Child's pose stretch in abs workout

[LiturgyGuy]

I have discovered a good looking 30 minute abs workout on mensfitness.com, which looks fine and not objectionable. However, one of the last steps is to go into a child’s pose stretch. Not knowing what that was, I looked it up and have found it to be associated with yoga. The images of the stretch don’t look so bad. In the context of the workout, would it be moral or spiritually safe to do this according to the instructions and do the stretch which seems like a normal stretch position in this case?

 

[agnes_therese]

I have discovered a good looking 30 minute abs workout on mensfitness.com, which looks fine and not objectionable. However, one of the last steps is to go into a child’s pose stretch. Not knowing what that was, I looked it up and have found it to be associated with yoga. The images of the stretch don’t look so bad. In the context of the workout, would it be moral or spiritually safe to do this according to the instructions and do the stretch which seems like a normal stretch position in this case?

It’s just a stretch, hon. There are things we do every day that, if you wanted to go there, you could say are “associated with yoga.” For example, one yoga pose is lying flat on your back. I really hope no one stresses about sleeping on their back.

 

[johnnyc176]

I have discovered a good looking 30 minute abs workout on mensfitness.com, which looks fine and not objectionable. However, one of the last steps is to go into a child’s pose stretch. Not knowing what that was, I looked it up and have found it to be associated with yoga. The images of the stretch don’t look so bad. In the context of the workout, would it be moral or spiritually safe to do this according to the instructions and do the stretch which seems like a normal stretch position in this case?

I have always thought that if you are not incorporating the damaging spirituality while doing the stretches then its not yoga it’s just stretching. However it might not be as simple as that and there is some very good material out there with information to be aware of…

spiritualdirection.com/2014/01/29/what-is-yoga-catholic-perspective-part-i

spiritualdirection.com/2014/02/19/what-is-yoga-a-catholic-perspective-part-ii

ephesians511blog.com/2014/11/05/an-indian-catholics-problems-with-the-condemnation-of-yoga-are-answered/

and here is a podcast on the subject…

divineintimacy.libsyn.com/podcast/problems-with-yoga

 

[KendraDZ1902]

It is just a stretch. Do it or don’t do it. I will say that stretching before and after working out is a good idea, though.

 

[agnes_therese]

I have always thought that if you are not incorporating the damaging spirituality while doing the stretches then its not yoga it’s just stretching. However it might not be as simple as that and there is some very good material out there with information to be aware of…

spiritualdirection.com/2014/01/29/what-is-yoga-catholic-perspective-part-i

spiritualdirection.com/2014/02/19/what-is-yoga-a-catholic-perspective-part-ii

ephesians511blog.com/2014/11/05/an-indian-catholics-problems-with-the-condemnation-of-yoga-are-answered/

and here is a podcast on the subject…

divineintimacy.libsyn.com/podcast/problems-with-yoga

And aren’t those all talking about a spiritual dimension? Which you would have to incorporate intentionally.

Sometimes a stretch is just a stretch.

 

[johnnyc176]

And aren’t those all talking about a spiritual dimension? Which you would have to incorporate intentionally.

It does speak to the danger of starting out with the mindset that it is ‘just exercise.’

Yoga’s religious and spiritual end is often forgotten or denied in a Western context; most people see it simply as a physical form of exercise. Such a simplification is unwarranted and dangerous. As we will see, reducing yoga to a mere beautifying technique frequently creates ugly effects.

However, to the question of whether one can separate the religious element from it is a question that we at SpiritualDirection.com would have to answer “no” to. I think if you are interested in learning, which I have no doubt you are, you should read the entire series and stick with us to the end as Liz suggested.

And the podcast I linked to addresses that question.

 

[agnes_therese]

Well, then, I hope you have an encyclopedic knowledge of all yoga positions, so that you can avoid accidentally using the many that are incorporated in other exercise programs. And don’t forget not to lay flat on your back!

 

[Catholic1954]

Go stretch. If the name “Child’s Pose” bothers you, call it something else, like Bob.