ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has demanded United Nations to probe the extrajudicial killings of 11 Pakistani Hindus by India and ensure payment of reparations to families of the deceased, said a press release. In a letter written to UN High Commissioner, she said the extrajudicial executions by Indian security forces in Manipur, have not been fully investigated, and the state of India has failed to fulfill its obligation to carry out a prompt, thorough and effective investigation which is a clear breach to the Vienna Convention.

The minister in the letter demanded the constitution of an investigation team, under the auspices of the UN and urged India to allow the team for conducting a free, fair and impartial investigation into the matter and handing over of the dead bodies of deceased to family members.

It may be recalled that in August 2020, 11 Pakistan Hindus were executed extra judicially in Jodhpur District, of Indian state of Rajasthan.

There also appears to be a breach by India with respect to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) - the object and purpose of this Convention being inter alia respect for the principle of sovereign equality of States, the maintenance of international peace and security and the promotion of friendly relations among nations, the letter said.

Reportedly, the deceased include Budhu Ram (80 years), Raivya (35 years), Shamoon (25 years), Antari (75 years), Shrimati Lakshmi (39 years), Shrimati Devi (28 years) and five children, namely Mukadas (16 years), Zain (12 years), Dayaal (12 years), Danish (10 years) and Diya (5 years). Shrimati Mukhi, a surviving member of the family, registered a First Information Report (FIR) No. 219/2020 over the murder of her family members. She has alleged that the Indian intelligence agency, RAW, was behind the murder.

In light of this blatant denial of justice and breach of international norms, I request from your office the following interventions:

First, constituting an investigation team, under the auspices of the UN and urging India to allow the investigation team to conduct a free, fair and impartial investigation into the extrajudicial executions.

Second, recommending to India that it hand over the dead bodies of the deceased to family members, in line with international human rights standards.

Third, communicating to India the need to respect international law, in particular international human rights law to which it is a State Party, by ending impunity for the conduct of officials involved in gross human rights violations.

Fourth, counseling India to ensure payment of reparations to the family of the deceased.

As this incident falls within the broader pattern of human rights violations, being carried out on a State level, it is imperative that accountability be ensured, she added.

I write to you in the hope that these extrajudicial executions will not meet the same fate, i.e. denial of justice. In this vein, I am cognisant of the need to ensure the collective involvement of all human rights organisations in this quest for justice, accountability and bringing an end to the culture of impunity for extrajudicial executions perpetrated by Indian security forces' personnel. Accordingly, copies of this letter are being shared with human rights organisations and special procedures that have repeatedly raised concerns over the State of India's practice of extrajudicial executions, the letter added.

Follow this link:

UN urged to probe killing of Pakistani Hindus in India - The News International

In a welcome move, the government of India has removed the word Halal from its Red Meat Manual issued by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

About 6 months ago, the issue of the Red Meat Manual reading as if it promotes and is imposing the Halal method of slaughter in India had surfaced. Platform UpWord had tweeted a picture with some problematic wording of the manual.

The excerpt that was tweeted by UpWord read, All animals must be slaughtered by Halal method in the presence of holy men approved by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind as per Islamic Shariyat, for certification.

Soon, the government had issued a clarification as to why the term Halal and the process is mentioned in the APEDA Red Meat Manual.

APEDA said that there is no condition imposed by the government of India and that the govt does not mandate that only Halal Meat has to be exported. However, it is the requirement of the majority of countries importing the meat. APEDA further clarified that Halal Certification agencies are accredited directly by the respective importing counties and no govt agency has a role in it.

Essentially the government of India says that in their Red Meat Manual, the standards for Halal slaughter are mentioned not because the government mandates that meat be slaughtered only by the Halal method, but because the importing countries require that the meat be slaughtered in this specific manner. Since most meat importing countries are Islamic countries, it follows the reason that those countries would demand that their meat be slaughtered only by the Halal method.

However, it is true that the wording of the manual did give the impression that the government was mandating and promoting the Halal method, which would essentially mean mandating a religious practise, even if it was to ensure that the importing countries continue to import our product.

Taking stock of the situation, the government of India has now changed the Red Meat Manual to exclude the word Halal from the manual altogether.

For example, in the older manual, the section on Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) had an entire sub-section on Halal.

However, how that section has been removed completely.

This was one of the main sections where the confusion was created as if the government of India mandated that slaughtering the meat using the Halal method was a part of the Safety Management System according to APEDA.

An entire section that read, The animals are slaughtered by Halal System under the strict vigilance of recognised and registered Islamic body as per the tenets of Islamic Shariyat. The certificate for Halal is issued by the representatives of registered Islamic body under whose supervision, the slaughter is conducted in order to meet the requirement of importing countries has also been removed.

Several such changes have been made in the red meat document wherein the word Halal has been removed.

The only place now where the word Halal appears is in the list of APEDA Registered Integrated Abattoirs Cum Meat Processing Plants, as a name of a plant itself.

Words like Islamic, Halal, Ulema, Shariyat etc, that were there earlier have been removed and do not appear in the Red Meat Manual anymore.

Essentially, the changes in the manual are to ensure that the wording is not misconstrued to mean that the government of India mandates the Halal method in any way, which demands the hegemony of Muslims.

It is a fact that importing countries are mostly Islamic countries and mandate that the meat be cut, cleaned, packaged etc in the Halal manner and thus, it is impossible for the government to do away with the Halal method of slaughter itself for the foreseeable future.

