A Christian Reader Asks: “They’re Doing Yoga At My Job. Should I Join In?”
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I use to be afraid to do yoga because I was told it was evil. (Yes I’m from the south). But I do yoga and it makes me feel fantastic. Don’t believe all the christian bull about yoga ~ enjoy yoga and feel great!
On a related note, see “To the Christian Who Sent me Hate Mail on Easter Sunday” http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/04/to-the-christian-who-sent-me-hate-mail-on-easter-sunday/
Yeah, isn’t amazing what radical grace covers!
You Lutherans. You’re such hippies!
They’ve been doing yoga at my Lutheran church. Some of the people who participate are Lutheran church leaders. Just do it.
As a believer I am filled with the Holy Spirit. No amount of yoga can remove him
Amen
I genuinely believe there is a lack of education about the roots of yoga. Yes, Hinduism and Yoga are inseparable, for Hindus. However, yoga specifically was a basically meant to be used as a tool to reconnect us with divinity. Why should this not scare away Chrisitans? Because the ancient yogis understood that it is not quite possible to describe God with words. Mostly they preached alignment. Alignment with nature or Shiva/Shakti the solar/lunar energy. In reality these sages were not attached to names or even images God. All that mattered was devotion and a heart of service. Hatha yoga specifically was designed us the grace, strength, flexibility of our bodies. And also the limitations and imbalances they have as well. But more profoundly these great minds knew that each individuals attachment to their senses and how they seek pleasure or to avoid pain often was responsible for our habitual state of mind or unbalanced physical self. Hatha yoga gives anyone that believes in One Ulimate Divine source to explore the body, examine how their mind reacts to the challenges of the postures, and just BREATHE. Being able to breath freely in any posture is the ultimate act of surrender and takes unmeasurable humility to let go of tension and the inflexibility of the mind as well as the body. Bhakti (devotion to God), Jana (spiritual or self study), Karma (service) are all the traditional modalities of yoga. Jesus would get behind all of those. Even Raja yoga or the royal path of yoga mirrors how Jesus lived his life. Anyone who tells you that yoga is unchristian or against God simply does not know or understand what YOGA is at all. Love the body God gave you and with every inhalation and exhalation practice gratitude for the spirit that moves you. Namaste! The Light in be sees the Light in you!
J. M. Dechanet O.S.B. wrote “Christian Yoga” back in 1960 before it was cool. I did yoga for the better part of a year before losing interest, so I say never deprive yourself of the opportunity to tire of a worldly fad. As Oscar Wilde said, the best way to fight temptation is to give in to it.
amen to David’s comments above! Exactly, John, the only thing I might have told her is this- that by coming to a quiet and centered space, she might really be able to enhance her relationship with God. Buddhism and yoga can all lead us to that spot of being in the moment, and as such, you can be in a very clear spot to hear God much more clearly. The study of both for many years, ENHANCED my relationship with God,without a doubt.
John, I really really have to commend you for your fabulous answer to this woman.
To me, this question struck me as a question in a time warp! I wondered at first , who could even still think this way. Then again, in the course of my life, I realize that I’m light years away from being that timid Christian-in-the-box- afraid of the evils lurking right outside the church door…..as are you- but you handled the question sensitively and with respect. I surely hope she realizes that it can only enhance what she’s got going already.
The spiritual aspects of yoga (meditation, writings such as the Upanishads, etc.) have been around for centuries, but the physical practice really didn’t start to develop into how we think of it until about 150 years ago. The asanas–poses–you would be learning are rooted in Indian gymnastics and (if I remember correctly) wrestling. The names of most poses are ( in Sanskrit, which may not even be used in a “non-denominational” class) based on their difficulty; easier poses tend to be named for objects, animals, etc. The more advanced poses are then given the names of sages and deities (again, in a non-denominational setting, those names will likely be changed); this is done to simply to call attention to the fact that it’s going to be really hard to do, not to engage in worship.
As far as I can tell, it wasn’t till some of the more current strains of hatha yoga were formulated that some people attached it to meditation (raja yoga) or devotional (bhakti) practices; neither is an absolute requirement for one to participate in hatha yoga. (Nevertheless, some chanting is common.) In any of several non-religious approaches to hatha yoga, though, you won’t have any of that.
