YOGA A MOSLEM DAILY PRACTICE

YOGA

AMOSLEM

DAILY

PRACTICEBy

VITRIWRACHMADIYANTO

PRAIRIEYOGA200HRTT2015-2016taughtbyTRICIAFISKE&CHRISLUND

Introduction

IwasbornaMuslimbutwasn'tareligiouspersonandhadn'tlearnedorpracticedthereligion

untilIwasinmy40s.GrowingupinIndonesia,Ihadalwaysbeenactive,tryingmanysportsand

otheractivities,butneverknewyogauntilIwasincollege.Yogaclassesweren'tofferedatmy

college,onlyatayogastudio,and Icouldn'taffordthem.When Iaskedmyparents forextra

money so I could learn about yoga, they discouragedme, sayingyoga is a religious practice.

ManyofmyotherMuslimrelativesandfriendsalsocalledyogaareligiouspractice.Thisiswhy,

although I'd heard about themind-body benefits of yoga, I never got to learn about it and

practiceit.

In 2006, after my father passed away, I started to learn more about my religion and its

practices,includingwearingahijab.Unfortunately,wearingaveilmademefeeIIcouldn'tbeas

active as before, and soon I started gaining weight. In 2014, at my heaviest weight ever, I

decidedtobecomeactiveagain.Istartedoutjoggingandthentookuplong-distancerunning.

But running gave me new problems, from toe pain to plantarfasciitis. That year, I went to

Indonesia for vacation, and a friend invited me to take ayogaclass with her at

herIyengarschool.Therewasnoreligiouspracticeatall.

WhenIcamebacktotheUnitedStates,Istartedtolookforayogaclassbutwasintimidatedby

whatIbelievedwastheU.S.imageofyogaasanexpensiveandexclusivesport.Youhavetobe

sexy,richandlimbertodoyoga,Ifelt,andasawomanwhowearsahijab,IalreadyfeltlikeI

didn'tbelonginayogastudio.SoIgatheredmycourageandtriedayogaclassofferedatmy

communitycenter,whereImetmyveryfirstyogateacher intheUnitedStates.Althoughher

teaching style is different frommy friend’s Iyengar yoga style and the classwas bigger, she

showedmethatyogaisforanytypeofwoman--fromthintoheavy,evenonewithahijab--and

thattherewasnoreligiouspractice.Ifound,however,thatmanyofthebasicposesaresimilar

toIslamicdailyprayermovements.

AfterI'dbeenpracticingyogaregularlyformorethanayear,myteachersuggestedIlearnmore

bytakingteachertrainingclasses.Thetrainingprogramhelpedmeseemoreparallelsbetween

Islam and yoga--their values, way of prayer and yogapractices.Perhaps because yoga came

fromIndia,fromaculturalperspectiveitisalsosimilartoIndonesia,myhomeland,especiallyin

the language. Moreover, when I learned aboutAyurveda,I found similarities toIslamic

teaching.

Basedonmyexperience,Idecidedtodomythesisonthismatter:theparallelpracticesofyoga

inIslam,themisunderstandingsandmisperceptionsaboutyogapracticeandalsoaboutIslam,

especiallynowadayswiththenegativeportrayalsofIslambythemedia.

Thespace

Yoga canbedone anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and it doesn’t require a specific room for

practice, as long as the environment is clean.Unlike other "exercise" classes, especially the

cardioclasses where students jump around and move a lot, yoga isdonewithin the mat

size.Thereasonforusinga"stickymat" ismostlytopreventslippingduringpracticeandstay

clean.

ThesameasinSalat(prayer),italsocanbedoneanywhereaslongastheplaceisclean&while

doingsolatoneisfacingtheKa’bahinMecca.Wealsodouseamatorarugandthereasonfor

ittoensurethecleanlinessoftheprayerareaandwedonotmovearoundbeyondthematjust

likeinyogapractice.

Yogastickymat

Prayerrug

Dailyprayerasasalutation

InHathayoga practice,thereareposes that weholdfor several breaths. There is also a flow

calledvinyasa, themost common of which is SuryaNamaskara. In Tantric yoga,there a is

practicecombiningdynamicmovementofasanaswithmantras.

