Yoga instructor and spiritual leader Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath issues official statement in response to CNN report on "mindfulness" and eating, saying report "trivializes" Eastern thinking and philosophy
DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eastern religion and philosophy have permeated American culture in many ways, especially as far as health and wellness are concerned. The predominance of yoga as a fitness technique is just one example. Another comes from a recent CNN report on the topic of "mindful eating." In the report, CNN details a new movement in which restaurant diners think deliberately about feelings of hunger and fullness as they consume their meals. This "mindful" approach to eating is said to provide weight loss assistance, and CNN notes that it emerges from a "Buddhist tradition" of "nonjudgmental awareness of one's body and thoughts." According to Indian religious authority Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath, though, the "mindful eating" approach has little to do with Eastern spirituality. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath has issued an official statement that strongly criticizes the CNN report.
Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath is no stranger to critiquing media portrayals of Eastern religious practice, having recently offered a statement in criticism of current public discussion about yoga. In his most recent statement, the yoga and meditation guru says that CNN's report "significantly minimizes the true import of mindfulness." He continues by saying that these beliefs have traditionally been about finding self-peace and even attaining world peace. "Making it into a purely practical matter, such as a strategy for weight loss, dilutes its power and ultimately turns it into a caricature," Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath's statement reads.
Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath continues his criticism of the report by stating that "this kind of thinking about the idea of mindfulness is almost completely backward." He explains this statement by noting that true meditation and deliberate thought are meant to increase awareness of an infinite universal consciousness. The practically-inclined Western version of mindfulness "keeps the awareness only on the individual" and not on anything greater.
Ultimately, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath says in his statement that these "overly utilitarian" depictions of Eastern thought minimize the spiritual dimension. This effectively robs the individual of the true power and refreshment that come from practicing meditation and mindfulness as they are intended to be practiced. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath also says that Western portrayals of these ideas tend to make them look "more like self-help than true spirituality."
ABOUT:
Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath is a spiritual mentor and yoga instructor form Pune, India, who has been teaching meditation and yoga techniques for forty years. He has taught from the floor of the United Nations, and his YouTube videos have attracted thousands of hits. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath is best known for his teachings on the topic of "Earth peace through self peace."