Can Catholics participate in yoga?

[A_G]

So do wedding rings, the Christmas tree, certain classics and mythologies demanded for college-level reading, a majority of names on both the months and dates…

And you can’t separate the two? I distinctly remember a great deal of demonstration in the last pages or so on how easily that can be done.

Wedding rings we use as a symbol of our love and affection for one another, It doesn’t matter if non-Christians use this tradition, because OUR wedding rings are approved and Blessed by the priest at the Altar…As for the Christmas tree, it for us is a symbolism of the Christmas season. John Paul said, the tree is “an ancient custom that exalts the value of life,” and it symbolizes Christmas, a very big holiday for us Catholics…As for those mythology novels in class, that’s ok as well because all we are doing is reading and studying ancient writings - we are not PRACTICING anything with them (physically or spiritually)… and as for the months and dates, well we use the GREGORIAN calendar, a calendar introduced by the Catholic Church during the papacy of Pope Gregory XIII…all these things have been Christianized in one way or another… Catholic wedding rings, the Christmas tree being displayed in Churches (in St. Peter’s square too), etc…as for the mythology classics, again, we can study these stories and whatever but it doesn’t mean we are practicing, worshiping, or taking them for anything else but literature…

If you want to stretch and say “umm…” or whatever else yoga tells you to physically do, fine, go ahead… If I need relaxation or physical fitness, I’ll hit the gym… if I need meditation or mental relaxation…I have the rosary!

 

[ez3714]

If you want to stretch and say “umm…” or whatever else yoga tells you to physically do, fine, go ahead… If I need relaxation or physical fitness, I’ll hit the gym… if I need meditation or mental relaxation…I have the rosary!

But why would you want to separate them? Best way I can think of to re-wire the brain is through the Rosary. To combine the discipline of the body with that of the mind and spirit seems so obvious.

 

[Moses_Goldman]

First of all, I would like to say that I am very sorry about your pain and infirmity. You are in my prayers.

I do not think all your facts about yoga are necessarily accurate. or complete. I do not pretend to be an expert on yoga and its development in Hinduism and Buddhism. I am not sure about your reference to a Buddhist god, there was a Patanjali, a sage. Buddha did not refer to God as such. He never said he was God either. I do not believe there are gods in Buddhism.

Anyway all the above is irrelevant. We do not have to know or learn the antecedents, the history and the different versions/schools/systems except as scholars or out of pure interest. What we are saying okay to for Catholics, is just a system of poses and postures for health and well being without any non Christian religious or spritual aspects.

You are right in asserting that Buddhism is traditionally seen as having no God or gods… but this isn’t really true for all buddhists. Buddha himself is thought of as an atheistic, but he merely did not affirm nor did he deny God. His position is more or less agnostic, but “practically” atheistic, atheistic in practice. Just to be precise for you, look at the Tibetans for example. Or Thich Nhat Hanh… who speaks of the Holy Spirit all the time. Albeit, from his own understanding.

As I began to say, there are protective deities in Tibetan Buddhism… they are called gods. And in Mahayana Buddhism there is talk of incarnation AS a god - one of the many realms of incarnation, also including humans, animals and hungry ghosts (very interesting stuff on a merely psychological level of emergence and dissolving consciousnesses. This isn’t monotheism, but it is a form of theism - sometimes taken VERY literally by the aspirants. I’ve studied buddhism for years and believe I’m correct. You may disagree. But of course, everyone has the right to be wrong.

There are so many writings attributed to the Buddha himself, but even that is a matter of bias and tradition.

I would direct you to the writings of Ananda Coomaraswamy for some interesting information about Buddha as a theist, a Hindu reformer, whose message was hijacked by atheists. It is very interesting.

 

[Moses_Goldman]

Golf may not be demonic exactly, but at the very least I can easily imagine purgatory as an extremely long golf game

Golf. Gentleman only, Ladies forbidden.

 

[ez3714]

Hurts less when gentlemen laugh at each other.

