Does anyone remember, according to ancient tradition, what Yoga is for?

Every month or so, one of the most powerful organizations commercially linked to Yoga in Italy sends its newsletter. Normally I do not read it because it is full of laughable obvieties,  but the last one was mentioned to me by several people who consider it outrageous. Indeed it is.

Apart from the initial invective against the "powerful and corrupt" government that has quite unnerved me. I'd like to point out that this organization has never cared or dared to criticize those who governed us, during the two years in which everything that had a spiritual meaning in Yoga was crushed by anti-pandemic laws.

Then newsletter then continues with some rambling against the commercialization of Yoga. But really? Helloooo!! Courage or better still recklessness reaches the sublime here. We have the main promoters of the commodification of Yoga in Italy who claim to be fiercely against its commercialization. But are they "present" at their events? Do they see what they create? Or do they organize events and then leave for Mars? Mah..

Finally, the icing on the cake. It reads that Yoga, the real traditional one, should have to do with making life "happier and lighter". Such a claim means not knowing the history and roots of Yoga at all. I would like to point out, and this is history, not personal opinions, that Yoga was developed within two cultures, Hindu and Buddhist, which involve reincarnation. In them, life is not seen as a mixture of light / dark in which we must seek happiness, but it is rather seen as suffering that must be accepted as it is purposeful to one day be freed from the chain of Samsara and not reincarnate again.  So many things can be said about traditional Yoga. That it is an instrument of liberation, of knowledge, etc. Different traditions give Yoga a different nuance and a different content.

All of them, however, and I stress all of them, have nothing to do with making life lighter and happier.

Obviously and rightly so, everyone legitimately makes the use of Yoga they prefer including an activity that they market and with which they intend to live. However, it'd be better to avoid moralistic drivel because the least that comes to mind is "Look who's talking!".

m.m.