To the so-called "Yoginis:" Though you are empowering yourselves through claiming to be "Yoginis," you have accomplished this by utilizing the very tactics that arrogant male invaders have used throughout the centuries. Ironically, these violations/rape were often directed at women. Now, women as well as men have become the violators. The tactics are similar: steal from others (in this case, the Hindus and their Hindu/Yogic religion), ridicule openly and/or through distortion and cash-in. These egocentric motives (often sweetly disguised as "doing good") describe the spurious "yoga" that has flamboyantly taken center stage.

The undeniable facts about this Sanskrit ("The Aryan [noble] language of the Hindus") word "Yoga" is that it means: "Yuj (to yoke) Atmana (individual Soul) Brahman (Soul Source) ca (and)." "Yoga" does not simply mean "Hatha Yoga" but the many, Hindu/Yogas such as: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Speaking of Hatha Yoga (misrepresented as simply "yoga"), these are devotional postures to Hindu Deities and Hindu Sages as well as to nature. For the very reason of the present distortion of "yoga," Hatha Yoga is actually suppose to be kept secret! Hatha vidya ... bhaveda yavate guhya; niveda tu prakasam. If one really takes seriously what it means to have the title "Yogi" or "Yogini" (though all Hindus are this in the sense of living the Hindu/Yogic lifestyle), one would realize the depth of humble renunication. This anonymous lifestyle is, of course, completely contrary to the "yogini" personality and the business and fashion of so-called "yoga" today. These materialistic propensities of the phony "yoginis" encourages all the "obvious" stereotypes about women (and even the most basic lack of any depth of thought). Of course, real Yoginis (and Yogis) are not married and they certainly do not date (as the shallow writers and readers of Yoga Journal may speculate)!

Think, also, of how silly one looks when they use Sanskrit/Hindu words like: Aum/Om, Namaste and Shanti and then fail to realize one is participating in the Hindu religion. Because of complacent Hindus and ego-centric thieves, ask someone about the Swastika and to define: Yoga, Mantra, Pandit, Guru, Karma, Chakra, Kundalini and now Avatar. Respectively, the chances are one will say, "An evil symbol created by Hitler, exercise, any repetitive saying; a political guy; a expert guy; new-age stuff and an on-line personality." These blatant violations of Hinduism dumb-down the masses. Such distortions are hurtful to non-Hindu children who grow up ill-informed, at best, and (with varying degrees of awareness) bigoted towards religion, in general, and Hinduism, specifically. The insult to Hindu children is grave, as they once again see their religion abused and ridiculed.

Because of illicit teachers (complete with sexual and monetary scandals), complacent Hindus and innumerable phony "yogis and yoginis," we have all kinds of non-sense and perversion in the name of yoga such as: Yoga Booty Ballet, Hot Yoga, Hot nude Yoga, Ruff Yoga (for your dogs), blah, blah, blah... . This crass "yoga" is also grossly misrepresented on T.V. and various forms of advertising. One of the most recent Madison Avenue examples of the perversion of Hatha Yoga is found in a commercial for Cadilac cars. A young, sexy women is driving a sleek, fast new Cadilac--enter the caption: "When yoga is not enough." Even unethical Christians and Jews have pilfered (Hatha) Yoga from the Hindus. Of course these religions are old hands at stealing from others, and (not coincidentally) one can find many of the "new-age yogis/yoginis "coming from these religions. If one does not like their former religion, one should ethically get out and then, perhaps join another (especially before becoming a teacher)--anything short of this wisdom is to live a very unethical and shallow life.

It is time to stop this rape of the Hindus/Hinduism/Yoga. Taking something that "feels good" and peaceful, you have not stopped to think about your actions and their ramifications. If you want to teach stretching and relaxation, go ahead. If you want to become a genuine teacher of the various aspects of Yoga, you will have to first become a Hindu. Hindus are generally very open and sharing, but we have had our share of violence in the form of numerous invasions. "Modern yoga" and the so-called "yogis" and "yoginis" are simply another in a long list of violent, egocentric incursions. If one really respects Yoga, one will give thanks to all those Hindus (who are different from the cult leaders from India you may have encountered), past and present, without whom, we would not have these classic Hindu/Yoga teachings and practices.

After a stretch of Sadhana, they [western phony yoga teachers] become teachers of Yoga, marry, write books--anything except keeping quiet and turning their energies within to find the source of the inexhaustable power and learn the art of keeping it under control. - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981)