Why not Yoga for Muslims?

Malaysian and Indonesian Muslim religious leaders have issued a Fatwa against muslim practicing yoga. The leaders reason to have Hindu roots and that “It could destroy the faith of a muslim”.

True, Yoga is of Indian origin. But people need to look beyond that. Yoga is a science that helps in controlling body and mind. As an excellent form of exercise for the mind, yoga encourages relaxation through breadth control, meditation and striking body poses. Practicing Yoga regularly helps our muscle to become more flexible that makes it less vulnerable to injuries.


It is also true that many people practice Vedic Chantings during Yoga. Take for Instance the “Suryanamaskar” involves chanting of mantras or the divine “OM” and is considered as a salutation to the sun god by the Hindus. But the 9 -10 asanas or body postures practiced during “Suryanamaskar” us considered as the best form of exercise, that activates important muscles and points in our body to keep us going healthy and fresh all through the day.

Keeping the religious thing apart, yoga can be practiced as a good form of exercise. Breath control need not be practiced through chanting of “OM” but by just inhaling and exhaling as and when required. One should consider the overall advantage that yoga provides to the body and not brand it and set it aside for trivial reasons.

I think Muslims who are interested in Yoga should be encouraged to practice it as an good form of exercise, more than anything else.

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Plan Your Daily Living

‘Time and tide wait for none’ is an age old saying. Well managed working time can benefit everyone in the long run by helping us to manage our tasks efficiently and also plan for some personal leisure time. There will be no need for stressful logging in front of the computer to complete the day’s job or no running around long pending errands.


Every person needs to develop a schedule of activities that are to be completed for the day. Even home makers find it important to plan out next day’s basic tasks to run their families. Right from menus to laundry, every bit of basic home activity will need to follow a schedule, especially if there are children around.

Using priority planning worksheets or an online organization tool can also benefit some people, especially business men. They are loaded with so many high priority tasks that need immediate attention and so estimating the amount of time that needs to be dedicated to each task becomes a necessity. When a task needs to be completed by more than one person, then plans need to be drawn out with mutual consent.

Learning the basic art of following a routine can solve health problems too. Time management allows a person to break at even intervals to nourish the body and mind. Take time off to plan things and see how much better your life turns out to be.

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