Yoga

A debate is going in America about the relationship between Yoga and Hinduism.  A NYT article has this to say:

“One of the things that most Christians and most people don’t get is that yoga is not a religion,” Ms. Russell said.

“It does not belong to Hinduism any more than it belongs to Christianity,” she said, adding that it “transcends religion.”

a.  This "transcending of religion" is one of the goals of Hinduism, as I understand it.
b.  Very conveniently Ms. Russell takes out the universals from Hinduism, and defines the parochial remnants as "Hinduism". By what right or authority? Just because she wants to do Yoga?