Despite the immense growing popularity of yoga in the Western world, does its philosophy (as it is commonly understood) really address the issues regularly afflicting Western culture? I’m talking about “trauma, anxiety, depression, loneliness, self esteem and self-worth issues, grief, difficult relationships and longing for relationships, parenting problems, wounding and/or isolation from our biological family of origin, addiction, codependence…”(1). Of course yoga is a diverse landscape consisting of many forms and traditions but here I am focusing on the most prominent forms of yoga practiced in the West; postural and meditational forms which started to develop from the 1920’s (2).
Indian sage Patañjali is credited with compiling the Yoga Sūtras around 400 BCE, which form the philosophical basis of much modern yoga practice and teaching (3). Patanjali’s definition of yoga “yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ”(4) translates to “Yoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of consciousness” (5), which forms the cornerstone of how yoga is understood as a psychology in the West. An analysis of the Yoga Sūtras gives us a more illuminating exposition of the phrase, highlighting the transcendent nature of the practice; "Yoga essentially consists of meditative practices culminating in attaining a state of consciousness free from all modes of active or discursive thought, and of eventually attaining a state where consciousness is unaware of any object external to itself, that is, is only aware of its own nature as consciousness unmixed with any other object" (6).
Although yoga could be seen to offer tools to alleviate suffering in a “global way” (1), within the cultural context it is used in the West it might be sowing the seeds for spiritual bypassing. The phenomenon of spiritual bypass refers to the use of spiritual philosophies and practices to avoid dealing with unresolved personal, psychological, and emotional issues, as well as to diminish personal needs (1;7), and can be thought of as a missing link between a practitioner’s spiritual growth and their level of personal and emotional development (7), leading to a lack of integration across their psychology as a whole. Enlightenment is not a goal but a continuous journey into deeper levels of understanding; spiritual bypass can occur when one has a spiritual experience and mistakes it for being the end of the spiritual journey (8). It is thought that spiritual practices undertaken by an emotionally underdeveloped practitioner are in fact a further enactment of their psychological issues (9), rather than a means for healing them. Spiritual bypass is used sometimes to compensate for issues such as dependency, narcissism, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem (7) and can affect all levels of practitioners because the ego must be simultaneously strengthened and disidentified with in order to continue on a spiritual journey, as it is the ego that provides motivation as well as the practical logistical management of the body within regular life (8).
So where does yoga fit in? Many people, enchanted by the promise of enlightenment begin a journey into yoga with the belief that it will be a silver bullet to their physical and psychological problems (1). In my personal experience as a yoga teacher, I have found that people do tend to feel better after a yoga class and the difference in mood and energy of students after class is palpable. However, this “organic high”; the product of asana and breath (1), can create an experience of peace and balance that doesn’t necessarily continue beyond the confines of the yoga studio. In some cases, this ‘yoga high’ can become addictive to the point that it is used as a means to escape one’s true psychology, and whilst much healthier, this extreme level of spiritual bypass could
be likened to an addiction to drugs or alcohol (1).
As well as meditation and breathing techniques, Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras also discuss Sadhana or disciplines, which outline some behavioural and moral tenets such as nonviolence, chastity and persistence (4). Strict adherence to a behavioural code, and the forging of an “inauthentic yoga identity” which doesn’t necessarily reflect true feelings, can be seen as an attempt to highlight only the good side of human nature and can be criticised for being dismissive of anything that may challenge the status quo (10). Welwood (who actually coined the term ‘spiritual bypass’ in the 1980’s) said that when spiritual teachings become prescriptions of “what you should do, how you should think, how you should speak, how you should feel” (11), then the practice is being driven by ego. An outward appearance of spirituality can extend far beyond speech and behaviour and into many lifestyle choices such as the types of clothes worn, holidays taken and the decor tastes in one’s home.
The impact of capitalist culture on spirituality has been dubbed the Spiritual Supermarket or Marketplace (8;12;13), the implication is that genuine spiritual insight has been commodified to the extent that it now offers only a cursory interaction with anything of any real substance. It can be easy to mistake affectations for genuine spirituality (8), and one could argue that this cultural context is setting seekers up to bypass their unresolved emotional issues as they engage with spirituality in an uninformed and superficial way. On the other hand one could argue that even an imitation of enlightenment is a step on the path towards it (1) and that the emergence of spirituality within the context of consumption is “ideologically consistent” with seeking sacralisation of the self within everyday, regular life (for example, it makes sense to purchase ethically sourced clothing if that aligns with your belief system). In this way perhaps careful consumption becomes a practical and ethical path towards transformation (13).
What do you think? Is an uninformed spiritual life better than no spiritual life, or are you setting yourself up for spiritual bypass? Please comment below with your thoughts or personal experiences. In part 2 I will continue with some ideas in answer to the questions posed above. Also below are the references I used, the books in bold are really good reads if you are interested in this sort of thing!
References
Caplan, M. (2018). Yoga & psyche. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
De Michelis, E. (2008). Modern Yoga. In M. Singleton & J. Byrne, Yoga in the Modern World. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge.
Although there is some controversy surrounding their importance historically (14), the Yoga Sūtras are now hailed as modern yoga’s “textbook” (15).
Johnson, C. (1952). The yoga sutras of Patanjali. London: Watkins.
Feuerstein, G. (1989). The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali: A New Translation and Commentary, Inner Traditions International; Rochester, Vermont.
Bryant, Edwin F. (2009), The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation and Commentary, New York: North Poinnt Press, ISBN 0865477361
Welwood, J. (2000). Toward a Psychology of Awakening. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications.
Caplan, M. (2009). Eyes wide open. Boulder, CO.: Sounds True.
Cashwell, C., Myers, J., & Shurts, W. (2004). Using the Developmental Counseling and Therapy Model to Work With a Client in Spiritual Bypass: Some Preliminary Considerations. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 82(4), 403-409. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00327.x
McCartney, P. (2019). Spiritual Bypass And Entanglement In Yogaland ( योगस्तान ): How Neoliberalism, Soft Hindutva And Banal Nationalism Facilitate Yoga Fundamentalism. Politics And Religion Journal, 13(1).
Welwood, J. (2011). Human Nature, Buddha Nature On Spiritual Bypassing, Relationship, And The Dharma. An interview with John Welwood by Tina Fossella. [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.johnwelwood.com/articles/TRIC_interview_uncut.pdf.
Aupers, S., & Houtman, D. (2006). Beyond the Spiritual Supermarket: The Social and Public Significance of New Age Spirituality. Journal Of Contemporary Religion, 21(2), 201-222. doi: 10.1080/13537900600655894
Redden, G. (2016). Revisiting the spiritual supermarket: does the commodification of spirituality necessarily devalue it?. Culture And Religion, 17(2), 231-249. doi: 10.1080/14755610.2016.1183690
Liberman, K. (2008). The Reflexivity of the Authenticity of Hatha Yoga. In M. Singleton & J. Byrne, Yoga in the Modern World. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge.
Singleton, M. (2008). The Classical Reveries of Modern Yoga, Patanjali and Constructive Orientalism. In M. Singleton & J. Byrne, Yoga in the Modern World. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge.