I quit Yoga. Did I do the right thing? What does the Church say about Yoga?

[TMC]

Am I the only one who read this thread and was reminded of eating meat sacrificed to idols? It seems that this is the same issue: there’s nothing inherent in doing certain stretches and assuming the physical postures of yoga that is in any way contrary to God’s will, but such actions may be misinterpreted by others as including the hindu or new age spiritual ideas associated with yoga. Thus, if your participation in yoga is a hindrance to your brothers and sisters then refrain from it for their sake, but if it is not a stumbling block for those around you then do not be troubled over it.

Does that not seem to be the scriptural take on this issue?

This is a perfect analogy. You are probably thinking of 1 Cor 8 which directly addresses eating food sacrificed to idols. Paul says we know its OK to eat the food because we know the idols are not really gods and we are not worshiping them. But he also warns that we should be careful not to mislead others that may misunderstand.

So I would say that if yoga (or the ideas packaged with it) makes one uncomfortable, that person should find a different exercise or at least a different instructor. If one takes yoga without the philosophical seasoning, or is not troubled by it, I don’t see any problem with it.

 

[Allnamesused]

What you’ve just done is a perfect example of one tactic of obfuscation - attacking the messenger, rather than making some sort of rational argument about why you think the message is wrong. In the end it doesn’t matter one iota whom the messenger is if they speak the truth. All truth is God’s truth.

It’s also a demonstration of lack of charity - not only are you calling the Muslims nut jobs (what makes them nut jobs, just that they’re Muslim?) but you’re also implying the OP is as well.

Ussually when you have Islamist agreeing with you that a bad sign…that’s all I’m saying.

 

[inquiringmind]

Without trying to sound sarcastic, i have to reply to the people that made a ruckus over the “yoga poses” as far as exercise. Come on people! I think with these concerns, we’re looking for a demon under every doorstep (and there may be a few). If one were to take your suggestion to heart, they might as well just lie in bed all day long, or sit in a chair and not move a muscle. Oh, wait, those are yoga poses, too. I truly think most of you that are freaking out about yoga poses are trying to be sincere, but we all do a great deal of yoga poses throughout the day, even if we don’t realize we are doing them. If that’s the case, are we worshipping Hinde deities when we do (fill in the blank) in our daily lives? It sure sounds like it if we approach this from these points of views. It’s time to stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater in regards to basic, non-spiritual yoga as a form of exercise.

 

[LilyM]

What you’ve just done is a perfect example of one tactic of obfuscation - attacking the messenger, rather than making some sort of rational argument about why you think the message is wrong. In the end it doesn’t matter one iota whom the messenger is if they speak the truth. All truth is God’s truth.

It’s also a demonstration of lack of charity - not only are you calling the Muslims nut jobs (what makes them nut jobs, just that they’re Muslim?) but you’re also implying the OP is as well.

No, I did not say and was not implying in any fashion that anyone - not even you - were mad (that’s what nutjob means). I was saying and implying - correctly - that these are actually their beliefs. There are passages in the Koran and ahadith that exactly say those things in so many words, so I’m simply telling the truth about what they believe. And that people hold to such beliefs aren’t exactly the most convincing moral authorities to be quoting on any topic.

Bad and wrong is what I’m saying, not mad. And I said nothing whatsoever that reflects upon the OP - THEY weren’t quoting clerics of the Islamic faith in an effort to discredit aspects of the Hindu one. I quite agree with the OP that if they personally have problems with yoga they shouldn’t do it. Doesn’t mean the majority can’t do it safely. If they have problems with alcohol they shouldn’t drink either, THAT doesn’t mean that the majority of us can’t drink without problems.

Why exactly go that route of quoting Islamic clerics? Do we not have any Christian moral authorities who’ve spoken to the subject then? I’m just saying …

 

[Danuska]

I found the article I was looking for: Yoga in philosophy and practice is incompatible with Christianity - quite lengthy

jmanjackal.net/eng/engyoga.htm - by an Indian priest and others.

 

[Danuska]

Without trying to sound sarcastic, i have to reply to the people that made a ruckus over the “yoga poses” as far as exercise. Come on people! I think with these concerns, we’re looking for a demon under every doorstep (and there may be a few). If one were to take your suggestion to heart, they might as well just lie in bed all day long, or sit in a chair and not move a muscle. Oh, wait, those are yoga poses, too. I truly think most of you that are freaking out about yoga poses are trying to be sincere, but we all do a great deal of yoga poses throughout the day, even if we don’t realize we are doing them. If that’s the case, are we worshipping Hinde deities when we do (fill in the blank) in our daily lives? It sure sounds like it if we approach this from these points of views. It’s time to stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater in regards to basic, non-spiritual yoga as a form of exercise.

Well, not trying to be sarcastic, but it is like saying that since we look at the moon we might just as well be moon worshippers, so the conclusion is that it is OK to worship moon since some do it unconsciously.

