Is Yoga a Religion?

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I am a rabbi, a teacher of Jewish wisdom, I love my tradition, but I do not believe it is better than any other religious path. Therefore, I believe it is a mistake to have a triumphalist view of any religion or to fit it neatly in a box. Religions are internally tremendously diverse and what one may claim to be true about their tradition could be contradicted within this religion by another source. This insight allows me to sincerely honor other religions and cultures for ALL that they are. I freed myself from the fear of being sacrilegious or the fear of the appearance of idol worshiping (which is prohibited in Judaism). As a result, my life is rich with wisdom and the joy of peace in my humanity. In every shedding of misconception and fear I let go of barriers to others while recognizing the wisdom and beauty in all humans and their religions.

There is much personal and national strain around religion. By acknowledging that Yoga is a religion, too, we can perhaps begin to walk the path of healing rifts in our society arising, at least in part, from separatist views of religion that is born out of misconceptions that some traditions are deserving of the title religion and others are not. Conversely, reducing Yoga to solely a tool, without acknowledging and respecting its history, wealth of knowledge, and potency for transformation, is not just myopic, but, ultimately, self-limiting. Religions imbue and reflect the cultures and civilizations of our world – and they change and grow and diverge and converge constantly. Would we dare to be citizens of the world who live – if we so desire – in two or more civilizations at the same time, embracing the gifts and benefits of rich religious traditions of the worlds without fear?

Peace—Shalom—Salam—Om Shanti!