Can Catholics participate in yoga?

[ebonykawai]

Yoga poses are actually a modern development in the yoga that is practiced in the west. They are mainly exercises that were developed via European body building, Russian gymnastics, and calisthentics when the whole body building craze was in full force, back in the early 1900s.

Here’s a good book with loads of research in it. You can believe it or not. I’m way past trying to convince anyone that yoga isn’t Satanic, LOL. Believe what you want!

amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344

 

[Lily0fthevalley]

I think some are being alittle too picky.
This is what i have ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VYNNC4WZL.SL500_AA300.jpg

basically just stretching out the muscles that i didn’t think i had and majorly helps me when i go out for some cardio work out or a jog. The purpose of that exercise it stretches my back out and shoulders and i honestly have yet found any other warm up exercise that helps with my shoulders and back. I stand all day at work and this has been a major help for someone who is on their feet all day long. nothing less nothing more, no other “spiritual” have entered my mind doing it.

Before you know it someone’s going to say running is a sin

 

[agnes_therese]

Wait…what? We are supposed to clean under our beds?!?

Oh…wonder what’s under there……it’s been 20 years…well, if it’s been this long, clearly there is no urgency.

I do, but that’s because I’m afraid the dust bunnies will unionize if I leave them alone too long.

 

[severus68]

You can even get your dog doing the exercises:

http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uplo...09/10/FP_3869226_Barm_Yoga_102409-800x558.jpg

Yes, my poodle does the 'Downward facing dog" pose every morning.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Without doing these poses every day, I would not be able to walk because my back would kill me otherwise.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runni.../02/yoga-poses-3656-7142961-thumb-300x400.jpg

I suddenly realize that the third pose is something I find myself doing after getting caught finishing that last slice/piece/pack of cake/sweets/snack food by a very angry little sister. >.>;;

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

Catholics should not practice yoga. I have never heard of a saint doing yoga or promoting it. Why are we taking the spiritual practices of Hinduism and blending them with Catholicism? Are there no other forms of exercise? Each yoga pose is a position of worship to a Hindu god. If you want to learn more visit www.womenofgrace.com and do a search on yoga.

 

[LightBound]

Catholics should not practice yoga. I have never heard of a saint doing yoga or promoting it. Why are we taking the spiritual practices of Hinduism and blending them with Catholicism? Are there no other forms of exercise? Each yoga pose is a position of worship to a Hindu god. If you want to learn more visit www.womenofgrace.com and do a search on yoga.

Women of Grace is just one source and the person on there that makes this claim has been know to be looking for a demon under every doorstep!

The poses? Those poses are often part of an active person’s daily movements as they go about their day. Nearly every movement we make or do can be construed as a yoga pose…even lying flat!

I’m sorry, but I would imagine that there is a yoga pose that is the same as sitting upright at a desk…so no more computer time for you No sleeping flat on your back, either…that’s a pose, too

Perhaps that Johnette and Susan need to realize that the very way they sit and move around on the set can be considered “yoga poses”!

I was channel surfing the other day and found some show called “Praise Moves”…guess what? It was yoga…done with breathing in and out while saying memorized Bible verses! HOW could that even be considered praying to a hindu god?

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Women of Grace is just one source and the person on there that makes this claim has been know to be looking for a demon under every doorstep!

I second this. That show honestly smells like nothing but a suspicious copycat of fundamentalist naysayer shows who thrive on criticizing mainstream culture and providing ‘Christian alternatives’. (And if I may add, those alternatives stink as far as what I’ve seen with regards to what they recommend for good literature.)

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

Scaremongering!? Oh, please! Next you’re going to call me yogaphobic. Take your blinders off and face it, yoga is New Age and is used by Hindu’s for Hindu worship. Let’s be faithful to Christ and stay away from spiritual things that may lead us away from Him.

 

[agnes_therese]

Scaremongering!? Oh, please! Next you’re going to call me yogaphobic. Take your blinders off and face it, yoga is New Age and is used by Hindu’s for Hindu worship. Let’s be faithful to Christ and stay away from spiritual things that may lead us away from Him.

Spiritual things,yes. Stretching your muscles and joints to relieve arthritis – I can’t see Jesus having a problem with that. Any more than He has a problem with us kneeling, even though other religions also kneeling for their worship.

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

I second this. That show honestly smells like nothing but a suspicious copycat of fundamentalist naysayer shows who thrive on criticizing mainstream culture and providing ‘Christian alternatives’. (And if I may add, those alternatives stink as far as what I’ve seen with regards to what they recommend for good literature.)

