Anybody here do yoga exercises?

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Maybe we can explore the relationship between biophysical, emotional and spiritual? I know I feel differently when I do yours. Stress is released. I get more relaxed. Things seem more in place and balanced. That has an effect on my mood and disposition. I think it also helps me to be more patient, perhaps more loving and compassionate, certainly more prayerful.

Now I never tried to awaken “Kundalini” or whatever. But even beyond yoga, breathing techniques are commonly used for relaxation. But that seems to me to be more psychosomatic than spiritual. There is a relationship but a difference.
 
I’m also a Discaled Carmelite OCDS.

Susan Brinkmann is simply wrong.

I know Discalced Carmelite Friars including my former group’s assistant, who does yoga exercise.

Jim
 
angel12 wrote:
“There is only one God. And yet you said yoga came from the “god” Shiva, who does not exist.”
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And I knew that did not sound right to me. Something of “Shiva” exists. And the Scripture from Psalms in Francis’ quote is the answer:
Francis said:
Psalm 95:5 For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens.
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Exactly. Never have I seen in scripture that the gods of other religion do not exist. I do not think you will ever find that in scripture. They are referred to as false gods. They are demons or “devils” and so of course they do have powers.

False gods, like all demonic powers, do tell truths. If all they did was lie, then who would believe them? The ways of the devil are to tell the truth, lot of it, and add just enough lie to infect the whole thing.

If anyone wonders how a person who spends their entire life in the religion of a false god, surrounded by other believers, and never has the opportunity that we have to know the One, True God, can still be saved - our Church teaches in the catechism that there are truths to be found in false religions, even though scripture tells us they are run by false gods - devils. Such people are judged by how they embrace the truths of God as they hear them where they are. How can one recognize the truths and ways of God? They are written in the heart of every man.

We will all be judged. To those of us who have been given more - like a good mind and complete access to the full revelation of the truth, as we all possess in the Catholic Church, more is expected. What a weighty gift we have. What do we do with this great weight of “talents” we are given? Or do we bury our heads in the sand and complain that God is being unreasonable? The truth is in the Church, as well as in our hearts, and if we truly care about the truth (no matter what it costs us) then there will be no disagreement between the two.

There is a worldly cost to acknowledging an unpopular truth. You will be seen as ridiculous, laughable, narrow minded, uncharitable and of possessing those greatest of evils in our times: judgmentalism and prejudice.

The complaint about Yoga is not about the pretty poses with the really cute names, as many in this thread are trying to say it is, as they also post pictures here of nice attractive people, or sweet children, and even priests practicing yoga and getting book deals for it [we are promised that there will always disobedient priests - so, anytime you want to find one, you will find one] – as if we need to see these pictures. No thanks. It not about that. It is about the unseen spiritual damage to those who practice it, which devout priests who are engaged in true spiritual battle warn us is an integral part of yoga - no matter your intentions.

Intentions don’t change reality. (The demons really are not in the habit of respecting your good intentions. Their realm is their realm, no matter what you choose to call it).
 
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“After all these posts you still believe in the magic of a body position that somehow does something spiritual? You give devils too much credit and power.”

No, I think i made this clear but I will assume you really want the truth here as to what I “believe” so here I go again.

I believe the positions are lovely and the names real cute. I never met a person i did not like who does yoga. It looks like stretching exercises to me. That’s what I truly think, from what I see.

But I am a Catholic who believes that Holy Mother the Church knows more than what I do, so that takes precedence over “what seems to me.” I also believe the truth, that all scripture is inspired by God. So when God says, “We fight not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities”, I believe that the spiritual battle is BIGGER than the seen one, and I know that God knows more than I do because “Our ways are not God’s ways.”

We Catholics know that the Catholic Priests who do really spiritual battles in exorcisms are the ones who know the most about the powers and principalities connected with Yoga.

But Shakuhachi, what religion do you practice? I do not know; that is why I ask. And if you reject Catholicism, then I am wasting my time explaining what Catholics believe - especially if you don’t want to know.
 
