For whom does yoga exist and who is it suitable for? You can find such an opinion that yoga was created exclusively for Hindus. Similarly, this idea can be expressed in a broader form, that it is suitable only for Eastern people, because yoga requires a special mentality. If you look from this point of view, it turns out that the Western person does not understand yoga. To practice hatha yoga, for example, you need to be born in the East and nothing else !?
From the point of view of yoga, as a system of self-knowledge, this is a simple ignorance of the subject, nothing more, and nothing less. Such an opinion may have a person who is not familiar with yoga. Yoga tells us that all of us humans are “made” the same way. Those. it doesn't matter who you are, Hindu, American, Russian or African. Yoga suits absolutely everyone!
Why is the opinion that "yoga for Hindus" is so widespread? Because in the very prehistory of yoga there are facts that knowledge was preserved on the territory of India and countries that are located close to it. These are countries such as Pakistan, Tibet, Afghanistan. On the territory of these countries yoga was stored, it was not created there. Where exactly did yoga originate? But no one knows the answer to this question. There are only opinions that are not confirmed.
Taking into account this fact, one should not, when visiting India, assume that the local way of life is the image of yogis. The lifestyle of modern India often shocks Westerners. Speaking directly, it is often a way of life for homeless people. And when a person considers India to be the birthplace of yoga, then it seems to him that everything that happens there has a direct meaning for yoga. This is fundamentally wrong.
In fact, the lifestyle that has characterized India for the past several thousand years has been the factor that has prevented the loss of yoga knowledge. Of course, yoga influenced the environment where it was stored. But it was not created by this environment.
So who is yoga suitable for ?! Everyone, absolutely everyone who is lucky to be born in a human body. And this cannot be influenced by race, nationality, religion, gender, or age.
I would especially like to emphasize that our religious beliefs and yoga classes are two absolutely unrelated things. Because yoga is not a religion. Yoga quite peacefully coexists with all known religions, and also feels great in the absence of these. That is, a person, being an atheist, can perfectly use the tools that yoga gives him to his advantage.
Therefore, if there are no contraindications on the part of health, then any person can practice yoga. Remember that if there is a suspicion of any diseases and ailments, then you should consult a doctor.
