{"id":9945,"date":"2022-06-01T20:56:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T20:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/2022\/06\/09\/mayx-snapshot-yoga-in-america\/"},"modified":"2022-09-07T15:48:34","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T19:48:34","slug":"mayx-snapshot-yoga-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/mayx-snapshot-yoga-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"MayX Snapshot: Modern minds examine an ancient discipline"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, we\u2019re highlighting courses from <\/em>May Experience<\/em><\/a> \u2013 a chance for students to explore topics beyond the typical academic year.<\/em><\/p>\n

COURSE:<\/strong> Yoga in America
\nINSTRUCTOR:<\/strong> Diane Boyd, associate dean of faculty development and executive director of the Faculty Development Center<\/a>
\nDESCRIPTION:<\/strong> Students explored the history of yoga and its popularization in American culture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How could an ancient practice, with roots in Eastern philosophies that emphasize simplicity, transform into an industry marked by expensive props, clothing and lifestyle retreats?<\/span><\/p>\n

To find out, Diane Boyd, associate dean of faculty development, executive director of the Faculty Development Center and certified yoga instructor, challenged her MayX students to look back to another millennium.<\/span><\/p>\n

For centuries, yoga was seen as primarily a mental discipline, Boyd noted. \u201cYoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of mindstuff,\u201d according to its foundational text, \u201cThe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.\u201d\u00a0Scholars of the era outlined the ashtanga \u2013 the \u201ceight limbs of yoga<\/a>\u201d \u2013 that culminate in a state of meditative consciousness called samadhi. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Students

Students practice a yoga pose by the side of Furman Lake.<\/p><\/div>\n

As yoga spread to the West at the turn of the 20th century \u2013 sometimes practiced by contortionists in sideshows \u2013 the discipline of the mind became overshadowed by the discipline of the body, said Boyd.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToday, when you go to a yoga class, there\u2019s usually savasana, or relaxation, at the end,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cWhereas in traditional yoga practice, that\u2019s where you would actually be meditating intently. And the whole point of the physical practice is to release tensions and tire out the body somewhat so that the mind can settle into a more meditative state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first two of the eight limbs of yoga, yamas and niyamas, \u201care all thought-based, all behavior and discipline,\u201d said Boyd. \u201cYou don\u2019t even get to asanas, or physical practice poses, until the third limb.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Appropriately, minds got most of the workout in her MayX course, Yoga in America, including class discussions and weekly reflective writing assignments. One assignment asked students to take a deep dive into a seemingly mundane object: the yoga mat. \u201cIt is foundational to yoga practice,\u201d Boyd asked, \u201cbut does it align with yoga values?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Daily yoga practice usually centered around that day\u2019s discussion topic, Boyd said. Beyond the dance studio in the Lay Physical Activities Center, the students also explored other contemplative venues, such as the edge of Furman Lake or inside the Thoreau Cabin<\/a> after reading about the philosopher, for instance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The students\u2019 goals varied, but some were still seeking the same \u201creduction of fluctuations of the mindstuffs\u201d that the ancient texts espoused, Boyd said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor many of them, it\u2019s about reducing anxiety and trying to use this consistent practice as a way to reduce self-imposed \u2018monkey mind\u2019 \u2013 being very distractible and not able to focus,\u201d she said. \u201cSome of them wanted to increase strength and flexibility. And some wanted to not be so attached to particular relationships in their lives, or be able to make space for their own things they want to do, rather than just moving through a set of activities that\u2019s been prescribed for them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And some students found a pursuit that can last a lifetime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no age to yoga,\u201d said Lia Gaw Ghie Paw \u201923. \u201cA woman who has been practicing came up to me and told me, \u2018I am 65, and I have been doing this for 10 years,\u2019 and she was killing it at the hot yoga practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support the May Experience at Furman with a donation now.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n