Is meditation related to religion or spirituality?: A personal opinion
Is it a sham?
I don’t think it is a sham. Meditation and mindfulness independent of religion is way better than Namaz of Islam or prayers of Hinduism and Christianity. As an ex-muslim, I don’t do Namaz anymore because I found it obligatory and an enforcement.
A real God if it exists wouldn’t get angry for not worshiping it because it is supposed to be omnibenevolent. If it had wanted everyone to worship it then it could have made everyone to worship it because it is omnipotent and omniscient. Instead some are born Christian, others Hindus and Quran says only Muslims go to heaven. Quran also says everyone other than Muslims go to hell for eternal punishment. The concept of Allah is flawed and biased.
Same goes with Christianity whose God works in similar ways except for the fact that it is more tolerant than Islam will ever be. Hinduism works on similar ways and considers people of other religions and lower castes as lowly births whose salvation awaits in serving the upper castes.
I am not a fan of Yoga as it is related to a particular religion and culture. I have found that some religious elements are trying to propagate their propaganda through Yoga which actually is not part of Hinduism but a confluence of different cultural systems for health and well being. Religiosity claims it as their own and appropriates it to suit their needs. So, the name ‘Yoga’ itself is a misnomer.
Instead of the restrictive practices of Islam, I now practice meditation once a day or whenever I am stressed. Meditation works better than Islamic prayers as it doesn’t affect our work schedule. We can do it whenever we want to and it can be used to our advantage. For example, meditation and mindfulness can help sooth anxiety, calm our nerves and help cope up with bouts of depression. It can also help us improve concentration.
