercise, hatha yoga can be much more if practiced with the proper intention. Hatha yoga helps provide focus and balance, allowing people to apply themselves fully to all other facets of life.
In many ways, yoga provides the essential tools for not only surviving but thriving in our modern age. It is a means to bring the physical, mental, and emotional stresses of life under control. A regular yoga practice creates a feeling of overall well-being in many ways. It helps one regain lost flexibility, improve posture, and lessen or eliminate minor aches and pains. Yoga helps counteract the effects of long hours of office work spent in chairs, and the muscle stiffness and soreness that often accompany manual labor. The postures of yoga massage the internal organs and glandular systems, helping regulate the hormones, appetite, and blood circulation. Yoga increases the blood flow to the brain, improving concentration and memory. Yoga helps us let go of physical and emotional tension, deepens self-awareness, and increases intuition. In its meditative movements and breathing exercises, yoga cultivates calmness, which helps us modulate our emotions and increases compassion.
If we are out of balance physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we cannot reach our potential as human beings. But more than just helping us control the stresses that confront us, yoga cultivates the strength and the stillness within us that allow us to be fulfilled amidst the growing emptiness of our age. While yoga does not offer magical cures for illness, loneliness, or selfishness, it does provide the tools for understanding and improving ourselves in all aspects of our lives.
Is Yoga a Religion?
In Light on Yoga, Iyengar states clearly that "Yoga is not a religion by itself. It is the science of religions, the study of which will enable a sadhaka (aspirant) to better appreciate his own faith." In the more than twelve years that I have been learning about and practicing yoga, many other yoga teachers have reaffirmed this conclusion. Hatha yoga is not a system of prayer, and practicing the asanas, or postures, does not conflict with one's personal religious beliefs. Rather, yoga complements a person's faith system by energizing the body and making space in one's mind for focusing personal thoughts and prayers.
Although Indian religious practices often intersect and overlap with yoga, yoga is not considered a religion for a variety of reasons. Yoga does not have a uniform set of beliefs, rituals, or requirements. Yoga does not have a single set of obligations of the kind that are normally associated with a religion, such as how often and where to pray.
Perhaps what confuses people about yoga and religion is that there are places in the West where yoga is taught that include a variety of Indian religious customs, chants, and prayers, usually at the start and finish of a class. Participation in such ritual, however, is not necessary for experiencing the positive results of yoga. Yoga that is taught in this manner is an expression of a particular teacher's set of beliefs or lineage. Such expression can be very important to the teacher, especially a teacher from India, and perhaps to some of the students. Usually it is done to create a positive atmosphere in which the yoga is effective for those particular participants. But students attend yoga classes voluntarily, and if they are uncomfortable with a form of religious expression practiced there, they have several choices. They may either choose not to participate in that portion of the class or substitute the chants or prayers with prayers of their own faith. Alternatively, students may look for a different class where no rituals or prayers are expressed.
On the other hand, outside the yoga studio, many people find that yoga practice brings a whole new mindfulness to their personal religious practice or spiritual endeavors. In Judaism, Jews are supposed to have proper kavannah, or intention, both in their prayers and in their actions to fulfill the mitzvot, or God's commandments. As yoga increases self-awareness, it helps many Jews to be conscious in their decisions and be present in their actions, thereby increasing their kavannah. Many people find that yoga also opens their intuitive channels, making them more receptive to subtle spiritual experiences that some might describe as an increased sense of awe. Through yoga, many grow to appreciate more fully the ceremonies and rituals of their own religious backgrounds.
What Is Aleph-Bet Yoga?
Aleph-Bet Yoga is a bridge between the physical and intellectual aspects of Judaism. It provides a method of moving our bodies through the Hebrew aleph-bet while focusing on the inner meanings of those letters. In this way, Aleph-Bet Yoga allows us to use our whole selves—body and mind—to relate to the Hebrew language and Judaism, and to feel connected to the letters and the language in a holistic way that simply reading or writing cannot achieve.
At the same time, Aleph-Bet Yoga uses words in poetry, photos, and symbols to provide a Jewish intention to the physical effort of caring for our bodies through hatha yoga.
Throughout Jewish history, the Hebrew alphabet has always been considered to have many levels of meaning. In The Book of Letters: A Mystical Hebrew Alphabet (Jewish Lights, 1990), Rabbi Lawrence Kushner describes how historically the Hebrew letters, the otiyot, have been a source of wisdom, meditation, and fantasy. In the Jewish mystical tradition, the Hebrew letters are considered the divine instruments of God's energy, holy vessels carrying the light of God. For centuries, mystics have read, written, and meditated on the letters in ways that they hoped would bring them closer to the Divine.
Today, there is a remarkable concurrence of Jewish teachings that seek to integrate body movements with the Hebrew aleph-bet. Around the United States and in Israel, many people have been creatively integrating the movements of yoga, dance, and tai chi with the forms of the Hebrew letters. Some believe that the current generations of Jews are recreating some of the hidden mystical tradition that was lost in the Holocaust. Others feel that it is an organic return to our ancient roots of dance and movement that may have existed during the times of King Solomon's Temple.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Aleph-Bet Yoga by Steven A. Rapp. Copyright © 2002 by Steven A. Rapp. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Overview
This unique guide shows both the yoga enthusiast and the yoga novice how to use hatha yoga postures and techniques to physically connect with Jewish spirituality.
"If you are curious about hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga provides a safe introduction to the basic yoga postures and techniques. If you are one of the tens ...