And well, seeing how strongly you feel about it - are you practising yoga yourself? Would it be hard for you to give it up?

The Bible tells us to ‘Test everything’ in first letter to Thesallonians

19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

And from the article I pasted above:
"You will certainly find plenty of denials of any connections between Yoga and religion from some authors and instructors. Consider the following examples: “Yoga is not a religion, therefore it can be practiced in partnership with any religious belief” (Rammurti S. Mishra, Fundamentals of Yoga). “Yoga is a complete system of how to live our lives. It leads us to a whole new way of living. It is not a religion, yet it can be combined with a religion to increase the richness of any tradition” (Mischala Joy Devi, The Healing Path of Yoga). “Some people think that yoga is calisthenics, epitomized by the headstand, the lotus posture, or another pretzel-like pose. Others think it is a system of meditation. Yet others regard it, perhaps fearfully, as a religion. All these stereotypes are misleading” (Georg Feuerstein and Stephan Bodian, eds., Living Yoga). “So what is Yoga, anyway? Yoga is not just stretching, just breathing, or just meditation. It is not just crossing your legs, closing your eyes, putting your thumbs and forefingers together and chanting ‘Om…’ And it is certainly not a cult or religion” (Larry Payne and Richard Usatine, Yoga Rx).

All are recognized Yoga masters, and yet one cannot help but pause at the incongruity between their denials about religious connections to Yoga and the material they set forth in their books that clearly shows how the practice of Yoga is a formalized means to a spiritual end within the context of a distinctly Hindu worldview. And if Yoga is truly not a religion, then how do we explain the fact that Yoga plays a very prominent role in the Vedas, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Upanishads, which are Hinduism’s scriptures? So such denials are at best ignorance on the part of these authors (which is untenable in light of their status as Yoga masters) and at worst a deliberate misrepresentation of what Yoga actually is. Both explanations present some problems.
"

and another one:
“Does the Catholic Church Formally Have Anything to Say About Yoga?
Yes. In a 1989 Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation (hereafter Aspects), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith focused on various Eastern spiritual practices and the legitimacy of their inclusion into the spiritual lives of Christians. In a footnote contained in Number 2, Aspects specifically states that “The expression ‘eastern methods’ is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as Zen, Transcendental Meditation or Yoga.” So the Magisterium clearly has Yoga in mind when addressing the issue of Christians using Eastern spiritual practices.”*

 

[happilycatholic]

Performing Yoga poses makes you Hindu about as much as picking up a Bible makes you Christian.

Come on people.

This is rediculous. In order to be worshipping any god or anything, you first have to let’s see…be worshipping a god or anything.

If you are exercising, you are exercising. Period. It would be a mental process as well as a physical one. Hence my Bible example. You cannot worship Christ by merely picking up a Bible.

Further, faith is a very concious state of being, not an unconcious one.

 

[happilycatholic]

Take this into consideration:

“I have a book about walking meditation given to me by a buddhist monk. In it they suggest as you inhale you count how many steps you take then as you exhale you count how many steps you take.”

This is a form of “spiritual enlightenment” performed by Buddhist monks. According to this we can’t walk either. BUT…you could recite the Rosary while you’re doing it and Viola! It becomes Catholic meditation.

If you meditate on Christ while doing Yoga, then you are practicing a form of spiritual enlightenment in a Christian sense. It’s all about what’s on your mind at the time. You can be meditating on the evening dinner and be just fine.

Yoga only requires concentration through meditation. It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is.

 

[cathopologist]

Dear OP, if yoga repulses you so much to the point of losing your soul, don’t practice it. If touching your toes reminds you of yoga, don’t do it. In fact, avoid any exercise at all, if you want to avoid perpetual torture in a Fundamentalist’s ultimate nightmare - Hell.

“Yoga” means “yoke” since it yokes or joins one to divinity. Hindus did not devise these exercises for athletic limbering or muscle building. All were meant to lead the practitioner to enlightenment and the awareness of his or her divinity." (Catholics and the New Age, p. 33)

This is a laugh. Downright misinformative and sheer ego. Yoga is not “New Age”. It’s been around for thousands of years. A yogi does not seek union or oneness with the world. In fact, a yogi’s ultimate goal is to liberate himself from his attachment from the worldly. This is why i have always felt Westerners should just read and continue reading and learning. They never make good consultants in Eastern customs and traditions.

 

[beckycmarie]

This is a laugh. Downright misinformative and sheer ego. Yoga is not “New Age”. It’s been around for thousands of years. A yogi does not seek union or oneness with the world. In fact, a yogi’s ultimate goal is to liberate himself from his attachment from the worldly. This is why i have always felt Westerners should just read and continue reading and learning. They never make good consultants in Eastern customs and traditions.

You have some pretty harsh words for Father Mitch Pacwa, who authored those words.

