Yoga = New Religion?

Too much running lately meant time for yoga tonight. Pound the pavement, then stretch out the tight legs.

I had the same feelings about yoga that I've had almost every time I've ever gone:

• kind of a pain in the ass to go, but must be worth it on some level because I keep going
• seems sort of like a cult
• lots of very different people all in the same place
• why so many $$??

This leads me to believe that somehow, for many people, yoga has taken the place of religion in their lives.

I'm not a religious person in the traditional sense of the word. Religion, at least to me, seems like it's whatever keeps you focused/positive/in touch with yourself or your community. For some people, religion is organized. For some, its very personal. I don't love the God implications of religion, although at this point in time, religion = God in one form or another to most people.

By my definition, my religion is composed of equal parts red wine, gin, running, sunshine/Vitamin D, cynicism, a plane ticket budget, and daily phone calls to my mom.

Yoga seems like a perfect candidate for "religion" status, though. Here are some of the many parallels to lots of organized religion:

• spending time focusing on your "intention" as most yoga teachers say: this is your faith-based effort, if you will.
• chanting = like prayer. ritualistic, often not the original meaning, but pertinent to the routine of practice
• the combination of personal (inner faith, the choice to practice) and community (you could pray or do yoga at home, but instead you show up at a church or a studio)
• Different levels of participation: recent convert (free first yoga class! Lots of attention/adjustment from the teacher and fellow practitioners), regular churchgoer (maybe you have a 10-class punch card), avid participant, member of your church (full year pass to your studio), student of religion (taking classes to be a teacher), religious teacher or leader (yoga teacher), prophet (yoga "guru" as they're called), God (Yoga as a whole?)
• the idea that religion and yoga are both never over--that you're supposed to strive, get to know yourself and your faith/practice, always growing.

I'm a terrible yoga student the way that I joke that I'm a terrible Jew. I don't go that frequently. I'm not that flexible. I spend a good portion of class giggling (shocking to any of you that know me...). I am often afraid to stretch and reach in my practice, in terms of trying the more challenging poses. I end up staring at others in my class--all of the really unique bodies and abilities, as opposed to staying inwardly focused on my "intention". But, when all is said and done, I get out of yoga exactly what I need, usually, the same way I cherrypick culture and the traditions from of my form of Jewish agnosticism.

I get a stretched out body and mind, and 90 minutes away from my cellphone/computer screen, and a chance to ponder deep topics like "Is yoga religion???" "HOW DID SHE DO THAT HANDSTAND" and "I didn't think it was physically possible to sweat this much."

Religion's a tricky word, and if you're religious in a traditional sense, I don't want you to think I'm being flippant in my comparisons. But I think religion should be a flexible (har, har, yoga, get it) concept--however you choose to stretch your mind and body and grow as a person seems to be as beneficial as it gets. Physical endeavors have brought a lot of clarity to me, the same way a lot of personal time and silence have. It's important to figure out what makes you feel like a bigger and finer you. Whether it's a a church service, a martini or a vinyasa class is up to you.