Can Catholics participate in yoga?

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Vis_Fati said:
None of this is advocacy of these cultures. Darth Vader means “Dark Father” in German. Han Solo is an on-his-own mercenary, hence his name “Solo.” Luke, who saves the world from darkness, means “light.” etc. etc.
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Must be an old dialect form of German you’re referring to, because dark is dunkel in German. “Vadder” is familiar to me as a dialect form for father, though, but it would be prounounced differently (no long a).
Even the meaning of Luke is not as clear-cut as you put it, it is only seldomly the English short-form for Lucianus, but more commonly for Lukianus, which means: Someone from Lukanus.
We shouldn’t go overboard in seeking similarities everywhere.

To refrain from hijacking: I do yoga and bellydance. I have become neither muslim nor hindu in the process. It is just exercise to me.
As far as I am aware, there is really no prohibition or consensus about yoga, only that catholics shouldn’t practise the spirituality. It is, imho, a very common misunderstanding that yoga refers only to the positions, while yoga is a whole lifestyle with specific rules for diet, exercise, lifestyle and spirituality. The spirituality is to be avoided, not the exercise.
(For what it is worth, a priest of the neocatechumenate told me the same.)

If we take it too far, we resemble in a strange way those fundamentalistic bible thumpers who refuse to celebrate christmas, easter or the feast of the saints because of “pagan practices”. Who cares if the sun was a symbol of a thousand ancient deities? They all can be only a dim shadow of the true sun, Christ.
 
Vis_Fati said:
Precisely how many people practicing yoga do you think are demon-possessed?
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I could not venture a guess. I am not an exorcist.

But I would highly recommend benign stretching exercises instead of anything that involves yoga poses. 👍
 
Ahimsa said:
So if someone is able to show that a certain Catholic or generally Christian practice originated amongst non-Christians in connection with non-Christian (or non-Jewish) religious ideas, then that practice should be avoided?
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Hello Ahimsa,

Please refer to the second half of my response to Severus, (Post #36).

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight2:
 
Mickey said:
I could not venture a guess. I am not an exorcist.

But I would highly recommend benign stretching exercises instead of anything that involves yoga poses. 👍
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So I guess Santeria is out of the question?

j/k :whackadoo:
 
daCatholicGuard said:
Hello Ahimsa,

Please refer to the second half of my response to Severus, (Post #36).

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight2:
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So if the Church one day says that yoga (free of non-Christian spirituality) is “A-OK”, you would be fine with that?
 
When I do yoga exercises, I listen to oldies, and many times recite a full Rosary, so despite the many “witch hunters” out there such as the one on Women of Grace, I feel totally fine in my choice for exercise. I’ve had a major back surgery and 18 lumbar epidurals and all of the surgeons and therapists I’ve been to have recommended yoga exercises in order to keep stretched and limber.

When I was in Chicago in May, I attended mass at Holy Name Cathedral where the Cardinal is present - in the parish bulletin was the schedule for their own yoga class! I guess that the Cardinal and other bishops just don’t realize they should listen to the nay sayers!:eek:
 
kozlosap said:
When I do yoga exercises, I listen to oldies, and many times recite a full Rosary, so despite the many “witch hunters” out there such as the one on Women of Grace, I feel totally fine in my choice for exercise. I’ve had a major back surgery and 18 lumbar epidurals and all of the surgeons and therapists I’ve been to have recommended yoga exercises in order to keep stretched and limber.

When I was in Chicago in May, I attended mass at Holy Name Cathedral where the Cardinal is present - in the parish bulletin was the schedule for their own yoga class! I guess that the Cardinal and other bishops just don’t realize they should listen to the nay sayers!:eek:
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👍
 
kozlosap said:
When I do yoga exercises, I listen to oldies, and many times recite a full Rosary, so despite the many “witch hunters” out there such as the one on Women of Grace, I feel totally fine in my choice for exercise. I’ve had a major back surgery and 18 lumbar epidurals and all of the surgeons and therapists I’ve been to have recommended yoga exercises in order to keep stretched and limber.