Let me get this straight. You believe Johnette Benkovic is a copycat fundamentalist naysayer who is not worth listening to even though she has been on EWTN for about 23 years. Isn’t it strange that EWTN, whose founder received the Cross of Hope award from Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, has not thrown her off the air!?

 

[Baelor]

Let me get this straight. You believe Johnette Benkovic is a copycat fundamentalist naysayer who is not worth listening to even though she has been on EWTN for about 23 years. Isn’t it strange that EWTN, whose founder received the Cross of Hope award from Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, has not thrown her off the air!?

That does not make her incorrect and, frankly, creepily fearmongering beliefs on yoga any more valid or sensible.

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

That does not make her incorrect and, frankly, creepily fearmongering beliefs on yoga any more valid or sensible.

Again, if EWTN had a problem with it, they would have pulled her from their programming. It’s sad that Catholics call people “fearmongering” because they want to be right and are unwilling to listen to another point of view.

Non-EWTN Web sites on yoga:
patrickmadrid.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-yoga-incompatible-with.html

quietplace4prayer.wordpress.com/5-etc/1725-2/dangers-of-new-age-spirtuality-and-yoga/

 

[Baelor]

Jharek, it is, I feel, a bittersweet aroma.

Anyway, I made a typo in my last post. It should of course, be “correct,” not “incorrect.”

Again, if EWTN had a problem with it, they would have pulled her from their programming.

I do not care what EWTN does with its programming. I also do not inherently care about any message coming from EWTN employees qua EWTN employees.

It’s sad that Catholics call people “fearmongering” because they want to be right and are unwilling to listen to another point of view.

Jharek has already addressed this. Also, this is a factual issue, not some group therapy session where we all discuss our feelings. Furthermore, the articles you posted are totally absolutist: Yoga, according to them, is incompatible with Catholicism. It is not even like you are suggesting that it is a case-by-case issue.

Non-EWTN Web sites on yoga:
patrickmadrid.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-yoga-incompatible-with.html

quietplace4prayer.wordpress.com/5-etc/1725-2/dangers-of-new-age-spirtuality-and-yoga/

All three suffer from the same specific problem: they fail to dissociate spiritual and physical yoga, nor do they even prove that such can happen at all.

I will put this in another way. Imagine that I am a 30-year-old housewife. I would like to gain flexibility and begin stretching. I go to a store and buy a yoga DVD. The person telling me what to do is a blonde 35-year-old blonde white woman. At no point during the course of the workout does she mention anything that could possible be construed as supernatural at all.

The articles are utter failures in rhetoric insofar as they do not actually address how the above scenario is problematic. Everyone knows that yoga can have spiritual connotations. No argument on this thread, or anywhere, I would imagine, is able to adequately state why yoga must have spiritual connotations. In other words, why the example I posted is problematic.

Would you care to oblige?

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

I do not care what EWTN does with its programming. I also do not inherently care about any message coming from EWTN employees qua EWTN employees.

Then there is nothing to discuss. I like EWTN because they are faithful to the Church, and I know that because the Vatican is happy with their work, otherwise the Vatican would have shut EWTN down.

I will put this in another way. Imagine that I am a 30-year-old housewife. I would like to gain flexibility and begin stretching. I go to a store and buy a yoga DVD. The person telling me what to do is a blonde 35-year-old blonde white woman. At no point during the course of the workout does she mention anything that could possible be construed as supernatural at all.

The articles are utter failures in rhetoric insofar as they do not actually address how the above scenario is problematic. Everyone knows that yoga can have spiritual connotations. No argument on this thread, or anywhere, I would imagine, is able to adequately state why yoga must have spiritual connotations. In other words, why the example I posted is problematic.

Would you care to oblige?

The problem is that people begin with simple exercises. Then they move on to classes and books. Then they want to fly to India (or wherever) to learn even more about yoga because “it’s just exercises.” Of course this doesn’t happen to everyone, but I have seen it happen to who I thought were good Catholics when I was in college. Why play with fire if you know you can get burned? I know what I believe and I am not interested in getting involved with another religion or philosophy.

A bigger problem I have is when I get “Catholics” pushing this garbage down my childrens’ throats while attending Catholic school. When does this stop? Is everything ok because some “Catholics” think it’s ok? Now my five-year-old child is being taught yoga because “it’s just exercises”. I don’t want my innocent child learning yoga. I’m trying to keep this kind of garbage away from my young children, so I sent them to Catholic school only to be betrayed.