It may surprise you to note that not all of us who are Hindu or Vedantists consider hatha yoga a vital part of our spirituality. Some teachers (Sivananda, for instance) do, but by and large it’s either not important or viewed with some concern; if we are to let go of our earthly attachments and focus more and more on Brahman (God), getting too wrapped up in how fit we look (whether through hatha yoga or being a gym rat) isn’t such a great idea.
GREAT response! Gonna share this with my far “right” (not centered) Christian boss who says Christian’s shouldn’t fear.
Until tonight I was ignorant of the Christian ‘issue’ with yoga. I have never taken up yoga, I’m involved in other exercise activities. Spiritually, I have been involved with Bhuddhism; I don’t believe that the Bhudda would characterize Bhuddhism as a religion, it is a practice, a way of life. I believe that in practicing some of the tenents of Bhuddhism, especiallly being mindfull and in the moment, I have become a better Christian.
Are you aware that you are misspelling Buddha, Buddhism, etc? How can you be “involved” with something without learning how to spell it?
Answer: only if you want to become more comfortable in your own skin; sense greater ease and less reactive anxiety; become more flexible (physically and otherwise); and/or want to explore letting go of patterns that no longer serve you and shift into ones that might serve you better.
Answer: only if you want to become more comfortable in your own skin; sense greater ease and less reactive anxiety; become more flexible (physically and otherwise); and/or want to explore letting go of patterns that no longer serve you and shift into ones that might serve you better.
Why is this a question?
Speaking as a post-Christian with a good memory, I should point out that the Christians who view Yoga as incompatible with their faith take a very animistic view of their world.
Especially, anything “Eastern” from jade elephants to accupuncture to iridology, not to mention all the martial arts… have (cue X-files theme) “SPRITUAL” foundations… meaning that there are demons/ evil spirits who are behind all these practises. This is held to be true in both overtly “religious” yoga and the sanitised versions.
With regard to Yoga, Tai Chi etc, the belief is that, given that man is a tripartite being (is a spirit, has a soul, lives in a body), then anything you do to (eg) your body will affect your spirit and soul.
Given that Yoga was inspired by pecuilar [read non-Jesus-Loving] heathen eastern people, their practises are supposed to be one and all infested with more demons than a mongrel dog has fleas and parasites.
As soon as you start twisting your body into these demon-inspired pretzel-shapes, then you are opening the door volluntarily to said spirits, whoch will be only to happy to come in and set up residence in your life, because you were disobedient in not eschewing these demonically-inspired practises like your pastor said you should.
Now of course any thinking person will realise that this is just fear-of-the-unknown – lets condemn as demonic anything which we can’t foind a proof text for. When you point out the number of places that the Bible speaks of and endorses meditation and contemplation, these fundies will be quick to tell you that CHRISTIAN meditation is different in all respects from the Eastern variety… yet as soon as they open their mouths they usually demonstrate their complete ignorance of both the theory and practise of all kinds of meditation.
Heed them not – neither God nor your faith in Jesus is going to be compromised by these time-honoured and healthy practises.
Hence the arrival of “Christianized” yoga and martial arts courses. I didn’t know about the latter until a rather fundamentalist gentleman who’d left the dojo I attended for many years re-surfaced as a teacher of “Christ-centered martial arts” :/
this Buddhist thinks you’re awesome John Shore, and would be happy to do yoga with you anytime =)
I maybe should have prefaced my remark I heard this topic discussed on EWTN (Catholic radio/tv) recently.
I’m beginning to understand the variety that exists in your and in The Christian Left’s audience. Like some of your writers I had forgotten (never having been Right or a fundamentalist) how frightening it is to take steps out of a box. Thank you for the caring and clear answer to your correspondants letter.
Mr. Shore, thank you for how kindly you answered the person who submitted the question. I do understand coming from a place in which one was taught that anything not overtly and blatantly “Christ centered” was probably evil and nefarious. It has been so freeing (and frankly, in my limited understanding, quite Biblical, in the New Testament sense) to come to the realization that I can do anything and go anywhere when I am secure in my own faith. Those who judge me seem to have forgotten that Jesus hung out with those who were regarded as undesirables in His society.
Me too… I honestly just don’t understand… even WITH the help of your article… sorry if I came off a bit snarky.
Tim: You don’t understand the question because you didn’t read the piece. The question was genuine and sincere.
My Presbyterian church has a yoga class once a week during the fall, winter and spring. It is wonderful.
lmbo
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