Are you tired? Huddled? Massive?
Yearning to be problem-free?
Well then, put down that New York Times and fold your hands together--but don't say a western "hello"--to the man who has India's Supreme Court judges and other VIPs at his feet(for blessings, natch):
It was 4:30 a.m., the stars were still out and Swami Ramdev was ready to begin the day's yoga lesson. His 12,000 students watched raptly as he sat wearing little more than a loincloth, chanting morning prayers in Sanskrit. When he walked on his hands across the stage in New Delhi's cavernous Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, they applauded.
The students were on the final day of a weeklong yoga camp that the swami had promised would cure whatever ailed them, mentally as well as physically, and without a great investment of time. For a growing number of harried middle-class Indians, worrying about health problems associated with a more affluent lifestyle, that is just the message they want to hear.
Don't they mean "hairy" middle-class Ind-...oh, wait. Wrong post. ;)
While a majority of Indians are familiar with yoga, many think it is too complex and time-consuming to practice, particularly with the increasing demands on their time.
The swami, youthful and photogenic, has become wildly popular with a "yoga made easy" approach that promises to yield quick health benefits with minimal effort.
Hmmm. Claims of great _____ through little effort? Are you sure this isn't America?
His emphasis is on pranayama - roughly put, breathing exercises or the art of breath control. "If you do pranayama half an hour daily, you will never fall sick," he claims.
Uh, I know a few doctors who might take issue with THAT.
Anyway, Swami is popular; his "weekly" camps attract 75,000 people. What's that? Can't make it to one of the aforementioned yoga-paloozas? Well, you could always join one of the one million people who tele-downward dog daily via a private television channel!
Our Swami is a nationalist:
He is not well known in the Western world and does not care to be. He speaks no English and has never traveled outside India. "I am an Indian talent and my Indian brothers and sisters have first right on the benefits from me," he says. " What God gave to me, I am giving to other people."
...Unlike many other gurus, Mr. Ramdev is a talkative sort who speaks less of spiritualism and more about issues like health, education, politics and economics. He portrays himself as an Indian nationalist, building healthy individuals and a healthy nation through yoga, a philosophy on full display during the morning in the stadium.
Oh, and if you were confused about my introduction, yet kind enough to linger anyway...
"Say greetings with folded hands" - the traditional Indian way - "not by hi or bye," he told his students, before issuing a warning about the evils of Western fare.
"I want to remove the glasses of Western culture from your eyes," he roared as the sun rose and birds start chirping. "Do not eat pizza, burgers or fast food. And use cold drinks like colas as toilet cleaner."
Word.
