The Battle of the Babas

I felt that I wanted to write about the current yoga phenomenon happening in India, which I had been putting off for sometime now. Thanks to a friend's post, I have finally decided to delve into the subject matter.

Yoga is enjoying a revitalization in India. The popularity is growning day by day. Yoga hasn't disappeared in India, but as old customs and practices do, they kind of fall to the way side in the popular culture. Don't get me wrong as yoga is still practiced by many people in India, but a vast amount of people seem to forget what's good for them. Well thanks to two men, the practice of yoga has become a mainstream media event in India, and some parts of the world.

One person is the saffron robe wearing Baba Ramdev, and his Divya Yoga Trust. The other is the white robe wearing Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (not to be confused with Anoushka and Norah Jones' dad), and his Art of Living Foundation.

Both are promoting yoga as a science to alleviate one's personal trauma caused by stress or even health related matters. Both are even doing their part in making lives easier to live, especially charitable work.

Both are also showing breathing related techniques which in their words should revitalize the body and mind. Baba Ramdev does his pranayama, while Sri Sri Ravi Shankar does his Sudharshan Kriya (which is patented suppossedly).

Both give lectures about basic living and ways to improve it.

Both of these fads have reached everyone in India and the desi diaspora from the top to bottom of the social order.

I have some friends who are involved in the Art of Living. They say they like it. I even know a couple of girls who I was talking to, on separate instances, who were trying to get me involved in it. Both of these girls were acting as if I was missing a big thing in my life in not taking these courses. Believe it or not, I was admonished. It felt as if they were in some cult or something. Thank God those two girls didn't work out.

My mother has caught on to the fad as well. One of her sisters is really into this thing and has been sending her VCDs of Baba Ramdev and his yoga techniques. Since then my mother has been become a fan of this yogi. She keeps telling me to join her in the exercise routine the Baba does.

So I sat down with her a couple of times, watching this video showing the Baba demonstrate his pranayama. But one day started this freak show. The guy was able to suck his gut to the point that it seemed as if he was touching his spinal cord. Quite impressive I say, but I am not sure if I really want to see something weird like that. My mom all excited was like, "Wow! Amit, if you did this regularly you will be able to do that!!!"

Uhhh.....Mom, I don't want to be able to do that. A six-pack would be good enough!!!

Not a fan of either schools of yogic thought, but I must say the breathing techniques are relaxing.

Anyway, I really think both men are doing a very good job in conveying their message of peace and harmony, and keeping oneself fit and fine thus reducing the stress caused by our everyday lives. Kudos to them. We need many more people like the Baba and Sri Sri, sans the freak shows.