The change in the manual, however, can be seen as a big step towards changing the discourse. While the importing countries do mandate that the meat be cut, cleaned and packaged in accordance with the practice of Halal, the government itself not endorsing or appearing to mandate the practice opens up a window of opportunity for Hindus who wish to bring about a change.

When the manual had the word Halal in it, it was entirely possible to dismiss even the possibility of selling or exporting Jhatka meat, since the manual provided a loophole to exclusively stick to the Halal method of slaughter. It also gave the impression that a secular country is open to endorsing rigid religious practices as mandated by Islamic clerics and associations. This is not to say that the change in the wording itself can break the hegemony of the Halal cartel, however, it is essential to provide a window to Hindus to make the changes they wish to.

It is important to note that Halal is not just a dietary preference but a method that imposes Islamic supremacy on those who dont follow the faith.

Halal can only be performed by a Muslim man. Thus, non-Muslims are automatically denied employment at a Halal firm. There are certain other conditions that must be fulfilled that makes it quite clear that it is intrinsically an Islamic practice. Guidelines are available at theofficial websiteof a certification authority of Halal in India which makes it clear that non-Muslim employees cannot be employed in any part of the slaughtering process.

Throughout the document that lists the guidelines to Islamic slaughtering, care is taken to mention the religion of the employees involved. It makes it abundantly clear that only Muslim employees are allowed to participate in the entire process at every stage. Even the labelling of the meat can be done by Muslims only.

Thus, its quite apparent that when a person demands that he be served only Halal meat, he isnt merely exercising a diet preference but he is also playing a part in deciding who is involved in the process of slaughtering the animal and labelling it. Furthermore, Muslims are barred by their scriptures from consuming non-halal food. Thus, when a Muslim specifically demands Halal meat, its an explicit instance of them demanding service that can only be performed by Muslims. The obvious implication is that a Muslim denies service from a non-Muslim due to his religious identity.

The Halal certification department also specifies the exact Islamic method of slaughtering. It says that the slaughtering of the animal must be done in just one stroke without lifting the knife, using a sharp knife. It says that the windpipe (throat), food-tract (oesophagus) and the two jugular veins must be cut in a single stroke. Care must be taken that the head is not severed and the spinal cord is not cut. The rules also say that meat slaughtered by a machine cant be halal, it must be slaughtered by a Muslim person.

Essentially, the entire industry thus ensures the exclusion of people of all other faiths and ensures that only Muslims are employed. Not just that, they ensure that the meat is slaughtered while chanting Islamic slogans.

The Department of Halal Certification of the European Union makes it even more clear that employment opportunities at a Halal firm will be exclusively available to Muslims. Itsays, Slaughtering must be done by a sane adult Muslim. Animals slaughtered by a Non-Muslim will not be Halal. It states further, The name of Allah must be invoked (mentioned) at the time of slaughtering by saying: Bismillah Allahu Akbar. (In the Name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest.) If at the time of slaughtering the name of anyone else other than Allah is invoked (i.e. animal sacrificed for him/her), then the meat becomes Haram unlawful.

While the change in terminology by the government is a welcome step which opens a window for Hindus, the next steps have to be taken by Hindus themselves and not the government. While the change in the wording gives Hindus an opening, the government cannot create a demand for Jhatka meat and that is something that Hindus would have to do for themselves.

It is a fact that the Halal method of slaughter will continue on the ground since the demand for Halal meat is created by Muslims. If Hindus want the Jhatka method to take predominance, the demand itself will have to be created first, just as Islamic nations and those who belong to the faith of Islam created for Halal.

Only recently, for example, it was reported that the South Delhi Municipal Corporation was planning to make it necessary for eateries and meat retailers in its jurisdiction to specify whether the meat theyre serving ishalalorjhatka.

The resolution which has been approved by the standing committee of the civic body on Thursday and would now be going to the house of the Parliament for approval, states that thousands of eating places are working in 104 wards of 4 zones falling below SDMC and meat is being served in 90% eating places however its not displayed by them whether or not(it) is halal or jhatka. An identical state of affairs prevailed at meat retail shops, it read.

According to Hinduism and Sikhism, consuming halal meat is forbidden and in opposition to the religions Therefore, the committee resolves that this route be given to eating places and meat shops that it should be displayed mandatorily as to which meat is being bought and served by themthat halal or jhatka meat is available here, furthered the resolution.

This was possible because demand was created by Hindus for Jhatka meat. After the raging debate, several Hindus asked for Jhatka meat at eateries and questioned them about why Jhatka was not being served, which could be the dietary preference of people who belonged to faiths other than Islam.

Thus, while the government has taken the first step and removed the problematic nomenclature that promoted Islamic hegemony in the meat market, the market for Jhatka, for the slaughter process to take predominance, has to come from Hindus.

Link:

Govt of India removes the word Halal from its Red Meat Manual: Here is what it means - OpIndia

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi administers the oath of office to members of the 117th House of Representatives on Jan. 3. (Erin Scott/AFP via Getty Images)

Every two years, Pew Research Center publishes a report on the religious affiliation of members of the incoming Congress. This report is the seventh in the series, which started with the 111th Congress that began in 2009.

Data on members of Congress comes from CQ Roll Call, which surveys members about their demographic characteristics, including religious affiliation. Pew Research Center researchers then code the data so that Congress can be compared with U.S. adults overall. For example, members of Congress who tell CQ Roll Call they are Southern Baptists are coded as Baptists a broader category (including Southern Baptists as well as other Baptists) used for analysis of the general public.

