Just last night someone said to me, "You are a Yogi."
"I am not a Yogi," I replied, "I am a Sikh."
It has been suggested to me quite a number of times over the past several decades that I am a Yogi. After hearing for the first time, more than 30 years ago, someone tell me that I was a "Yogini", I gave Kundalini Yoga a try for a while. I found that I could fold my legs into full lotus without using my hands and do forwards and backwards somersaults. I did breath of fire for 31 minutes and found that I could move my body in an instant without changing position. I did alternate nostril breathing, chanted mantras, and got myself invited to do "sadhnah", thus ventured into a dark room full of people doing yoga early one morning. When daylight came, Prakash was done, the Sikh scripture revealed, and I heard the hymns of Gurbani sung for the first time. In an instant the realization came to me, "This is not yoga, it is a religion," and I made a split second decision to go for this compelling religion that has lasted a life time.
It took me several years to really discover what it meant to be a Sikh, but there has been no turning back. I have done some Kundalini Yoga along the way, including SA TA NA MA meditation, ballet too, and Gatka when I could. But no, I am very definitely not a yogi, nor a ballerina, or for that matter a Muslim, which is another misconception I sometimes encounter. What I am is a Sikh.
It took a great many years, but eventually I became initiated as Khalsa and have been for nearly two decades an Amritdhari Sikh and all that it entails. However since hearing the words to that first shabad, I made my life a study of Gurbani, the holy scripture and living word of Sikhism's everlasting guru, Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and this is essentially what makes me a Sikh of my Guru.
You might be wondering why I am so adamant about not being mistaken for a Yogi, or a Muslim. It is because I identify wholly and completely with my guru, Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and would like this to be understood for what it is rather than mistaken for what it is not. Also yoga is highly controversial in Sikhism, and I would like to make clear my position. I think yoga is cool and encourage people who are looking for a change in life, or a physical fitness routine, to try yoga, however I don't anyone to be confused that doing yoga in anyway makes them a Sikh, or vice versa, that practicing Sikhism makes anyone a Yogi, even though they might be doing both.
There happens to be a particular criteria for Sikh identity, which includes belief in creator and creation as one, following the teachings of the ten Guru's including initiation as Khalsa as per the order of tenth Guru Gobind Singh, accepting Guru Granth Sahib as one's guru and actively living the principle of humility according to Guru's instruction is the practice of Sikhism, as well as renunciation of any other belief system, such as Yoga or Islam. This is why it is so important to me to be identified as a Sikh and not as a Yogi, or a Muslim.
I read this evening something written by Fourth Guru Raam Das:
"Gur jogee purakh miliaa rang maanee jeeo ||" SGGS||1172
This has been translated by Dr Santokh Singh Khalsa as meaning
"I have met the Guru, the Yogi, the Primal Being; I am delighted with His Love."
and by Bhai Man Mohan Singh as meaning:
"I have met Guru - God, the yogi and revel in his joy."
I would venture to suggest that this passage exemplifies the Guru, or Enlightener, as being the embodiment of the Yogi, or practitioner, attaining union with the supreme being, or God, and one who is encompassed by such divine union revels in inexpressible joyful and divine delights.
Should one read the entire shabad, it is discovered that the deed of naam, or contemplation and utterance of the divine name, which for the Sikh is Gur Mantar, or the mantra Waheguru, a practice known as simran in Sikhism, invokes the Enlightener's immortal elixir Amrit, whereby one is saturated with the divine essence. This is what as meant by "gur jogee," and is the only yoga which holds fascination for me as a Sikh.
Once a Yogi always a Yogi, this is the natural evolution from yogi to Sikh and living with the name on every breath!
That statement may be true for you… however Let me remind you of a direct quote from Harbajan Singh Yogi at his summer solstice 1996 camp.
“A Yogi may become a Sikh but if someone is a Sikh first they can never become a Yogi.” While Contemplating naam think deeply on what this means and familiarize yourself with SRM – Khalsa renounces all lineages of caste, creed, country, occupation, religious affiliations, prophets, incarnations, gods, and goddesses.
“Article P Page 37 p… *Your spiritual father is now Guru Gobind Singh and spiritual mother, Mata Sahib Kaur. *Your place of birth is Kesgarh Sahib and your native place is Anandpur Sahib. You, being the sons of one father, are, inter-se yourselves and other baptised Sikhs, spiritual brothers. You have become the pure Khalsa, having renounced your previous lineage, professional background, calling (occupation), beliefs, that is, having given up all connections with your caste, descent, birth, country, religion, etc. You are to worship none except the One Timeless Being (Waheguru) no God, Goddess, incarnation or prophet. You are not to think of anyone except the ten Gurus and anything except their gospel as your saviour. You are supposed to know Gurmukhi (Punjabi alphabet). (If you do not, you must learn it). And recite, or listen in to the recitation of, the under mentioned scriptural compositions, the daily repetition of which is ordained, every day
1) The Japuji Sahib, (2) The Jaap Sahib, (3) The Ten Sawayyas (Quartrains), beginning “sarawag sudh”, (4) The Sodar Rahiras and the Sohila. Besides, you should read from or listen in to the recitation from the Guru Granth Sahib . Have, on your person, all the time, the five K’s “
Yes I agree with all that but I am still practicing Yoga for Health (at least some times) and I have found that being able to sit still and quiet the mind with some pranayams and some stretching enhances the Nam Simran!
Satnam Ji
you are a great Sikh my dear.
Waheguru bless you.
Dear you are a great Sikh.
Waheguru Ji is always with his true Sikhs.
It all your faith and prayers for Waheguru and the dear Waheguru bless you.
its true ayogi could become a gursikh. According to bhai Gurdasji , gursikh jogi jagde maya ander karan udasi.