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Summary of Question:	Sikhism In America
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Thursday, 5/20/2004 4:31 PM MDT

Waheguru ji ka khalsa

Waheguru ji ke fateh!!

Dear sewadars, this question has been bugging me for a while now, please do not be offended by it, as i mean no disrespect, and i myself am not to say anything in such matters.

please excuse the innappropriate use of 'white' sikhs.
it has come to my attention whilst looking through many yoga sites taught by 'white' sikhs, that they have names such as...... ..... ... singh khalsa, and then they also use their original name, which is fine. but they are also seen sometimes with a dastar (turban) and sometimes without (especially the women), and most of the women, maybe because they are not amritdari's but i assume so, as they have names as mentioned above, do not wear all Kakars, predominately kirpan. why is this??, are they not amritdharis?

i have obtained the impression that lots of people wear dastars as a kind of 'fashion' or symbol of yoga practice!.

thank you for your time
i hope you reply to this post and sorry once again for any mistakes or wrongful words, it was not my intention to do so, just a burning question.

Mandip

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This is a difficult question, because it is complex. Many times people are Amritrdari Sikhs, but they wear their kirpan under their clothes or in their turbin...or it is illegal in their state or place of work.

There are people who are students of yoga and are experimenting with the yogic science of wearing a turbin. You know there is a science to it...the way it affects the meridian points, focus, brain. They are not necessarily Amritdhari Sikhs. It is not that they are being disrespectful to the religion, they are just appreciating the "experience" of wearing the turbin. Many Sikhs don't understand the reason for wearing a turbin, other than that is what they are "suppose to do." All of our teachers of Kundalini Yoga, many who are not Sikhs, are required to wear a white head covering when they teach. It is a protection from the energy from teaching Kundalini Yoga. Some teachers wear a white scarf, others wear a form of turbin because it is practical when teaching yoga. I really have not met anyone who wears a turbin purely for fashion. I suppose there are some, but I don't think as yoga practitioners.

The turbin is also very accepted in other countries like Africa. When I was in Africa, my turbin was very accepted and even admired, because there the turbin is standard dress. I think there are some who are wearing turbins for fashion from the affects of these other countries...but these are not necessarily yoga students or Sikhs. I hope this answers your question. GTKK