You can keep your yoga, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

 

[Baelor]

Then there is nothing to discuss. You have decided that you are going to interrupt everything the way you want. I like EWTN because they are faithful to the Church, and I know that because the Vatican is happy with their work.

Fine. I never made this an issue about EWTN, you did. I have no interest in discussing EWTN, its merits, or anything else about that radio station, because it is completely irrelevant to the matter of whether Catholics can practice yoga.

The problem is that people begin with simple exercises. Then they move on to classes and books. Then they want to fly to India (or wherever) to learn even more about yoga because “it’s just exercises.” Of course this doesn’t happen to everyone, but I have seen it happen to good Catholics when I was in college.

Fine. Then those Catholics should have acted in a more Catholic way. But it is not something inherent in yoga, and plenty of people perform yoga exercises appropriately. What you are saying here is that it is not inherently bad.

Why play with fire if you know you can get burned? I know what I believe and I am not interested in getting involved with another religion or philosophy.

You have just told us that yoga can be “simple exercises.” I know what I believe as well. That is why I would have no problem doing yoga exercises in a secular fashion. If yoga is “playing with fire” for you, then do not do it. But it is not that for everyone.

A bigger problem I have is when I get “Catholics” pushing this garbage down my childrens’ throats while attending Catholic school.

It is not garbage.

Now my five-year-old child is being taught yoga because “it’s just exercises”. I don’t want my innocent child learning yoga. I’m trying to keep this kind of garbage away from my young children, so I sent them to Catholic school only to be betrayed.

You admitted that yoga is just exercises. How would this be corrupting your “innocent child,” then? You admitted that someone can learn yoga without it being a problem.

You can keep your yoga, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

I will keep my yoga, and serve the Lord all the same.

 

[MaryElizabeth22]

You have just told us that yoga can be “simple exercises.” I know what I believe as well. That is why I would have no problem doing yoga exercises in a secular fashion. If yoga is “playing with fire” for you, then do not do it. But it is not that for everyone.
You admitted that yoga is just exercises.

I will keep my yoga, and serve the Lord all the same.

I did not admit yoga is “simple exercises” (I missed putting quotes on the first mention of “simple exercises”). That’s the excuse I hear from others, that’s why I put it in quotes.

Now I see why you are so upset. You do yoga, and you are unwilling to give it up. I will pray for you.

 

[Beati_Pacifici]

If you want to gain great amounts of flexibility without compromising spirituality, then you could always try PNF stretching. I’ve used it in the past with pretty good benefits.

 

[LilyM]

Then there is nothing to discuss. I like EWTN because they are faithful to the Church, and I know that because the Vatican is happy with their work, otherwise the Vatican would have shut EWTN down.

The Vatican is unhappy with lots of things - the SSPX and SSPV for starters. It has been unable to shut THEM down in spite of it’s disapproval. What makes you think it has any more power over EWTN than over them?

The problem is that people begin with simple exercises. Then they move on to classes and books. Then they want to fly to India (or wherever) to learn even more about yoga because “it’s just exercises.” Of course this doesn’t happen to everyone, but I have seen it happen to who I thought were good Catholics when I was in college. Why play with fire if you know you can get burned? I know what I believe and I am not interested in getting involved with another religion or philosophy.

I know plenty of people who do or have done yoga. Maybe 1% (those 1% not even being
practicing Christians to begin with, mind you) who had any urge to travel to India or the like. I’m sorry your experience was different, but it hardly makes it normal or likely.

A bigger problem I have is when I get “Catholics” pushing this garbage down my childrens’ throats while attending Catholic school. When does this stop? Is everything ok because some “Catholics” think it’s ok? Now my five-year-old child is being taught yoga because “it’s just exercises”. I don’t want my innocent child learning yoga. I’m trying to
keep this kind of garbage away from my young children, so I sent them to Catholic school
only to be betrayed.

That ‘garbage’ is something plenty of good orthodox Catholics not only see no problem with, but do themselves with no harm at all. If you don’t want your kids doing it, fine, talk sensibly to their teacher and see if you can come up with an alternative activity for your kids to do at that time. But it is no more fair for you to force other people not to do it as it is for them to force you.

You can keep your yoga, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

 

[Baelor]

Double post; see below.