I’ll be honest: I’ve never taken a yoga class before, although I’ve made (rather pathetic) attempts to practise yoga at home using instructional DVDs and YouTube videos. As soon as I mention this to Danielle Lithwick, a yoga instructor at Ashtanga Yoga Ottawa, I feel like I’ve committed a sin. Good. I am going to learn something.
My impression is that the yoga of the West has lost its roots. Anyone toting a yoga mat and sporting Lululemon pants thinks she is a yoga master.
When Lithwick and I enter the studio, I’m impressed at how authentic it feels; I expected something modern and edgy. In the hallway hang several collages, including one with photographs from India, many featuring guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Yoga. There is also a large painting of the Hindu Elephant god, Ganesha.
Yoga seems to be the hip new way to exercise in Western society. Everyone is doing it. It’s all about strengthening your muscles and improving your flexibility…right? Well, partly. Our society has developed a misconception of yoga. Many don’t know the vast history behind the practice or that yoga is really more of a lifestyle or philosophy than a simple workout. But how much does that really matter?
The first evidence of yoga dates back to around 3,000 B.C., in India. Hindu priests, called yogis, developed the different forms and ideologies of yoga. They believed that in order for humans to become more in tune with nature and themselves, they must combine the body, mind and soul. Yoga was created to help people lead a more spiritual life. It involved breathing patterns, focus and relaxation techniques. It was also a way to transcend the ego—the part of the conscious mind responsible for self-identity—to reach different states of consciousness and become closer to God.
The yogis created several different branches of yoga. Hatha yoga has become the most popular in the West, focusing on poses, breathing and meditation to achieve better health. This branch contains many different styles of yoga, some of the most common being Iyengar, Integral, Ashtanga, and Kripalu.
Hatha yoga is what most of our society believes to be the essence of yoga. This is not true, as there are five other branches (Bhkati, Raja, Jnana, Karma and Tantra) involving many different paths such as self-control, good deeds and wisdom. Yoga isn’t just an exercise, but it isn’t a religion either. It’s merely a set of techniques to help us find spirituality.
Lithwick and I enter the practice room, which is sunlit and smells of soothing incense. At most windowsills are photos of Pattabhi Jois, or an idol of one of the countless Hindu deities. True to yogic form, we conduct our interview seated comfortably on the floor. As soon as we begin talking, I can tell this is Lithwick’s passion. “For me it’s like a mirror, every day, in my face,” she says. “That’s why I do it every day.” She tells me she practises for an hour and a half to two hours every day. “I have to wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, but if I don’t do it, I don’t feel right.” She’s been practising yoga for only about five and a half years, which is not that long for a teacher, though she’s done her time. She studied with the guru Ajay Kumar for nine months in Mysore, India.
Lithwick tells me that yoga changed her life. She believes that it has helped her with everything from mental clarity to anxiety and is “literally realigning” her spine. She is just one of many who have benefited from yoga. A study done from 1983-1984 by Yoga Biomedical Trust recorded the responses of 3000 individuals with a variety of health ailments who were prescribed yoga as an alternative therapy. According to the study: out of 1,142 people with backaches 98 percent reported benefits; of 838 people with anxiety 94 percent reported benefits; of 112 people with nerve of muscle disease 96 percent reported benefits; and out of 50 people with heart disease 94 percent reported benefits. (Full chart shown below.)
Since my discovery that Lithwick is the real deal, I’m curious to know her opinion on the Westernization of yoga. She seems a bit indifferent initially, but upon a moment’s reflection says, “The problem with this whole western thing is that people lack a teacher, so they’re going to all these different classes…when it’s convenient for them, and yeah, they’re getting some results, but I don’t think they can take it much deeper than that.” She speaks very highly of her own teacher, Kumar. “He gave me faith in the system; that’s a huge thing. And I think most people in these studios are not looking for that, or even thinking about faith…they just want a good workout.” She explains to me that commitment is the most important aspect in yoga; it is essentially what makes it effective. Yoga was meant to be a lifestyle, so how can we expect life-changing results when we only practise whenever we feel like it? One doesn’t get the physical and mental benefits of eating a balanced meal once every three weeks and fast food every other day, so why should we expect any different from yoga?
Lithwick doesn’t seem as against the Westernization of yoga as I anticipated from an educated yoga teacher. She says, “Most people come because they have a physical problem, but end up leaving feeling like wow. They always feel good after.” She knows that not many who practise yoga fully understand its purpose, but she’s okay with that. Lithwick is not about indoctrinating people in her classes and she tries to keep a practical approach to the practice. However, she does have her students chant at the beginning of class as a way to get connected to something greater. “In Ashtanga, we really emphasize the breath, and moving with your breath, so that is part of the meditation…Most people come for the physical part, but they may get a glimpse of getting deeper into it,” she says. “You don’t want to tell someone how to feel…yoga is a very personal experience. It’s how you feel in a pose. I can’t know how [everyone] is feeling…I just try to let people have their own experience.”
Lithwick remains hopeful for the future of yoga. She believes that yoga has the ability to help everyone. “It stops being about the poses when you realize that, okay, I can’t do the same pose that I did last week, and you just have to accept that.” Yoga might be frustrating at times, but the physical, emotional and mental benefits are irrefutable.
After speaking to Lithwick, I have a renewed inspiration to attend some classes. Clearly, my instructional DVDs and YouTube videos are failing to provide me with the full yoga experience.