When I was in Chicago in May, I attended mass at Holy Name Cathedral where the Cardinal is present - in the parish bulletin was the schedule for their own yoga class! I guess that the Cardinal and other bishops just don’t realize they should listen to the nay sayers!:eek:
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Oh my gosh, 18 lumbar epidurals! God bless you!

Thanks for your comment about “the one on Women of Grace”. I thought, maybe, I was the only who felt that way.

I think, the point not being picked up here: there is yoga for exercise/stretching only, and has no ties to Eastern spirituality.
 
daCatholicGuard said:
Hello Severus,

The general consensus being the consul offered to us by various priests, bishops and cardinals; after all, our church donations go towards their support; you wouldn’t want them to think of themselves as ill-used by not paying any attention to them, would you? :rolleyes:

I didn’t set the date of December the 25th to be recognized as the official celebratory date for the birth of Christ; the Catholic Church, in Her wisdom, (that far exceeds everybody else’s here), set that date- who am I to argue with it?

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight2:
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Hi,
If there was that general consensus that you speak of, the Church would have said no yoga. We should not be afraid of the unfamiliar just because it is unfamiliar.
 
kozlosap said:
When I do yoga exercises, I listen to oldies, and many times recite a full Rosary, so despite the many “witch hunters” out there such as the one on Women of Grace, I feel totally fine in my choice for exercise. I’ve had a major back surgery and 18 lumbar epidurals and all of the surgeons and therapists I’ve been to have recommended yoga exercises in order to keep stretched and limber.

When I was in Chicago in May, I attended mass at Holy Name Cathedral where the Cardinal is present - in the parish bulletin was the schedule for their own yoga class! I guess that the Cardinal and other bishops just don’t realize they should listen to the nay sayers!:eek:
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I hope your back is fine now.

It is sad that so many say we must listen to what the Church says and do not follow their own advice.
 
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.

ALL forms of yoga are pagan theistically based with the single exception of Sāmkhya-yoga; which is actually atheistic in nature; denying the existence of a God, rather it focuses on the relationship between consciousness and matter. However, ALL forms of yoga including Sāmkhya-yoga are tantric, i.e., doctrinally focused. So, in this light, all forms of yoga should be avoided since they are all idolatrous in one form or another.

In the ocean of confusion that comprises the contemporary era, (when even some of the shepherds are running around, “doing their own thing”), I am not surprised that yoga can be found in a few Catholic parishes; however, for a practice as old as yoga is; one might want to ask themselves why it was never implemented in any Catholic parishes until recently, (the last 25 to 30 years). (This is a rhetorical question; please don’t try to rationalize it).

I am basically bed-ridden myself; I can only stand or sit-up for around 10 to 25 minutes at a time and then I have to lie down or recline for 30 to 45 minutes before I can be up again and the window of “up time” decreases as the day wears on. The only times I ever leave my house is to go to doctors two or three times a year- so I know what pain is. Not a waking hour goes by that I am not in some degree of pain, discomfort or physical awareness.

So I am very sympathetic to those who are practicing yoga for medicinal reasons. However, I would try my level best to seek out other exercise routines; there are plenty of stretching exercises that should prove helpful that do not involve actual yoga techniques.

This is definitely an area you would want to discuss with an orthodox priest or spiritual advisor since it is beyond my capacity to advise you. However, something to consider is it might be better to live with some of the pain, (and offer it up to God for the conversion of sinners), than to risk offending God with idolatrous activities, (whether you see them that way or not does not negate what something is in reality). As our dear Lord told us, it is better to go into Heaven with one hand and one eye, (or a sore back), than to have your whole body cast into Gehenna.

Just some food for thought; I’ll take my leave now. 🙂

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight2:
 
daCatholicGuard said:
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.

