Journal 1

For my Ethnography class we have to write a Journal which will be evaluated every week. I will post the entries on here also, eventhough some of it might repeat what I already wrote. This is my first entry from yesterday:

Dear Journal,

I am often fascinated by how different but yet so similar people’s interests, basic needs, wants and fears in very different cultures can be. This is what I hope to observe during my stay and further explore through my Journal entries.


YOGA:

What can a simple yoga class tell us about a culture so different than “ours” (then again, what is “our “culture…)? Can it tell us something about the mentality of its people? Can it teach us something about their religion and values? Can it help us understand their way of life? Obviously, a simple yoga class will not answer questions about how this culture functions and why things are the way they are. However, it can give us an idea of the complexity of the Indian culture and the subtle aspects that make it so interesting and fascinating.

According to Wikipedia.com, “Yoga is a family of ancient Hindu spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. In other parts of the world where yoga is popular, notably the West, Yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises and also form the basis of an expanding business.”

Many people in the “western” world associate certain things with Yoga. They take Yoga classes because it is supposed to give you flat abs and make you more flexible. Some take it simply because the superstars in Hollywood are doing it and they think it is “hip” or “cool.” In the USA, the usual yoga class will take place in an upper-class, membership-only gym. I used to go to a yoga class at our gym. You walk through the gym, passing big, sweaty men working their muscles to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. You then reach the class room upstairs. Its back wall is entirely covered in mirrors and pictures of yoga and Pilates exercises hang on the walls. Everywhere lean, skinny women in bright pink sports wear are stretching on plastic mats in the air-conditioned room. Most likely you will then be greeted by a hyper-active lady explaining she is the instructor, as she turns on the fake “Yoga music” with soft water noises and bird chirping. You then spend about 45 minutes doing very difficult posses trying to get “fabulous” Abs. After class you do not feel revived, but exhausted and tired. (This paragraph may include some stereotyping to support my pointJ).

Our image of a Yoga class was changed forever today as our group started the day bright and early at 7 a.m. to take a Yoga class in Hyderabad, India. We left the guest house a little before 7 and started our short walk over to the building in which the class were to take place. It was a nice morning with a light breeze. The building in which the Yoga class takes place is a simple but large, open building. You can hear the birds from outside and you can feel the breeze as you enter the building. A few simple mats are laid out on the floor for every person. The teacher sits in front of the room facing the rest of us. We are greeted friendly and told to sit down, finding a comfortable position while the breeze continues to flow through the building. We start by sitting down with our legs stretched out in front of us, closing our eyes and tilting our heads back. The man in the front of the room sings a peace prayer. Yoga is something spiritual and seen as a set of practices intended to bring people closer to God - to help them achieve union with God. We hear the peacefull sound of the man’s voice and I feel as if I can understand the meaning of the prayer even though I can not understand the meaning of the words he is singing. I feel very relaxed and enjoy listening to his voice. The instructor speaks very calmly during the class and explains to us simple breathing exercises and helps us to relax our bodys, while concentrating on our breathing. After about an hour of very relaxing and calming exercises we feel awake and rejuvenated and finish the class with three long “Ohms.” What a great way to start the day!
Honestly, I can not say I am enlightend because I took a yoga class in India, but I have definitely come a little, tiny bit closer to understanding its meaning to their culture. More importantly, I have found a new admiration and pleasure in practicing Yoga.