Catholic faith and yoga - Two views in the news

[Bennie_P]

There are many different styles of Yoga, some are based on Hindu spiritualism, some are not based on anything other than physical exercise. The author, not only doesn’t make the distinction of what style of yoga he’s talking about, but calls it Hindu Yoga, which is a misnomer, because there are many different sects of Hinduism and far more different styles of yoga.

For Americans, most of us take a yoga class from the YMCA, or from a video, or even from the latest PBS series, “Yoga for the Back.” These are nothing more than physical exercises and have nothing to do with Hindu mysticism or spirituality. The exercises have great physical benefits and Catholics should not be afraid of doing this form of exercise.

Jim

Such as these classes offered at this YMCA?cambymca.org/youngadulth_yoga.html

Asana and Pranayama Yoga: Mostly asana and some pranayama. Generally, an intense pranayama practice can begin after about six months of regular asana practice. Intermediate to Advanced.

Ashtanga Yoga: A vigorous, set series of flowing poses with an intensive focus on breath. Focus on sun salutes, standing postures, seated poses, basic backbends, and an introduction to inversions. Challenging, all welcome.

Dynamic FlowYoga: This class weaves a series of yoga postures through traditional sun salutations incorporating twists, hip-openers, back bends, and inversion preparations. Working towards the integration of breath (pranayama) and movement (asana) and built on a strong foundation of inner and outer structural alignment, we will create a balanced, moving meditation. All levels; some yoga experience is helpful.

Gentle Yoga: Yoga for those over the age of 50 or beginners. Gentle poses help you reduce your stress and achieve a state of relaxation.

Hatha Yoga: An eclectic blend of Hatha yoga with a strong emphasis on breath, alignment, and on the cultivation of awareness and acceptance. A moderately paced class suitable for intermediate students and open to beginners and advanced students.

Iyengar Yoga: Focus on restorative poses and relaxation techniques. A quiet, meditative class focused on stress reduction. The class is gentle, and is open to students of all levels.

Kundalini Yoga: An ancient technology which incorporates breathing, yoga postures, mantras, mudras and meditations. These five components are used in specific combinations or sequences called Kriyas which enable the creative energy (Kundalini) to flow and circulate up the spine. Thru this process we bring together the body, mind and spirit in an integrated experience of the universal self.

Meridian Yoga: An active style of yoga that combines traditional poses with resistance stretching. Muscles contract as they lengthen creating true flexibility, strength and release of tension. As muscle groups contract and stretch they stimulate the meridians, which are the energy pathways of the body, affecting an energetic shift towards health and balance. All are welcome.

Viniyoga: Emphasis on safety and clear teaching style will put beginners at ease, while yogis of all levels will enjoy the contrast of challenging practice followed by deep relaxation. Regular attendance at these classes will give you a strong, healthy back, improved posture and body use, and greater ease in the neck and shoulders.

Vinyasa Yoga: Draws from the traditions of Ashtanga and Iyengar. This style of yoga creates a flowing experience by linking movement with the breath, building strength and flexibility, and enhancing relaxation.

Yoga postures known as Asana are an ancient part of spiritual worship in the art of yoga. It is a way of spiritual practice that involves the mind body and soul.

Confussion -

 

[Cephas1229]

In these instances, the Yoga methods seems to be religiously Hindu based, and I would steer clear. There are plenty of other means to keep fit and not have to worry about these things at all.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Such as these classes offered at this YMCA?cambymca.org/youngadulth_yoga.html

Confussion -

These are Americanized styles of yoga, and have little to do with Hindu spirituality. Relaxation techniques do nothing more than relax you. They are not getting into deep levels of transcendental mediation, as you seem to think.

Energy paths? Yes, the human body has energy paths. When you direct your thought to move your finger, electrical impulses travel through the nervous system to enable your finger to move.

We’ve been through this so many times, its starting to get frustrating to have to repeat the same argument over and over.

But I know you’ll just keep on posting over and over again your misinformation.