Salatissimilartoavinyasawithmantras,too.Thefard(obligatory)prayersaredonefivetimes

aday,atspecifictimes.Eachsalathasadifferentcycle/roundofvinyasacalledraka’at.Thereis

a certain supplication or mantra for every asana or pose.During a prayer aMuslim

concentratesandmeditatesonGodbyrecitingQur’an(theHolybook)verses.

Thedhristi (gaze) inyoga iseitheronthehorizonortheupperhand,dependingonthepose,

whileduringSalat,thedhrististaysononefocalpointtheground.

Invinyasa,theposesflowfromonetoanother,butSalatismorelikeregularyoga,inwhichwe

hold one posewhile reciting the supplication,calledtu’maninah. Also, as in yoga, wherewe

quietourmindsandfocusonourbreathingwhileholdingaposition,thesamethinghappens

inSalat.Itiscalledkhusyu’.

Hereisacomparisonofprayerpositionandyogaasanas:

TADASANA–STANDINGMOUNTAINPOSE

QIYAM

Althoughtherearenospecificstudiesonwhytheseprayerposeswerechosenandwhattheir

benefitsare,Ilearnedthroughyogateachertrainingthebenefitofdoingthemproperly.Ialso

learnedwhatI’vebeendoingwrongalignment-wiseinthesepositions.

Here,bothpositionsofTadasanaandQiyamarethesame,standingwithastraightback,with

evendistributionofweightonboth feet.Before I learnedmoreaboutyoga,whilepraying in

thispositionIoftenstoodwithonestraightfootandonebent.ThroughyogaIalsolearnedthat

I hyper-extendmy knees and elbows. For years, I'd wonderedwhat causedmy left knee to

make a crackling noise. Now I know to micro-bendmy knee and push my thigh back to

straightenmyspineandtoopenmychestwithouthikingupmyshoulders.

Tadasanainyogaisabasicstandingposewhichisveryimportant.

Qiyaminprayeriswhenoneissayingtheirintentionbeforetheirprayer.

For everything I do in life I start by saying بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحيِْم ِ (b-ismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-

raḥīm)–InthenameofGod,TheMostGracious,TheMostMerciful

EspeciallyforyogapracticeIadded:सो ऽहम् (SoHam)–Iam

Inyogatradition,beforepractice,classusuallyopenbysaying ॐ(aum)orsomeothermantras

such as Gayatri,Mahamrtyunjaya, etc lead by the teacher and the students will response. I

guessthispartiswhatalotofMuslimbelievedaspartasHindureligionpractices.Whatthey

don’tknowisyesthereisthistraditionbutstudentsarenotmandatorytosaythemantra.They

can justsit thereand listen,respectingthetradition. Inmanyoccasionbothduringclassesor

workshopsIcanexcusemyselftodomyownprayerinadifferentroom,theteacherswillallow

itandotherstudentswillrespectthat.

Tomethebeginningofthepracticeisveryimportant,thatiswhenIgatheredmyenergyandmy

concentrationbeforeIgofurtherinthepractice.Ifocustodedicatemyselfandmytimeto

somethingthatIreallylovetodoformyself.

InayogapracticeiswhenIhaveaconversationwithmybody,Ilistenverywelltowhatmy

bodyissayingtome,ifthereisanypain,whereIshouldstopandletgowhatIcan’tdo,and

whereIcanworkmoretotrytofindmorelengthinmybody.Insalat,itswhenIhavea

conversationwithandremembranceofGod,whereIcometoHiscalling,obeyingwhatHe

orderedhispeopletodo,standbeforeHim,thank,praise,askingforguidanceandalso

forgivenessfromHim.

URDVAHASTASANA

TAKBIR

UrdvaHastasanainyogaisdonebyraisingthearmsup,withbicepsclosetotheears.Thispose

isdonealotinoneyogapractice.Itstretchesthethoraciccavity,bringingfluidtotheshoulder

joints, stretches the belly and straightensthe spine. Ithelpswith plantar fasciitis,makes the

diaphragmaticbreathcomemorenaturallyandhelpsrelievemildanxiety.

