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Religion Vs Religion

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As a human being, the body is a vital part of our existence. In many religions, the body serves as a tool to become one with God. Religion over the years has shaped the understanding of the body through cultural, social and political systems. These ideas behind the body have provided great opportunities to connect with other participants with the Religion and the higher being that one is devoted to. Religion has provided a platform for maintaining a healthy body that contributes to the wealth of the mind and soul of an individual. Practices such as yoga and meditation have shown great benefits for the body. Although there are great aspects of the relationship between religion and body, there are some concepts of the body that also presents …show more content…

In David Morgan’s, "Embodiment: the body in belief,” he lays the foundation of this relationship. Morgan introduces the idea that the body ‘do belief:’ “People feel like one body because they are feeling together, conveying attitudes, emotions, and disposition, ... The body in such cases does more than signifying belief: it hosts belief … corporate exercises like standing at attention or kneeling in prayer, group recitations, musical and vocal performance, public punishment and praise—all serve as techniques for disciplining the individual body to participate in the social body of belief” (Morgan 59). Morgan understands that the body is used to perform actions within the religion, without it, there will be no means to practice one’s religion. Actions like singing, chanting, kneeling for prayer, etc. are ways one connects with their God. The body allows individuals to complete these …show more content…

Here Hauser examines the Sadhus’ religious practices, mainly extreme practices they endure to be one with their God: “Sadhus who proudly announce or demonstrate their yogic prowess are not uncommon. A number of sadhus I met made a point of telling me that they engaged in yoga practice, as they invariably straightened their back, inhaled strongly, and insisted on the impressive levels of strength and power they had attained” (Hauser 165). The Sadhus practice wants them to distance themselves from the body because it is an example of the materialistic world, however, they use their bodies as means to express their devotion. Some Sadhus practice yoga, which requires them to use their

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