Data in this report covers members of Congress sworn in on Jan. 3, 2021. One contested election, in New Yorks 22nd District, was uncalled by the start of the new Congress. Congressman-elect Luke J. Letlow of Louisianas 5th District died before the swearing-in; his seat will go unfilled until a March special election. One representative, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, was sworn in provisionally on Jan. 3; she is included in this analysis. In addition, both of Georgias Senate seats were subject to runoff elections set to take place Jan. 5, 2021. Therefore, this analysis includes 531 members of Congress, rather than 535.

Data for all U.S. adults comes from aggregated Pew Research Center political surveys conducted on the telephone from January 2018 through July 2019 and summarized in the report In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. Figures for Protestant subgroups and Unitarians come from the Centers 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, conducted June 4 to Sept. 30, 2014, among more than 35,000 Americans. For more information about how Pew Research Center measures the religious composition of the U.S., see here.

When it comes to religious affiliation, the 117th U.S. Congress looks similar to the previous Congress but quite different from Americans overall.

While about a quarter (26%) of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular just one member of the new Congress (Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.) identifies as religiously unaffiliated (0.2%).

Nearly nine-in-ten members of Congress identify as Christian (88%), compared with two-thirds of the general public (65%). Congress is both more heavily Protestant (55% vs. 43%) and more heavily Catholic (30% vs. 20%) than the U.S. adult population overall.

Members of Congress also are older, on average, than U.S. adults overall. At the start of the 116th Congress, the average representative was 57.6 years old, and the average senator was 62.9 years old. Pew Research Center surveys have found that adults in that age range are more likely to be Christian than the general public (74% of Americans ages 50 to 64 are Christian, compared with 65% of all Americans ages 18 and older). Still, Congress is more heavily Christian even than U.S. adults ages 50 to 64, by a margin of 14 percentage points.

Over the last several Congresses, there has been a marked increase in the share of members who identify themselves simply as Protestants or as Christians without further specifying a denomination. There are now 96 members of Congress in this category (18%). In the 111th Congress, the first for which Pew Research Center analyzed the religious affiliation of members of Congress, 39 members described themselves this way (7%). Meanwhile, the share of all U.S. adults in this category has held relatively steady.

Over the same period, the total number of Protestants in Congress has remained relatively stable: There were 295 Protestants in the 111th Congress, and there are 294 today. The increase in Protestants who do not specify a denomination has corresponded with a decrease in members who do identify with denominational families, such as Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Methodists.

Still, members of those three Protestant subgroups remain overrepresented in Congress compared with their share in the general public, while some other groups are underrepresented including Pentecostals (0.4% of Congress vs. 5% of all U.S. adults), nondenominational Protestants (2% vs. 6%) and Baptists (12% vs. 15%).

Jewish members also make up a larger share of Congress than they do of the general public (6% vs. 2%). The shares of most other non-Christian groups analyzed in this report (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Unitarian Universalists) more closely match their percentages in the general public.

Nearly all non-Christian members of Congress are Democrats. Just three of the 261 Republicans who were sworn in on Jan. 3 (1%) do not identify as Christian; two are Jewish, and one declined to state a religious affiliation.

These are some of the key findings of an analysis by Pew Research Center of CQ Roll Call data on the religious affiliations of members of Congress, gathered through questionnaires and follow-up phone calls to candidates and members offices.The CQ questionnaire asks members what religious group, if any, they belong to. It does not attempt to measure their religious beliefs or practices. The Pew Research Center analysis compares the religious affiliations of members of Congress with the Centers survey data on the U.S. public.

The overall composition of the new Congress is similar to that of the previous Congress in part because 464 of the 531 members of the 117th Congress (87%) are returning members.

Methodists saw the largest loss seven seats followed closely by Baptists (six seats) and Catholics (five seats). There also are four fewer Lutherans in the 117th Congress than there were in the 116th. By contrast, Protestants who do not specify a denomination are up substantially, gaining 16 seats in the 117th Congress after also gaining 16 seats two years ago, when the 116th took office. Protestants in the Restorationist family also gained three seats (all members of Congress in this category identify with the Churches of Christ).

In total, there currently are three fewer Christians in the new Congress than there were in the previous Congress, although this gap is all but certain to narrow once three of the four open seats are filled. Five of the six candidates in the uncalled or outstanding races identify as Christians; Jon Ossoff, a Democrat running for Senate in Georgia, is Jewish.

When it comes to the 63 members of Congress who are not Christian, a slim majority (33) are Jewish, a number that has held relatively steady over the past several Congresses.

The next largest non-Christian group is made up of those who declined to specify a religious affiliation. There are 18 people in this category in the 117th Congress, the same as in the 116th, which had seen an increase of eight members in this group.

The three Muslim representatives from the 116th Congress return for the 117th: Reps. Andr Carson, D-Ind.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Similarly, both Buddhists from the previous Congress return: Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie K. Hirono.

Unitarian Universalists gained one seat, as Rep. Deborah K. Ross, D-N.C., joins California Democratic Reps. Ami Bera and Judy Chu.

There are now two Hindus in Congress Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., both returning members. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, who served in the 115th and 116th Congresses, ran for president in 2020 and withdrew her reelection bid for her House seat. She is replaced by Kai Kahele, who declined to specify a religious affiliation.

One member, California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman, describes himself as a humanist. He is listed in the other category. Fewer than three-tenths of 1% of U.S. adults specifically call themselves humanists.

Sinema is the only member of the 117th Congress who identifies as religiously unaffiliated. Both Sinema and Huffman have said they do not consider themselves atheists.

Most members of the House and Senate are Christians, with the House just slightly more Christian than the Senate (88% vs. 87%). And both chambers have a Protestant majority 55% of representatives are Protestant, as are 59% of senators.