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I have been Catholic since my baptism in 1955. How about we all ask our trusted spiritual directors or pastors about this. I have and they approve. If you read the Church documents carefully there is no objection as long as one does not buy into that world view. Or as Pope Benedict said, "On this point one has to be very attentive that a determined vision of man, of the world and the relation between God and man is not introduced to this physical exercise. "
 
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Well,said ,As Deut. 8:19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed” In Israel, time and time again the people kept going back to false idols or behaviors that were tied to other cultures.

I refer to Deut. 5:6 ” I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods besides me.” It is true, as another person said that there is only one GOD. But there are countless demons, fallen angels, whose job is to undo the God’s Word wherever they can. These demons have set themselves up as gods to be worshiped. Hinduism has 350 million and counting.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 states ” Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times so will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars.” Some here on this board have argued that yoga as benefits are good because it leads to healing in areas of back pain etc. But I would argue that Satan sets up counterfeit systems, even ones that appear beneficial, to lead believers astray. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.

2Cor 11:14-15 “But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers.”
Yoga ends with the saying namaste meaning the divinity or light within me salutes the divinity or light within you. Or simply, I bow to you.

2 Peter 3:16 “Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture-and the result is disaster for them” I have read quotes with Scripture to defend yoga. These scriptures were never written to defend yoga.

Yoga was not involved in creation, the laws, grace or salvation. At all. I do not say these things in hate or condemnation. I say them out of concern for my brothers and sisters who are being led astray. Be wise, be sober. There are many ways to get fit. Be in God’s Word daily ,with sacraments and Holy Mass and His Holy Spirit will guide you.
 
All your posts about worshipping false gods and demons are misplaced. Worship requires submission of the will and full knowledge.
 
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We Catholics know that the Catholic Priests who do really spiritual battles in exorcisms are the ones who know the most about the powers and principalities connected with Yoga
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The problem is we really don’t know what battles they are referring to. The only statement I can find is that yoga is used by those who believe in reincarnation and that is why it was felt it might lead to possession. I have not found anything from an exorcist that address just using the exercises.
I did find this in an interview An Interview With Father Gabriele Amorth:
How do people come to be possessed by demons in the first place? “I believe God sometimes singles out certain souls for a special test of spiritual endurance, but more often people lay themselves open to possession by dabbling with black magic. Some are entrapped by a satanic cult. Others are the victims of a curse.”

I interrupt. “You mean like Yasser Arafat saying to Ehud Barak, ‘Go to Hell’ and meaning it?”

“No.” Father Amorth gives me a withering look. “That is merely a sudden imprecation. It is very difficult to perform a curse. You need to be a priest of Satan to do it properly. Of course, just as you can hire a killer if you need one, you can hire a male witch to utter a curse on your behalf. Most witches are frauds, but I am afraid some authentic ones do exist.”
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Most often people lay themselves open, according to the priest by dabbling in black magic not by taking a particular body stance. Black magic does not equate to a pagan religion. Such a stance goes against what the Church teaches about those beliefs as Don Ruggero pointed out already.
Exactly. Never have I seen in scripture that the gods of other religion do not exist. I do not think you will ever find that in scripture. They are referred to as false gods. They are demons or “devils” and so of course they do have powers.
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1 Corinthians Chapter 8
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that “there is no idol in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”
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This clearly states that other gods do not exist that is what is meant by idol.
You have taken out of context scripture to come to the idea that false religions are actually devils, it is not supported by scripture or by the Church.
The position you hold is bordering on the superstitious as I have posted before
 
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No, the Scripture teaches
“the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.”

There is only one actual God.
But that doesn’t mean others did not worship devils.
 
Douala-Rheims-onlyism may not be the best approach.

As amusing as King James-onlyism may sound, some people take it very seriously. There is even a Catholic equivalent, which we might call “Douay-Rheims-onlyism.” The Douay-Rheims version, which predates the King James by a few years, (the complete KJV was published in 1611, but the complete Douay-Rheims in 1609) was the standard Bible for English-speaking Catholics until the twentieth century.

What many advocates of both King James-onlyism and Douay-Rheims-onlyism do not know is that neither Bible is the original issued in the 1600s. Over the last three centuries, numerous minor changes (for example, of spelling and grammar) have been made in the King James, with the result that most versions of the KJV currently on the market are significantly different from the original.