ALL forms of yoga are pagan theistically based with the single exception of Sāmkhya-yoga; which is actually atheistic in nature; denying the existence of a God, rather it focuses on the relationship between consciousness and matter. However, ALL forms of yoga including Sāmkhya-yoga are tantric, i.e., doctrinally focused. So, in this light, all forms of yoga should be avoided since they are all idolatrous in one form or another.

In the ocean of confusion that comprises the contemporary era, (when even some of the shepherds are running around, “doing their own thing”), I am not surprised that yoga can be found in a few Catholic parishes; however, for a practice as old as yoga is; one might want to ask themselves why it was never implemented in any Catholic parishes until recently, (the last 25 to 30 years). (This is a rhetorical question; please don’t try to rationalize it).

I am basically bed-ridden myself; I can only stand or sit-up for around 10 to 25 minutes at a time and then I have to lie down or recline for 30 to 45 minutes before I can be up again and the window of “up time” decreases as the day wears on. The only times I ever leave my house is to go to doctors two or three times a year- so I know what pain is. Not a waking hour goes by that I am not in some degree of pain, discomfort or physical awareness.

So I am very sympathetic to those who are practicing yoga for medicinal reasons. However, I would try my level best to seek out other exercise routines; there are plenty of stretching exercises that should prove helpful that do not involve actual yoga techniques. This is definitely an area you would want to discuss with an orthodox priest or spiritual advisor since it is beyond my capacity to advise you.

Just some food for thought; I’ll take my leave now. 🙂

Oremus pro invicem,

Sean C. :knight2:
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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.
 
I agree about avoiding yoga to a certain extent. The practice is potentially dangerous even when attending a secular class. That class may accidentally lead to a worship class and instead of walking out, you may feel pressured to keep and opened mind and participate. From there you’ll realise there was nothing harmful there at all and GOD has more than one name and there are many paths to find him and you’ve just chosen the Catholic path and a new way to magnify your faith. Pretty soon you’ll be like George Harrison writing letters to your family explaining that your cult practices help reinforce your love for Christ and then you’ll end up talking smack about the church in ****** songs! Haha.
 
Since people have gotten themselves in a theological knot over the word “yoga”, can we just call it stretching exercises and relaxed breathing done to whatever music that we like (oldies, classical, Gregorian chant, etc) or focus on the Rosary while doing our “stretching exercised” or “relaxed breathing”? Would that settle the debate or would someone worry themselves into more knots because we were stretching, breathing, and maintaining poses that might possibly be used to worship some pagan deity? 🤷
 
Morgan_Hiver said:
I agree about avoiding yoga to a certain extent. The practice is potentially dangerous even when attending a secular class. That class may accidentally lead to a worship class and instead of walking out, you may feel pressured to keep and opened mind and participate.
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IMHO, if you don’t have enough strength of character to walk out when something is wrong—well, you have other serious problems.
 
I’d actually like to get trained as a yoga instructor and totally revamp everything…the names of the poses, the whole self-realisation aspect and all that other pagan nonsense. I’d like to make it wholly Catholic…Gregorian chant playing in the background, lit candles, iconography all around, etc… I’m not sure if it’d really take off, as most people seem to be offended by Christianiaty, especially Catholicism, but for some reason they do not have a problem with embracing new age cults - like all of those that bought into the deception of Eat, Pray and Love. Perhaps the Taize Prots would be more accepting of this form of Christ based stretching and strengthening technique.
 
Morgan_Hiver said:
I’d actually like to get trained as a yoga instructor and totally revamp everything…the names of the poses, the whole self-realisation aspect and all that other pagan nonsense. I’d like to make it wholly Catholic…Gregorian chant playing in the background, lit candles, iconography all around, etc… I’m not sure if it’d really take off, as most people seem to be offended by Christianiaty, especially Catholicism, but for some reason they do not have a problem with embracing new age cults - like all of those that bought into the deception of Eat, Pray and Love. Perhaps the Taize Prots would be more accepting of this form of Christ based stretching and strengthening technique.
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👍 But remember that some Catholics get just as offended if something that is wholly Catholic is presented in a way they personally don’t care for.
 
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