Within Protestantism, the largest differences are in Presbyterians (3% in the House vs. 12% in the Senate) and Protestants who do not specify a denomination (20% in the House, 11% in the Senate).

Catholics make up a larger share in the House (31%) than in the Senate (24%).

The Senate, meanwhile, has a higher share of Jewish (8% vs. 6%) and Mormon (3% vs. 1%) members than the House does.

All of the Muslims, Hindus and Unitarian Universalists in Congress are in the House, while there is one Buddhist in each chamber.

The sole religiously unaffiliated member of Congress (Sinema) is in the Senate, and the only member in the other category (Huffman) is in the House.

Fully 99% of Republicans in Congress identify as Christians. There are two Jewish Republicans in the House, Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York and David Kustoff of Tennessee. New York Rep. Chris Jacobs declined to specify a religious affiliation. All other Republicans in the 117th Congress identify as Christian in some way.

Most Republican members of Congress identify as Protestants (68%). The largest Protestant groups are Baptists (15%), Methodists (6%), Presbyterians (6%), Lutherans (5%) and Episcopalians (4%). However, 26% of Republicans are Protestants who do not specify a denomination up from 20% in the previous Congress. There are 15 Republican freshmen in this category, compared with three Democratic newcomers.

Now that Democratic Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico has retired, all nine members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called Mormons) in Congress are Republicans.

Democrats in Congress also are heavily Christian much more than U.S. adults overall (78% vs. 65%). But the share of Democrats who identify as Christian is 21 percentage points lower than among Republicans (99%). Democrats are much less likely than Republicans to identify as Protestant (43% vs. 68%). Conversely, Catholics make up a higher share among Democrats than they do among Republicans (34% vs. 26%).

Among Democrats, 11% are Jewish, and 6% did not specify a religious affiliation. All of the Unitarian Universalists (3), Muslims (3), Buddhists (2) and Hindus (2) in Congress are Democrats, as are the single members in the other and religiously unaffiliated categories.

While the small freshman class of the 117th Congress does little to change the overall makeup of the body, there are some notable differences in religious affiliation between incumbents and freshmen.

The freshman class is slightly more Christian than its incumbent counterpart. Just six of the 67 new members are not Christian: Three are Jewish, one is a Unitarian Universalist and two declined to share an affiliation.

The largest difference between newcomers and incumbents is in the share of Protestants who do not specify a denomination 27% of freshmen are in this category, compared with 17% of incumbents. Similarly, those who specifically describe themselves as nondenominational Protestants make up 2% of incumbents and 7% of freshmen.

Among freshmen, there are two Restorationists the same number as there are among incumbents.

Other Protestant subgroups are smaller among newcomers than they are among incumbents. For example, freshmen are less likely than incumbents to be Baptists (7% vs. 13%) or Methodists (3% vs. 7%).

Catholics, who make up 30% of Congress and 30% of incumbents, make up a smaller share of freshmen (27%). Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, make up just 1% of incumbents and 4% of freshmen (three new members).

While the U.S. population continues to become less Christian, Congress has held relatively steady in recent years and has remained heavily Christian. In the 87th Congress (which began in 1961), the earliest for which aggregated religion data is available, 95% of members were Christian, which closely matched the roughly 93% of Americans who identified the same way at the time, according to historical religion data from Gallup.

Since the early 60s, there has been a substantial decline in the share of U.S. adults who identify as Christian, but just a 7-point drop in the share of members of Congress who identify that way. Today, 88% of Congress is Christian, while 65% of U.S. adults are Christian, according to Pew Research Center surveys.

Visit link:

The religious composition of the 117th Congress | Pew Research Center - Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project

In 2019 I went through a series of events that left me depressed. I decided to part ways with a guy that I was dating as I watched as everyone around me seem to have mature and thriving relationships. I was laid off from my job and I couldnt see a glimmer of hope that Id find something better. I felt isolated. Therapy helped; Id leave on a natural high. But by the next day, I was back in a bad mental place. I needed more, so I started seeking more tools. Thats when I found a Black-owned Yoga studio in Atlanta and everything changed.

Yoga has been part of my wellness routine for the past five years, but it hasnt always felt like a safe space. There were multiple instances where I felt physically out of place. I would get lingering stares while in certain poses, my body not like the others yogis bodies. The arch in my back and the curves in my hips made me stand out. This happened over and over, but my breaking point was when I was called out by a White yoga instructor because she thought I was sticking my butt out too much to be doing the pose properly. I have a deep natural arch in my back that makes it difficult for me to tuck my bottom inbeing called out in a space that was supposed to be inclusive was so disheartening.

Yoga was built by women of colorthe practice originated over 2,500 years ago in Indiabut its been heavily whitewashed. Since coming to the United States in the 1920s, yoga has become a brand, given the glossy Instagram treatment to the point that its become synonymous with thin white women in expensive leggings posing on a beach. Im certainly not the only Black woman who can recall feeling out of place in predominantly white yoga spaces. Oftentimes I feel othered, says Kaysha Cranon, a 36-year-old woman in Atlanta. Even if there are nice white people who are going out of their way to be accommodating or welcoming, it has an othering affect when they want to touch my hair, talk about how they have an Afro after a sweaty class, or watch me intently to make sure I get it.

Being called out in a space that was supposed to be inclusive was so disheartening.