 

[severus68]

You are right in asserting that Buddhism is traditionally seen as having no God or gods… but this isn’t really true for all buddhists. Buddha himself is thought of as an atheistic, but he merely did not affirm nor did he deny God. His position is more or less agnostic, but “practically” atheistic, atheistic in practice. Just to be precise for you, look at the Tibetans for example. Or Thich Nhat Hanh… who speaks of the Holy Spirit all the time. Albeit, from his own understanding.

As I began to say, there are protective deities in Tibetan Buddhism… they are called gods. And in Mahayana Buddhism there is talk of incarnation AS a god - one of the many realms of incarnation, also including humans, animals and hungry ghosts (very interesting stuff on a merely psychological level of emergence and dissolving consciousnesses. This isn’t monotheism, but it is a form of theism - sometimes taken VERY literally by the aspirants. I’ve studied buddhism for years and believe I’m correct. You may disagree. But of course, everyone has the right to be wrong.

There are so many writings attributed to the Buddha himself, but even that is a matter of bias and tradition.

I would direct you to the writings of Ananda Coomaraswamy for some interesting information about Buddha as a theist, a Hindu reformer, whose message was hijacked by atheists. It is very interesting.

Thank you for that. I am sure you do know more than I know about Buddhism and how it is practised today. I do know of some who call themselves Buddhists but are really Taoists. I also feel/think Tibetian and Thai Buddhism are not pure Buddhism.

I thought the hungy ghosts festival is celebrated by some Chinese in August when the dead walk the earth.

Thank you for allowing me to be wrong, lol.

 

[severus68]

 

[Cran]

Yeah, like betastestint The Old Republic this weekend. nerdwomanalert

My mother plays golf and is quite as serious about it as my father.

 

[mariosang]

I am a born Roman Catholic and have respected Catholicism all my life. I have also been practicing Yoga and Meditation for over 10 years, and the practice of it has brought me much closer to Jesus Christ and made me much more aware of the Infinite Source or Commons Source (GOD) of all religions. My travels to India and Burma and other parts of Asia absorbing and understanding their beliefs and practices has made me a better Catholic but most of all a better person who can fit into, and is tolerant and understanding, non judgmental of any culture or religion as well as any situation. I pray/listen as Buddhist when I am with a Buddhist, and pray/listen with a Hindu when I am with a Hindu, and pray/listen with a Muslim when I am with a Muslim and I pray/listen with a Catholic when with a Catholic. At all other times I practice Yoga not only for health benefits but along with Meditation to “Listen to GOD” and then pray to :GOD" (ie) Jesus Christ as I have all my life.
If Yoga and Mediation are practiced regularly, and as they are intended to be, they can only increase your awareness of GOD, and therefore your awareness of what the infinite GOD is, (i.e.) Jesus Christ if you’re a Christian.
My greatest personal enlightenment is not the obvious fact that all religions have a common source, or that the Common Source is pure love, or the realization that the teachings of Jesus are no different to Buddha, these facts are “No Brainer”, but instead the more subtle fact that “whatever consciousnesses focuses on it enlivens” !

 

[ebonykawai]

This thread makes me a little sad. I’m a practicing Roman Catholic, and a Yoga Alliance Registered yoga/yoga therapy instructor. I have over 800 hours of instruction in yoga, yoga therapy, ayurveda, and meditation. I’ve been practicing hatha yoga for over 20 years, and various forms of meditation since I was 16. And I’m sure many of you will not believe me one iota, but this practice and study has made me a BETTER CATHOLIC. It’s brought me closer to God. I look back on my life and I can honestly say that I am a more compassionate person because of yoga as a spiritual practice. I’m a more tolerant person because of yoga as a spiritual practice. I’m a more joyful person because of yoga as a spiritual practice. And I’m a more obedient Catholic because of yoga as a spiritual practice. There is not ONE THING in the teachings of yoga that conflict with my Catholic faith. Not one thing. The ancient rishis, who pre-date buddhism and hinduism by the way (and sorry, yoga is not buddhist in any way, shape, or form), were not of any particular religion. They didn’t follow man-made dogmas, they listened to and followed God. They belonged to God.