Asintheprayer,IlookatitasapraisetoGodandalsoasurrenderpose.Weraisedourhands

while saying, "God is The Greatest," and by doing that we praise God and surrender to His

greatness.AsfarasthebenefitofthisposeinSalat,I’mnotquietsure,becauseasyoucansee

in the picture, the hands are not raised all the way up. It's amore gentle stretching of the

thoracicandtheshoulders.

SAMASHTITI

QIYAM

DuringSamastitiand/orQiyam,thereisevendistributionofweightonbothfeet.Inthis

position,thebodyischargedwithpositiveenergy,asthepostureisbeingimprovedbykeeping

thespinetall,engagingtheabdominalsandaligningallthebonesandjoints.

Inthisposition,aversefromtheQur’anisrecitedandrepeatedoneveryraka’ah(round):“and

guideustothestraightpath."Somescholarshaveinterpretedthistomeanalignmentofthe

chakras,andsomeothersinterpretthisasaskingforguidancetostayontherightpathindaily

life.

Tome,beinginthispositionisaconstantreminderofhowinlifewehavetobemindfulabout

being inbalance.AsfortherecitingoftheQur’an, Iasktobeguidedinthepositivepathand

nottofollowmoreofmyego.

ARDHAUTTANASANA

RUK’U

ArdhaUttanasanaisagentleversionofUttanasana.Thispose,ifdoneproperly,willstretchthe

backofthebodyandlengthenthehamstringsandspine.Inyoga,thisposeispracticedoften.

Itcalmsthemind,strengthenstheback,improvespostureandstimulatesthebelly.

Inprayer,though,inbowingIrenewmysubmissivenessandhumility.Italsocouldbelike

honoringandrespectingtheLord,likeapersonbowingtohisorherkingorqueen.

InthisposebeforeIlearnedyoga,Ialwayspushedmyhandstomyknees.Iwasn’tawareIwas

hyper-extendingmyknees.NowthatIknowmoreaboutit,Ionlyrestmyhandsonmyknees.

ADHOMUKHAVIRASANA

SUJUD

Inyoga, thispose is considereda restingpose. Itsupposedtobecalmingand relaxing to the

nervoussystemandreducebloodpressure. Inaprayer,Sujudis themost importantposition.

Notonly does this pose stimulate thebrain’s frontal cortex, but it also leaves theheart in a

higherpositionthanthebrain.Thispositioninsalatcansymbolizegratitudeforthegoodinlife

andalsoaskingforgivenessforoursins.

Through yoga, I learned that if I align my hips above my knees and lift my abdominals,

itpreventsthegrowthofflabbinessinthemidsection.

VAJRASANA

JULUS

Vajrasanain yogaissupposedly to stretch the thighs,ankles, knees and feet.This pose is

believedtohelpdetoxifytheliverandstimulatetheintestines.Doingitregularlyitwillincrease

flexibilityandstrengthenthepelvicmuscles.

Julusinprayer,tome, is likethemomentwhenIhaveaconversationwithGod. InSoutheast

Asian culture, many important events are done in these positions, like the Japanese tea

ceremony and the IndonesianSungkeman,where the bride and groom ask for their parents'

blessing.

Just like in ChandraNamaskara--fromBalasanato salute and back toBalasana--in Salat, too--

fromSujudtoJulusandbacktoSujud,withadifferentfootposition.

VAJRASANA

JULUS

BROKENTOEPOSE

COMBINATIONOFVAJRASANA&BROKENTOE

Thesefootpositionsbothinyogaandprayerstretchthefascialwebofthefeet.Stayinginthese

positions for several breaths willhelpthe feet stayhealthy, especially when done barefoot,

sinceourfeetareusuallystuckinsideshoes

TAKHIYATwhichissimilartoBHARADVAJASANA

exceptwithoutthetwist

Samepositionoffeettoo

In yoga,Bharadvajasanais an open twist thatworks the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine.

InSalat,though,thisposeisnotdonewithatwist.Sittinginthisposewithorwithoutthetwist

forseveralbreathswillstretchthehips,knees,anklesandfeet.