Diverse bodies and voices in the yoga space matter. Representation is important. Seeing someone who looks like you in a place you want to be is inspiring, says Ashlee Ansah, a 32-year-old Atlanta woman. In all my years of yoga, Id never felt like I was a part of a community until I began practicing in a Black-owned studioLevel3 Yoga in Atlanta. It was everything that I didnt realize I needed. The energy in the room felt different. I was able to have relatable conversations that were so much more than the awkward small talk that I had gotten accustomed to having at other yoga classes. I felt as though I found my tribe. I would leave the class feeling rejuvenated and with a level headit was the tool to conquer the mental pain I was going through that Id been looking for.

The elements of traditional yoga classes didnt feel authentic to me, says Audrey Cash, founder of Level3 Yoga. As yoga began to change my life, I needed to find more ways to make the practice my ownonce I started using hip-hop playlists and began creating twerk yoga classes, yoga became more personal for me. That is ultimately what I believe is the purpose of yoga: to create a mindfulness practice that is rooted in our authenticity so that we can become better versions of ourselves.

Level3s classes are rooted in Black culture, but the studio has a diverse group of yogis. Our race connected some of us, but the overwhelming acceptance that we all had for each other is what really bonded usand that gave me more hope than Id felt in months.

Here is the original post:
Yoga Has a Diversity ProblemBlack-Owned Studios Are Changing That - Glamour

Malaika Aroras remarkable fitness and strength are no secret, and she proved it yet again.

The 47-year-old fitness enthusiast shared an Instagram picture of her doing a balancing yoga pose Tulasana.

Tulasana is also known as Dolasana, Tolasana or Utthita Padmasana. The asana is extremely helpful in relaxing your muscles, strengthening your arms and upper body region, Malaika wrote. Besides improving balance, it also tightens the abs. It enhances the feeling of equalisation of your body and has a calming effect on you, according to aviyoggroup.in.

Read| Malaika Arora aced an inverted yoga pose; know about its benefits

Heres how you can do the Tulasana:

*Sit in Padmasana. *Place the palms on the floor beside the thighs or on the bricks. *Inhale deeply and raise the whole body from the floor balancing on the hands. *Swing the body backward and forward between the arms. *Practice three to five rounds.

Would you like to try this?

For more lifestyle news, follow us: Twitter:lifestyle_ie|Facebook:IE Lifestyle| Instagram:ie_lifestyle

See the rest here:
Malaika Arora nails this balancing yoga pose; heres how you can do it too - The Indian Express

Did the pandemic kill yoga? Or was Americans' decades-long fascination with the Indian physical and spiritual practice already due for a seismic reckoning?

Ever since yoga's rise in popularity over the last two decades, it hasbeen at the center of discussions around race and cultural appropriation in the wellness industry. Western yoga fitnessclass providers have been criticized for largely catering to the upper-middle class; indeed, one hour-long yoga class in coastalAmerican citiescan run between $20 and $35.

The west's co-optation of yoga has been long-scrutinized. Despite that,the yoga industry has until recentlyonly grown in the U.S., in part due to social media, and the increase in scientific studies aroundits benefits like how it can calm a person's nervous system or improve sleep quality.Many American public schools now incorporate it into their physical education curricula.

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, yoga studios like other fitness businesses closed overnight. Small spaces with people placed less than six-feet apart from each other were a sure recipefor coronavirus transmission.

At first, many yoga teachers and businessesmoved their fitness classes online, when state stay-at-home orders were believed to last onlya couple weeks. But ten months later, not every yoga studio has been able to survive. According to a Yelp economic impact survey published in September 2020, the fitness industry has seen a 23 percent increase in closures since July 2020, with 6,024 total closures; 2,616 of those are permanent. Anecdotally, I've seen permanent numerous yoga studio closures in the San Francisco-Bay Area, which is where the first yoga center in America opened.

Rachel Brathen, a teacher of yoga and the author of the book "Yoga Girl," told Salon via email that she's observed the yoga industry change a lot during the pandemic.

"Of course, not being able to gather in community has been a massive shift, and teachers and studios are struggling all over the world," Brathen said. "As a response to that, more and more classes are being offered online."

But does yoga online lose a bit of its appeal? Similar to the allure of group fitness, yoga has satisfied social and spiritual needs that were dissolving in an increasingly lonely and divided society. Now everybody is at home doing yoga, alone. Brathen said she's been amazed by the "versatility," but it's a bit of catch-22.

"Online classes have also drawn in new practitioners sometimes a yoga studio can unfortunately be an intimidating place, but with offerings online people may feel more comfortable trying something new and stepping outside of their comfort zone,"Brathen said. "But at the same time, yoga asana is such an intimate and physical practice, and I fear we have lost some of that connection by losing the aspect of community."

Jessica Benhaim, owner of Lumos Yoga & Barre, a boutique studio in Philadelphia, told Salon via email that she doesn't believe yoga in America is "over" but that "Zoom fatigue is real."

"People have eliminated many things that moved online that are not necessary for their job/work," Benhaim said. She believes that many of usspend so much time in front of our computers already,and don't want to do spend more time in front of a screen to do afitness class.

Back in the pre-pandemic era, many of ussought out a yoga practice to feel physically, mentally and emotionally better.

"Yogaisathoroughlymainstreamactivity,somethingseeminglyimpossible only twenty years ago, and speaks to a sincere desire to feel better and seek a mind-body connection within the materialism of corporate capitalist society," wrote Sarah Schrank, in a 2014 essay in AMSJ. Schrank believesthe contradiction innate to commodifying yoga is a conflict Americans "can live with."

But for how long?