Jim

 

[Bennie_P]

These are Americanized styles of yoga, and have little to do with Hindu spirituality. Relaxation techniques do nothing more than relax you. They are not getting into deep levels of transcendental mediation, as you seem to think.

Energy paths? Yes, the human body has energy paths. When you direct your thought to move your finger, electrical impulses travel through the nervous system to enable your finger to move.

We’ve been through this so many times, its starting to get frustrating to have to repeat the same argument over and over.

But I know you’ll just keep on posting over and over again your misinformation.

Jim

Strange how New Age you sound, but you see Jim, I believe it is you that is spreading the misinformation. Nothing, personal because I’m assuming you truly believe that it isn’t. But when you speak of energy paths you are using New Age terminology based in such ideas as in reiki healing, yoga and other eastern spiritual practices. But you really don’t see it? or do you? Nor the danger of such practices?

Reiki is pronounced (ray-key) it is an ancient Japanese practice that uses “Universal Life Energy” or " God directed energy"

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Strange how New Age you sound, but you see Jim, I believe it is you that is spreading the misinformation. Nothing, personal because I’m assuming you truly believe that it isn’t. But when you speak of energy paths you are using New Age terminology based in such ideas as in reiki healing, yoga and other eastern spiritual practices. But you really don’t see it? or do you? Nor the danger of such practices?

No, when I speak of energy paths, I’m speaking about biophysics.

Doctors know about the nervous system and how our body uses it. This is what I’m talking about

Reiki is outside of biophysics and quit frankly, I think its baloney.

In fact, a nine year old girl did a school report about 10 years ago, with the help of her mother, who is a registered nurse, and proved reiki to be useless.

I’m sorry you have a difficult time with the idea that not everyone thinks like a fundamentalist Catholic. However, those of us who don’t agree with you, who do yoga exercise and Centering Prayer, are no less Catholic than yourself, and our love for Jesus Christ is no less then yours.

I can see you try to be a good Catholic, and try to follow doctrine to the letter, and thats admirable, I use to be the same way. However, Jesus has led me toward following the spirit of Catholic Doctrine, where the root is love and compassion. If we don’t have knowledge of the heart, but only of the literal word, we will not live it out as Christ would have us.

Pope John Paul II was the inspiration for me to begin looking at people in other religions, with love and compassion, and to understand that God loves them no less than he loves Catholics. What ever truth they have, comes from God, I have no doubt about it, and those truths have always been the same as we find in the Catholic Church. They do not have Christ, and often, it is we Christians who place the mental block in the way, for them to be open to the Holy Spirit. I chose long ago, not to be one of those mental blocks. I have no fear of eastern religion, because nothing they have will ever draw me away from Jesus Christ.

God Bless
Jim

 

[Bennie_P]

No, when I speak of energy paths, I’m speaking about biophysics.

Doctors know about the nervous system and how our body uses it. This is what I’m talking about

Reiki is outside of biophysics and quit frankly, I think its baloney.

In fact, a nine year old girl did a school report about 10 years ago, with the help of her mother, who is a registered nurse, and proved reiki to be useless.

I’m sorry you have a difficult time with the idea that not everyone thinks like a fundamentalist Catholic. However, those of us who don’t agree with you, who do yoga exercise and Centering Prayer, are no less Catholic than yourself, and our love for Jesus Christ is no less then yours.

I can see you try to be a good Catholic, and try to follow doctrine to the letter, and thats admirable, I use to be the same way. However, Jesus has led me toward following the spirit of Catholic Doctrine, where the root is love and compassion. If we don’t have knowledge of the heart, but only of the literal word, we will not live it out as Christ would have us.

Pope John Paul II was the inspiration for me to begin looking at people in other religions, with love and compassion, and to understand that God loves them no less than he loves Catholics. What ever truth they have, comes from God, I have no doubt about it, and those truths have always been the same as we find in the Catholic Church. They do not have Christ, and often, it is we Christians who place the mental block in the way, for them to be open to the Holy Spirit. I chose long ago, not to be one of those mental blocks. I have no fear of eastern religion, because nothing they have will ever draw me away from Jesus Christ.