This isthe lastpose inSalat,anditendswithaheadtwisttotherightanddhristitoshoulder

thentotheleftside.BeforeIlearnedyoga,mybodyleanedtotherightbecauseofthenature

of theposeand I slouched,dumpingallmyweight tomy lowerback.Nowthat Iknowmore

aboutyoga,IkeepmybackstraightandengagemyabdominalssoIdon’tdumpmyweightinto

mylowerback.Havingmychestopenalsohelpsmebreathebetter.

Meditation

Islamalsosuggestsmeditation,whichiscalledDzikr.Whiledoingthemeditation,somepeople

use their fingers’ span to count theDzikr, but, in anotherparallel betweenyogic and Islamic

practices,most people also use the beads similar to Mala beads. These are called

Tasbeeh.Mala has 108 beads but only 100 repetitions per mantra, while Tasbeehhas 103

beads,withthethreebeadstomark33counts.ThemostcommonDzikris33counts.Justasin

yoga practice, Dzkiris usually done after a prayer, but one can do itanytime and anywhere

even,whennotpraying.

MALABEADS

TASBEEHBEADS

Ayurveda

Before humankind had a proper understanding of how germs and bacteria work, Islam had

made it clear that cleanliness important. Its teachingsmake sureMuslims clean themselves

from anything that could possibly harm them--something people only understood the true

importance of years and years later.In Islamic tradition, it is suggested to scrape the

tongueandbrushtheteethbeforeeveryprayer.Theuseofholisticmedicineisalsoamongthe

traditions,includingtheoils.ManyotherAyurvedicpracticesarealsoinIslamictradition.

Yogaandprayeraspersonaldailypractice

Formepersonally,findingoutthatthereissomuchsimilarityinIslamicprayermovementand

yoga,Iintegratedmyknowledgeaboutthealignmentintheposesofprayerthataresimilarto

yoga poses. Also the focus of meditation in prayer anddhikr,engangingin these I could

increaseconcentration,makingitamorespirituallyrewardingexperience.

Practicingdailyyoga is fulfilling theneedofmyhealthybody,meditation is formymindand

prayingisnotonlytofulfillingtheobligationasaMuslim,butalsoformyspiritualneed.Ican

say that combiningallof thesehashelpedmeachievepowerofmindandbodyand spiritual

growth.

Icouldgoandexplaintofriendsandfamilywhohavebeenmisinformedaboutyogathatthey

haveactuallybeenpracticingyoga in theirdailyprayers. In theyogacommunity, too, I could

explainthattherearesomanymuchparallelsinIslamicteachingandyogaprinciple,especially

theYamaandNiyamas.

Througha combinationofyogaasa lifestyleanddailyprayer, Ihave foundmyself. Yoga isa

lifestyle for me, and prayer is the highest form of yoga. The combination of yoga

andSalatdoubles the advantage of enhancing my mental health. I found peace

withinmyselfthatnever inmy life I couldhaveachievedwithoutintegratingbothinmydaily

life.

At the end of a yoga practice, the tradition is for both teacher and students to say नमस्ते

(Namaste)–thedivineinmehonorsthedivineinyouasasalutationandvalediction.

InIslamictraditionasasalutationwesay uponbePeace–(ʿalaykumAs-salāmu)السَّلاَمُ عَليَْكُمْ

you,andtheresponsefromtheotherpartywillbeوَعَليَْكُم السَّلاَم(waʿalaykumus-salām)–And

uponyou,peace.

IendeverythingIdobysayingالحَمدْ لله(alḥamdulillāh)–PraisebetoGod,evenafterayoga

practice,IthankandpraiseGodforthepreciousgiftwhichismyhealthybodysoIcanpractice

myyoga.AnddoingyogaisawayformetoappreciatewhatGodhasgivenme,ahealthybody,

maintainittostayhealthysoIcancontinuetoworshipHim.Itgoesbothways.

Acknowledgements

Iwould like toexpressmygratitudetomyTT teacher,TriciaFiskeandher teachingassistant

ChristineLund

Iamdeeply indebtedtomyfirstyogateacherLyndaCarr–thankyouforsteeringmeinthe

rightdirection

My sincere thanks to allmy teachers I have taken their class at Prairie yoga studio and the

wonderfulstaffthere.

Thankyoutoallmyfamilyandfriendsforalltheloveandsupport.