The yoga industry has weathered many reckonings before. Lulumeon, a yoga-centric clothing brand, positioned itself as aNew Age Nike, beforepublicly tumblingin part due to a CEO scandal and stories of itscult-like toxic positivity culture. When #MeToo erupted in Hollywood and spread across the world, numerous allegations ofabusiveyoga teachers surfaced, emphasizing the need for clear anti-sexual harassment policies in fitness studios.

But this time around, yoga faces more than amere economic crisis. Culturally, the yoga industry faces twomore reckonings: one with race and one with theQAnon conspiracy movement.

After protests erupted around civil rights and racein America, conversations about appropriation resurfacedin the yoga industry. Collectively, itfaced a moment of reflection onthe whiteness of America's yoga industry.

Meanwhile, as the New York Timesfirst reported, this year has revealeda peculiaroverlap betweenyogisand QAnon followers. The overlap became so unsettling that a group of yoga influencers denounced it in a collective Instagram post.

"Too many folks, including many of my dear colleagues, have bought into their divisive and outrageous messaging for me not to speak out," the statement read. "Please be aware of QAnon's ill informed, sensational and exploitative posts on your feed and educate yourself about QAnon's history before you share these posts with others."

There are theories in New Age communities that Donald Trump is a "lightworker," accelerating a "shift in consciousness" on Earth.

Hence, some inthe industry believe it was due for a serious change.

"I think yoga as it was pre-pandemic in the USA needed to change; there were many people who did not feel that yoga studios were welcoming or affordable for them," Nancy Alder who teaches yoga online,told Salon via email. "

And others think yoga as it was pre-pandemic is over.

"What we think is yoga in America is over; the idea of the studio and business model of yoga in America is over," Cheryl Albright, an owner of Soul To Soul Yoga and All Ages Therapy Services in Sarasota, Florida, told Salon via email."I personally think this will be a good shift and what comes next hopefully will be better and more accessible to the masses, not just those of privilege."

Nicole Karlis is a staff writer at Salon. She covers health, science, tech and gender politics. Tweet her @nicolekarlis.

Here is the original post:
Did 2020 mark the demise of yoga in America? - Salon

Adonis Directo (photos by Alex Rosa for OutSmart magazine)

For Houstonian Adonis Directo, 41, yoga was a calling he never saw coming. Directo grew up in Houston, but was born in Quezon City, Philippines. Oh great, now everyone knows the answer to my website security question! Directo jokes.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Directo holds a B.A. in history and a B.S. in kinesiology and exercise science. Though its much more fun to say I majored in story time and gym. I was heavily involved in marching and concert bands, too. I was the first Asian American Pacific Islander president of my college band.

Yoga gives you an opportunity to unplug for fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. Meditate, flow, and be present. Breathe. Then go tackle all the other things.

When he was growing up, Directo only wanted to be one thing: a Care Bear. Oh, how the universe ironically granted me that wish, Directo muses. Im certainly more of a bear now than I was when I was a little kid, thats for sure. I just knew I wanted to help others and make people happy.

Directo first came to yoga in the early 2000s when an older fraternity brother (who he idolized) advised him to take classes other than weight training to complete his kinesiology degree. In other words, I was a young twink hanging on every word of a hotter, older, muscular guy. We all know that story, Directo, an openly gay man, admits. I also took a separate non-movement yoga class [that emphasized its] history and philosophy to fulfill a cultural requirement for my history degree.

So how did Directo discover that yoga was his thing? Well, he actually discovered that it was his everything. It was athletic. I stretched and strengthened muscles I didnt know I had. It was contemplative. I enjoyed the meditation. It was captivating. I liked hearing about the mythology and history. It was fantasy. One minute Im a dog, another minute Im a warrior, another minute Im a bird in flight. It was unifying. I loved being in a group moving as one. Really, it was everything to mebeing powerful, being graceful, acknowledging that youre alive by moving and breathing.

The only thing that inspires Directo more than watching his yoga students fall in love with yoga is being a student himself. I like to learn from others. To be an effective teacher, you also have to be a student and continue to learn. Adapt, grow, and do it again!

Although his day job in medical sales limits the time he can spend teaching yoga, he actually prefers it that way. If I was doing and teaching yoga all the time, it would lessen the joy that I get from it, he says.

Directos boyfriend of four years, Alexander, is an educator and content specialist at a charter school.

For several years, Directo was involved with Bunnies on the Bayou, thanks to the insistence of his best friend, David Goldberg. I wanted to support him while he was in that groups leadership, and do something for the local community, so I did. Directo is still active in a few LGBTQ excercise groups, as well as a group for gay yoga instructors.

The one thing Directo wishes people knew about yoga is its deep roots in the ancient history of India. You have to honor and respect the source material, so as to not culturally appropriate it. Yes, yoga has evolved more into [a style of] exercise, but theres a rich history, philosophy, and mythology behind it, Directo emphasizes.

And if youre nervous about trying yoga for the first time, not to worry, There is a plethora of varying styles and types of yoga. Yoga is for everybody! he says. Yoga gives you an opportunity to unplug for fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. Meditate, flow, and be present. Breathe. Then go tackle all the other things. If youre in go mode all the time, youre gonna burn out and run out of fuel.

When it comes to Directos hopes for a better world in the New Year, the passionate teacher offers a lesson worth remembering: Honor the ones who paved the way for you. Support each other. Help each other grow. Learn from others. Say Please, Im sorry, and Thank you. Tell the ones who you love that you love themand do it often.

For more information on Adonis Directo, email @[emailprotected].

This article appears in the January 2021 edition of OutSmart magazine.

See the original post here:
The Art of Yoga - outsmartmagazine.com

The last time I did yoga I got a nosebleed.

