New Delhi: Amid opposition from certain religious communities over chanting of ‘Om’ and performance of ‘surya namaskar’ during yoga events, Ramdev on Sunday said these practices do not change anyone’s religion and are “secular, universal and spiritual” in nature.
He said at a yoga camp in Dubai on Sunday, which was attended by Hindus and Muslims, besides members of the royal family, he had given the gathering an option to chant ‘Om’ or ‘Amin’ and that they had preferred chanting ‘Om’ over ‘Amin’.
“I went to Dubai and I made people there to chant ‘Om’ and perform ‘surya namaskar’. While performing ‘surya namaskar’, I also kept some Muslims along with me and told them that if their religion changes (for doing it), then don’t do ‘surya namaskar’. No one’s religion changed. Yoga is not a religious practice, but a secular and universal practice.
“I said while performing yoga you can also say ‘Amin’ and ‘Om’, but many people and majority of Muslims said ‘Om’ instead of ‘Amin’… They said they got mental peace by chanting ‘Om’,” Ramdev said.