We recommend staying away from translations with unconventional renderings, such as the TEV, and suggest using the Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition. This is a Church-approved version of the RSV that has a few, minor changes in the New Testament. It has been reissued by Ignatius Press under the title The Ignatius Bible (available from Catholic Answers in bothhardcover and paperback formats).


The 1983 Code of Canon Law entrusts to the Apostolic See and the episcopal conferences the authority to approve translations of the Sacred Scriptures in the Latin Catholic Church (c. 825, §1). Prior to 1983, Scriptural translations could be approved by the Apostolic See or by a local ordinary within a diocese.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/
 
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I was led to look up the origins of yoga and yes, it seems to be an invention of the Swedes and had absolutely nothing to do with Hinduism or any other religion.

Let me reiterate——in no way, shape, or form do I consider practitioners of yoga to be satanists, and in no way, shape, or form do I consider Hindus to be satanists. To quote Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, “Mr.Simpson! Please stop making fun of my god!”
 
Francis said:
World’s top exorcist saw the Devil in Harry Potter, yoga.Father Gabriele Amorth, who has died at age 91, was the Catholic Church’s best-known and most exorcist, and honorary president for life of the International Association of Exorcists, which he co-founded in 1990.Vatican officially recognizes international group of 250 exorcists
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That thread was already locked. If you want to start this “top exorcist” and Harry Potter stuff again, I guess this one will soon be locked as well. But back to this topic.

If someone want to show where the Catholic Church teaches that yoga movements in and of themselves is some sort of demon worship, be my guest. Until then the most authoritative word we have is from Cardinal Ratzinger which he made in his capacity as Prefect for the Congregation of the Faith.
 
Thanks for the info on Father Gabriele Amorth. And Harry Potter - yes, of course, its not all bad, and there are plenty of good lessons to be found in it. But there is an obvious connection between those highly popular books and movies and the fact that so many young people are open to experimenting with witchcraft.Wow to those who lead teh little ones astray!

But the topic is yoga, so popular in this world. So many ardent defenders, including Catholics who don’t practice it.

All the verses you give are compelling! Thank you for these. But not everyone had developed a love for scripture.

This one:
James 4:4 Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
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Truly the word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword!
 
This is the closest thing I have found to Catholic teaching.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...th_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html

In it, Cardinal Ratzinger points out the dangers of some meditation. There is no mention of possession, demons or evil. There is a real danger of Gnosticism, cult of the body, and a few other issues.

Rather than post ridiculously long quotes, I will let you read the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict for yourself. At least everyone know who he is and understand his authority when we was Prefect for CDF
 
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Thanks for these mate.

Some people here indeed need to grasp what Yoga really is, and not what they “think” Yoga really is.
My own mother was into Yoga before she understood the truth behind it. Thankfully she was well surrounded by cultivated and informed individuals.

Some Catholics remind me of smokers trying to protect their smoking habits, looking for every possible excuses to keep doing what they do, denying the consequences on their health. But just as smoking is damaging to one’s health, Yoga is damaging on one’s soul.

They may not see the issues on themselves, but one day, it hits you in the head like a rock.
They will be stuck with something they never wanted, physical or psychological. They might attribute it to something else, anything, as long as Yoga is not the source, but that would be a grave mistake.
 
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Thank you too, your comment to this post is Amazing ,one of the best ! i ever heard.
The problem actually lies at the source of Yoga.

Most may not know it, but Yoga really has to do with esoteric practices, energy channeling, etc, in the countries it originated from. Yoga is an extremely old esoteric practice taught by gurus, who themselves are in contact with demonic entities. This “harmless” exercise is a form a witchcraft that sadly found its way into our society through uninformed people, and was made popular over the years, thanks to other uninformed people.

The “demonic influence” of such activity varies from person to person.

Some think it heals their bodies, when in fact such benefits (like every satanic miracles) are temporary.

In fact, these people tend to worsen their situation over time, as more problems will arise: not just physical but psychological and social as well. They won’t even be able to notice the connection between their “hobby” and their aggravated problems, as it’ll seem too “impossible” in their eyes.

Every Catholics should understand that “energy channeling” (which yoga is) isn’t of God.
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