Yoga is not a religion. It can most definitely be practiced only as exercies. But it’s also a spiritual practice that can bring you closer to God. That’s what it’s supposed to do. And there is not one thing in yoga that goes against the teachings of the Catholic church.

There are definitely some bizarre yoga teachers out there, I’ll give you all that! But don’t condemn a whole tradition just because some clueless teachers do happen to exist. There are clueless people everywhere.

Peace.

 

[ebonykawai]

Hello all,
I have done some research in the Encyclopedia Americana, (and a little at Wikipedia), that I thought I would share with the rest of you; based on these facts, you can decide whether or not Yoga is something you want to associate yourselves with or not.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word signifying union of the individual soul with the supreme spirit. There are several different formats designed to appeal to various temperaments, e.g., Karma-yoga for active centered minds/people; Nāna-yoga for philosophically centered people; Bhakti-yoga for emotionally centered people, etc. However, ALL formats sharing the same common goal of uniting the individual soul with the Buddhist god, Patanjah; a supposed omniscient being who is untouched by desire, misery or material attachment and is believed to be the teacher of teachers. Yoga consists of an eight-step process to attain this theistic union between the yoga participant and Patanjah.

Sorry, almost all of this is just plain wrong.

 

[ebonykawai]

Yoga postures are based on paying homage to specific Hindu gods. The teachings of the Catholic Church are based in Scripture AND Tradition. Current suggestions suggest that participating in the practice of Yoga is unwise and exposes our souls to elements outside of Christian spirituality and even dangerous. Why is it so difficult to practice obedience without demanding proof? As of now we are asked to avoid these postures so why become incensed that you are being asked to listen to the authority that probably knows more than you do?

This is completely wrong.

 

[Pitcharan]

Hear something about the origin of yoga from someone from the land of yoga:

• It was born out of a dire need by people whose only function was to eat and fatten themselves in God’s name
• These people had made it a law to be fed on all occasions including birth, marriage and death* They literally did no work but managed to rule and exploit in God’s name
• They successfully developed this ingenious method of exercising mind and body in a few minutes through postures
• They did not stop at that and went on to extend this technique for enhanced carnal pleasure (kamasutra)
• They gave it a ‘spiritual halo’ to silence their own spirit (conscience)

 

[ebonykawai]

Pitcharan:
LOL, I have no idea what this post even means.

 

[Pitcharan]

LOL, I have no idea what this post even means.

Are u so illiterate?

 

[ez3714]

That’s not nice. Mom and Dad were very religious.

 

[ebonykawai]

Has no one here ever read St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross?? They speak of the same kinds of methods of cleansing the body, mind and spirit that yoga speaks of. The 8 limbs of yoga, as well as St. Teresa’s and St. John’s writings, are methods to help the seeker receive any gift of God that He sees fit to bestow. Mysticism is a great gift from God, but one that most people feel is only for saints. It is not.

I’m sorry to see so many negative posters here. It’s sad.

 

[ebonykawai]

What it means is that somebody is going to be very vexed with us for teaching others that yoga is a blessing from God. You can practically feel them spitting with rage right now. Other than that, the post has no meaning.

How sad that you think that you yourself know the mind of God.

 

[PhilOSophia]

Nothing wrong with meditation. But ask yourself, why are they combining it with postures?

AFAIK, yoga is a deliberate attempt to gain psychic powers. This is not a healthy occupation. Sanity is precious. If you pick up a psychic ‘squatter’ or have some ammmaaaazing experiences or some false bliss or just feel you’re OK with Jesus no matter what you do, your family or friends are unlikely to be able to bring you back. In fact, you’ll think they’re the one’s who’re wrong.

 

[Cran]

Hm, doing Yoga for years, and still nothing of that sort, and if I had such experiences, I wouldn’t stop doing yoga, but see a doctor.

Do you have any source for your “gaining psychic powers”-theory?