In a dimly lit room filled with steam, I noticed droplets of blood hitting my mat as I folded myself forward. I jolted to my feet and began weaving through sweaty bodies, eventually slipping out of the studio while gripping a white hand towel speckled with blood.

About a week later, on March 15, 2020, that same yoga studio emailed to inform me that all of their New York City locations would be closing until further notice due to the coronavirus. Since March, dozens of yoga studios have closed permanently, from chain locations to smaller, boutique studios, the New York Times reported in September.

The yoga community quickly pivoted, launching a new wave of pandemic yoga. As the Times wrote, "Yoga requires only a clear mind and a few square feet of space, so it is easily converted to remote instruction." Loyal yogis quickly followed along, with Mindbody, a booking software company for the wellness industry, reporting: "Last year, one in five users said they had taken streamed or prerecorded classes, but by this June, more than four of five said they were doing so."

I, however, did not follow suit.

In an effort to fight off digital fatigue earlier this year, I began taking long walks or runs after work instead. But eventually daylight savings time caught up to me, and it was pitch black by the time I logged off each night. Feeling open-minded and even a bit vulnerable as I tried to fend off seasonal depression, I decided to revisit yoga nosebleeds be damned.

Mentally, yoga has also been reported to reduce stress and boost "feel-good hormones." Business Insider reported in 2019 that "yoga may reduce stress by interfering with the central nervous system's ability to release stress hormones." Citing a 2011 study, Business Insider also reported that participants said they felt "significantly less" lower back pain after completing just six to 12 yoga sessions.

I decided to commit to 30 minutes every day for a month and landed on an abundance of videos by "Yoga with Adriene," a YouTuber with 8.89 million subscribers, a soothing voice, and an adorable dog named Benji. Amidst an endlessly stressful news cycle, working from home, and plenty of social media distractions, I hoped that returning to yoga would help me regain some peace of mind all in the comfort of my own home.

On day one, Adriene calmly declared that, "All you need is your body and an open mind." But while standing hips-width distance apart with my body hanging heavy, I found my hand reaching towards the space bar to check how much time was left. I was eight minutes into the video.

I found practicing yoga alone much more difficult than in a crowded class. Instead of holding on to every last minute of quiet, I now found myself watching the time slowly creep by. I couldn't get my mind to be present, which made each deep inhale and exhale feel more laborious than I was used to.

For the entire first week, I wrote "YOGA" at the top of my to-do list. My plan was to do 30 minutes during my lunch break, but I found myself slowly pushing it further along each day, sometimes not unrolling my mat until 11 p.m. I became aware of just how lazy my after-work routine had become. Despite how good yoga left me feeling, one of the biggest challenges was disrupting my pre-existing habits and incorporating something new.

By the second week, I finally felt myself adjusting to consistent yoga. The repetition of phrases slowly caught on, allowing me to close my eyes instead of having them glued to the screen. I also started to seek out the surge of energy it left me with, and found myself turning to yoga instead of making an afternoon coffee.

My body even grew sore, warming up to the daily stretches and strains that it hadn't experienced since early March. I wanted to push my body harder and see just how long I could balance on my shaking leg. Challenging myself left me feeling accomplished and refreshed.

Once again, into the third week, I found myself lamenting how slow time was passing. I felt my balance was not improving, the stretches never came easier, and the mounting frustration made it more difficult to commit myself every day.

None of it had to do with Adriene's videos. Adriene who the New York Times called the "Queen of Pandemic Yoga" has garnered so much success with her practice because her yoga aims to meet you where you are. She isn't trying to push you to hold a pose past your breaking point or guilt you for skipping a day.

In fact, in one of her videos titled "Yoga To Feel Your Best," I landed on a comment that resonated with me. One user lamented, "I'm very inconsistent with my practice. I somehow get into the mind set that I don't have the time ... I have to say, as soon as I step back on the mat, it's like all that negative energy, all those thoughts that keep me from bettering myself ... they disappear."

I related to the YouTube user: Why did yoga feel so easy some days, and nearly impossible on others?

As I inched towards the fourth and final week, I landed on one of Adriene's videos titled "Yoga For When You Feel Dead Inside," her Halloween special. The description reads: "Some days are harder than others, you feel empty, or overwhelmed, it's difficult, and that is okay. Other days you feel stiff, unmotivated, can't quite get moving, almost frozen... staring out. I have your back."

Paced slower than some of the other videos I had tried, I finally felt like I was relinquishing the high standards I had placed on myself. In the final week, instead of seeking out every fast-paced video on the channel, I leaned into the gentle practices.

In the beginning of the challenge, I was placing pressure on myself to completely relax and walk away feeling recharged, which led to a mixture of guilt and dread on days when I just did not want to do it. But by the end of the challenge, I felt my mind easing up. Some days, I would move through the poses while my thoughts wandered elsewhere. Other days, the 30 minutes would fly by and I would opt for another 30. I began listening to my body and giving it what it needed.

After 30 days, yoga taught me a lot about patience. While it was a mental challenge at times to confront how tight my body felt or how stressed my mind was, giving in to yoga became a gentle, approachable method to doing something nurturing for myself.

In the end, yoga did not grant me the mental or physical improvements that I had hoped for. I never noticed my stress levels dramatically decrease. Vast improvements to my physical health, such as my lower back, never came. Instead, yoga taught me how to ease the pressure I place on myself. I learned that working out at my own pace becomes much less of a mental strain, and intuitive exercise is what works best for my body and mind.

Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Read more from the original source:
I practiced yoga every day for a month, and I learned a valuable lesson about listening to my body - Insider - INSIDER

Unknown/Supplied

There are three key things yoga studios can do to keep their doors open and connect with their communities during these challenging times.

OPINION: The global yoga industry is facing tough times as Covid-19 takes its toll. When people need yoga more than ever, famed yoga studios around the world are shutting their doors, as the pandemic and restrictions take their toll on thousands of businesses.

In New Zealand, were relatively fortunate, as we experience an almost back-to-normal life.

However, the hundreds of yoga studios around New Zealand are struggling to bounce back, particularly in Auckland, which has had to contend with two lockdowns.

Growth hasnt recovered from the first Level 2 restrictions, and communities havent come back to their mats in-studio, preferring to continue to practice from the safety of their home.

READ MORE: * Four reasons to plan a Bali wellness break * Strong demand driving up asking prices around NZ, says Trade Me * If the hotel gym is to survive, it needs to get fitter

What does this mean for our yoga industry?

Long-term, whats happening overseas will impact us for many years to come.

Teacher trainers are unable to travel and teach budding yoga instructors, and we risk losing businesses unless we collectively adapt and remain agile.

2020 has turned our lives upside down.

People are wary of others and being in enclosed spaces with strangers, particularly our elderly.

Our work patterns have changed, disrupting routines.

Covid-19 burnout and fatigue mean we arent looking after ourselves as well as we could and turning up on the mat means confronting whats really going on.

Online yoga classes were some of the most popular workouts during Lockdown, but how do we encourage people back to mat in-class to save our studios?

There are three key things yoga studios can do to keep their doors open and connect with their communities during these challenging times.

Adding additional income streams to your business will help you get through Covid-19 until in-studio numbers return to normal. Dont put (or keep) your eggs in one basket!

Demand for online classes wont reduce anytime soon, so if you havent explored online classes now is the time.

Consider other ways you can connect with your yogis - do you offer retreats? Can you go niche - focus on pregnancy yoga, injury/rehabilitation or working with seniors? Perhaps explore yoga for medicine. Offer your community more reasons to engage with you.

Unknown/Supplied

enSoul yoga classes.

The beautiful thing about yoga communities is the strength we gain from helping each other. Talk to your students - ask them for their feedback and how theyre feeling. Are there any classes they want to take that you dont currently offer?

Is there anything you can do to help them return to the mat? Can they spread the word for you? The one thing weve learnt this year is that were all in this together, tap into your client base for help, theyre your biggest fans.

In the early days of Covid-19, we would stay online after our yoga classes to connect with our students, which was crucial, especially for people living on their own.

Communication is everything - especially in the fast-moving world of 2020. Reassure your students youve got the safety and wellness procedures down, that their yoga studio is still here for them and is still the same. Talk about the benefits yoga has in helping them deal with the burnout and stress of 2020, to encourage them back to class.

As yoga teachers, we have a responsibility to help our communities cope with the ongoing impacts of the global pandemic.

The mental health impacts of Covid-19 cant be underestimated - and will continue to be felt for some time.

Yoga teachers, and studios, will play a crucial role in rebuilding connectedness, so lets do all we can to support and help each other succeed.

Established in 2015, Ensoul is a yoga and wellness studio based on the Kpiti Coast. Offering online and in-studio classes, it is led by Shannon Jeffries and Tamihana Paurini. Leading a yoga and wellness revolution, they share the power of yoga to strengthen, heal and promote overall wellness in a safe and supportive environment, creating a community of like-minded people, and life-long habits. You can find out more and join at http://www.ensoul.co.nz.

Stuff

See the original post:
Three ways the Yoga industry can thrive in our Covid-19 world - Stuff.co.nz

Malaika Arora leaves us in awe of her balance as she nails Yoga move inside pool(Instagram/malaikaaroraofficial)

Fitness freaks who followed Malaika Aroras workout challenges all through the Covid-19 lockdowns were in for a fresh challenge this New Year 2021 as the diva encouraged them to pull off Yogas Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose or Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. Coming as a much needed Monday motivation, Malaika began her workout and Yoga routine for New Year 2021 with Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and left fans stunned over her sense of balance as she nailed the tricky exercise move inside a swimming pool.

Currently on a vacation with beau Arjun Kapoor while staying at sister Amrita Aroras new holiday home at the Candolim Beach, Malaika has kept fans regularly updated with sneak peeks of her intimate family and leisure time and this Monday was no different. Donning a pink swimwear with her hair pulled back in a top knot, Malaika was seen standing against the pools wall for support as she pulled off the Yoga move effortlessly.

Lets kickstart our Workout and Yoga routine for a new year and and a new week with a shimmer of sweat and an unwavering commitment (sic), the actor shared in the caption. She added, To begin with the first #MalaikasMoveOfTheWeek of 2021, lets strike a pose just as amazing as Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose) sic.

Sharing a few benefits for this workout, Malaika revealed, This pose strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles. It challenges and improves your sense of balance, enhancing your focus and concentration (sic).

Method:

Stand-up straight with your legs together. Lift your left knee towards your belly and hold its big toe with your left hand.

Inhale, extend your leg to the side shoulder level while maintaining the balance with your right leg. Lift your right hand up but keep both your knees straight and look forward.

Hold onto the pose for 10 to 15 seconds before releasing the posture.

Malaika cautioned that those suffering from an injury of the hip, ankle, back, knee or shoulder should refrain from practicing this pose.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

Read the original post:
Malaika Arora kickstarts New Year workout with Yoga inside pool and we are in awe of her balance - Hindustan Times