Catholics and yoga?

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stanncie

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Is there anyone on here that practices yoga seriously? If so, do you feel it’s ok as long as you don’t embrace the spiritual side of it?

I have gotten various answers to this and i’m really confused.
I take yoga once in a while and really enjoy it but i feel that i want to become more serious with it meaning practicing it more often and more seriously.

Would this be ok? or is it dangerous spiritually?

I love to exercise and to do different types of training such as dancing, weights, kickboxing etc but none of them really provide the stretching i need except yoga… :confused:
 
stanncie said:
Is there anyone on here that practices yoga seriously? If so, do you feel it’s ok as long as you don’t embrace the spiritual side of it?

I have gotten various answers to this and i’m really confused.
I take yoga once in a while and really enjoy it but i feel that i want to become more serious with it meaning practicing it more often and more seriously.

Would this be ok? or is it dangerous spiritually?

I love to exercise and to do different types of training such as dancing, weights, kickboxing etc but none of them really provide the stretching i need except yoga… :confused:
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From what I’ve understood from the books I’ve read and the speakers I’ve heard - hatha yoga only is workable, however a person would need to make sure that there were no Eastern, Hindu or New Age components. Also, the people teaching the hatha yoga would need to be carefully scrutinized and the individual would need to be very discerning.
 
As long as you are doing it for the exercise aspect, it is not a sin. It’s sort of like listening to a modern song with anti-Catholic lyrics. If you listen to the song for only the music and don’t put any weight in the lyrics or imitate the lyrics, fine. If you’re able to walk that line, great.

This question comes up with some frequency in the Ask An Apologist section of the forum.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=14225
 
thank you both, i guess no one here has practical experience with this?

the yoga instructors i’ve had seem to be accommodating regarding the spiritual side of it always saying the chants are optional but obviously talking about the spirituality side of it during the poses so i’m still pretty confused lol. I think i’ll just take classes casually as i’ve been doing
 
Remember, yoga has deep spiritual roots in Hinduism and eastern non-Christian beliefs. Even if you are not doing it with the intention of worship to these Eastern deities, you are still posing in a way that does. Sadly, even many Catholic churches offer yoga classes.
I recommend Pilates instead. Looking at a quick history of Pilates you will see that it was designed for physical benefits and has no ties to spirituality. Plus, it is more effective from what I understand 🙂
 
MercyMia said:
Remember, yoga has deep spiritual roots in Hinduism and eastern non-Christian beliefs. Even if you are not doing it with the intention of worship to these Eastern deities, you are still posing in a way that does. Sadly, even many Catholic churches offer yoga classes.
I recommend Pilates instead. Looking at a quick history of Pilates you will see that it was designed for physical benefits and has no ties to spirituality. Plus, it is more effective from what I understand 🙂
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thank you mercy that is a good suggestion ! I currently cannot go to pilates because i’m working when it’s scheduled at my gym but this changes constantly so i’m sure i will get an opportunity.
beckycmarie said:
Some opinions from the saint.mike.org spiritual warfare Q&A you might find helpful:

“Christian” Yoga

Yoga, Martial Arts Spiritualism

Is Martial Arts Okay?
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thank you becky those links were very helpful 👍
 
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