That was the question posed by The Huffington Post. It seems that Americans are veering more and more away from formal religion and focusing on self improvement instead. They boldly state that:
… more and more people are connecting with regular and diverse spiritual practices such as meditation, yoga, mindfulness, expressive arts (such as dance, group singing/chanting), self-help studies, and spiritual travel. These things can all be done in connection with religious affiliation or without. These are not belief systems, they are active practices that shift awareness, emotion and help us to see where we get stuck in life.
They may not be too far off in that assessment. According to the American Religious Identification Survey in 2008, “no religion” was the only population group to show a marked increase nationwide. Meanwhile, those who call themselves Christian have dropped more than 11% while those who call themselves “Spiritual with no affiliation” rose to 18%. Practices like yoga have gained popularity not only because of its health benefits, but also because of its ability to center and calm the soul while connected with others at the same time. Studies show that people are tired of organized religion and are instead opting for individualized spiritual healing found on their own terms.
Do you agree? Disagree? To what extent has “yoga” become the new church?