God Bless
Jim

You know very well in yoga they are not talking bio-physics when they are talking about energy paths.

Use of the word fundamentalist is a favorite buzz word of those that want to justify unorthodoxy in belief and it is the ultimate wall building against diologue. I have no fear of non-Christians just the fear of Christians that think they may absorb and introduce non-Christian practices into the Catholic Church and try to justify it by claiming those practices were OK’d by the Church in the name of diologue. Having an understanding of others and practicing of thier religion are two total different things. You have accepted these practices with a false understanding, IMHO, because someone added Christ name to them. Many people that oppose yoga, centering prayer and other eastern philosophies, like me are people who actually used these things not as Christians and can see the true danger in them. Most, not all the references refered to on the dangers of eastern spiritualities I have used have been articles written by people that used to be Buddhist, Hindus and New Agers. People which saw the evil and falsehoods first hand, yet people like you continue to rely on the information by the people who practice these spiritualities and claim them to be good. Very disheartening, but that is Ok, for you have a free will, but just as you try to spread the falshood that this spiritualities are compatable with Catholicism and Christianity I will dispute that falshood. For it is not you I’m trying to convert nor convience, but protect others from those dangers and thier seductions.

Peace be with you.

2Co 11:13 For such false apostles are deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Bennie P;

You know very well in yoga they are not talking bio-physics when they are talking about energy paths.

That would be presumptuos for me to think that.

In the yoga and tai chi that I’ve learned, they instructors never mentioned anything other than biophysics.

Use of the word fundamentalist is a favorite buzz word of those that want to justify unorthodoxy in belief and it is the ultimate wall building against diologue.

No, “fundamentalist” is for those who take every doctrine litterally, out of context, and without the spirit from which it is meant to be taught. They are no more orthodoxed than anyone other devote Catholics.

I have no fear of non-Christians just the fear of Christians that think they may absorb and introduce non-Christian practices into the Catholic Church and try to justify it by claiming those practices were OK’d by the Church in the name of diologue.

This is your judgement, which of course in not the case with those who expressed themselves here. Myself, I have no desire to bring nonchristian practeces into the Catholic Church. In fact, I don’t think anyone in this forum who does yoga, has that goal. I think you’re painting with a broad brush.

Many people that oppose yoga, centering prayer and other eastern philosophies, like me are people who actually used these things not as Christians and can see the true danger in them.

Well then, thats the problem. When you into these things, you were not Christian. Your faith was in the eastern practice, whatever that was, and not in Christ. Such is not the case for myself or others like Fr Keating. BTW, Centering Prayer is not an eastern philosophy, despite your constant repitition of saying so.

Most, not all the references refered to on the dangers of eastern spiritualities I have used have been articles written by people that used to be Buddhist, Hindus and New Agers.

They were into things that devote Catholics aren’t going towards.

I can understand why they’re cautious. However, my faith is rooted in Christ and His Church. I don’t have to feel threatened by nonchristian religions, or those who practiced them.

People which saw the evil and falsehoods first hand, yet people like you continue to rely on the information by the people who practice these spiritualities and claim them to be good.

People like me? You know nothing about me, other than from this forum. Also, the only people I’ve ever referenced in the website, that you have attacked with figor, is Fr. Thomas Merton and Fr. Thomas Keating.

Very disheartening, but that is Ok, for you have a free will, but just as you try to spread the falshood that this spiritualities are compatable with Catholicism and Christianity I will dispute that falshood. For it is not you I’m trying to convert nor convience, but protect others from those dangers and thier seductions.

Who made you the mesiah for the Catholic Church, that you feel its your mission to protect us ignorant Catholics from the evils of nonchristian religions?

Pope John Paul II and many other leaders of the Catholic Church, dialogued with nonchristians and they learned from them, as well as present an example of true Christianity. I do nothing more.

God Bless
Jim