A quick jaunt over to wikipedia said nearly the same thing. I guess all the people contributing to wikipedia, and all the sources they cite to back up their entries are spreading downright misinformation and sheer ego, too.

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,[7] and is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to control”, “to yoke” or “to unite”.[8] Translations include “joining”, “uniting”, “union”, “conjunction”, and “means”.

The Goal of Yoga:
The goal of yoga may range from anywhere between improved health and reaching Moksha.[58] Within the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman, or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things.[59] For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself is the ultimate goal of the yoga process, wherein perfection culminates in an eternal relationship with Vishnu, Rama or Krsna.[60]

Source: Wikipedia “Yoga” article.

 

[cathopologist]

You have some pretty harsh words for Father Mitch Pacwa, who authored those words.

A quick jaunt over to wikipedia said nearly the same thing. I guess all the people contributing to wikipedia, and all the sources they cite to back up their entries are spreading downright misinformation and sheer ego, too.

Indeed, it is unfortunate that i have to say this about Father Mitch Pacwa’s lack of study and judgment of Eastern customs and cultures. I know what wikipedia writes and i do quote from it also, but in this case, i know it is not accurate. If you were to search ‘Brahminism’ on New Advent, you will find the same inaccurate information they have about its teachings and customs. I have never read any of Father Mitch Pacwa’s works, but i don’t think i am going to since this is clear indication he lacks knowledge in these things. Besides, since when were priests infallible in knowledge? If you wish to learn and understand a culture or tradition or even a religion that is foreign, its best you learn it from the horse’s mouth - not from some outsider who thinks he knows everything.

 

[Henning]

Just my 2 cents advice (common sense) for Christians practicing yoga:

1. no hindu chanting (eg that obnoxious ‘Om Namaha Shivaya’)
2. don’t obsess over pranayama/breath control throughout the day
3. I would **not **mess around with kundalini (awakening it, moving it up and down spine etc.)

 

[beckycmarie]

1. I would **not **mess around with kundalini (awakening it, moving it up and down spine etc.)

Very good advice. Earlier in the thread I mentioned some cases of demonization resulting from yoga. The “kundalini awakening” in particular has been the cause of major spiritual harm for some folks.

 

[RosaryGirl_777]

I stopped doing yoga, because the Hindu philosophy was too intrusive and contrary to my Catholic beliefs, even though I offered my class up to God and prayed during the whole thing. I was benefitting from it physically, though; and it did help with my stress. I want to be a good Catholic example. I don’t want people to think that I ascrbe to those Eastern beliefs.

You can find yoga on dvd with out all the Hindu philosophy. Check out your library or video rental store till you find the right one for you.

P.s I like yoga too just with out the Eastern beliefs. Some times I pray the Rosary while doing yoga

 

[LilyM]

Very good advice. Earlier in the thread I mentioned some cases of demonization resulting from yoga. The “kundalini awakening” in particular has been the cause of major spiritual harm for some folks.

Your average Westerner, who like me has probably just seen a few yoga DVDs and never in their life been to a class (too expensive) - wouldn’t even know what ‘kundalini’ was let alone do anything said to ‘awaken’ it - even if instructed to do so in class.

 

[RosaryGirl_777]

Your average Westerner, who like me has probably just seen a few yoga DVDs and never in their life been to a class (too expensive) - wouldn’t even know what ‘kundalini’ was let alone do anything said to ‘awaken’ it - even if instructed to do so in class.

Ok sorry but I have to ask what is kundalini & what did they want you to do to awakening it. I’ve never heard of it before

 

[LilyM]

Ok sorry but I have to ask what is kundalini & what did they want you to do to awakening it. I’ve never heard of it before

MY POINT PRECISELY!!!

Apparently it’s part of yoga, and one of the things that those who say we should never do yoga are worried about. Like I said, I’ve done yoga after a fashion for years, I’ve heard the word but don’t know what it means, nor ever done or seen done any exercises meant to ‘awaken’ it.

 

[TMC]

Ok sorry but I have to ask what is kundalini & what did they want you to do to awakening it. I’ve never heard of it before

Its a small hard pasta. To awaken it you have to boil it in salted water, then toss it with olive oil and basil.

 

[RosaryGirl_777]

Its a small hard pasta. To awaken it you have to boil it in salted water, then toss it with olive oil and basil.

ROFL it sure does sound like pasta

 

[beckycmarie]

I would agree that most people are not so hard-core with yoga that they would attempt the “kundalini awakening,” but it does happen and people have been harmed by it.

I personally think Yoga looks really cool and relaxing, and left to my own devices would be “all up init” as my teenaged students would say.

But, I choose, out of love for God, to mortify that curiosity and not participate since it is based on Hindu worship. It is a small sacrifice I make to avoid even the appearance of breaking the first commandment. But what y’all do is your own business, since the best I can tell from the Vatican documents, you can do it if you avoid the eastern meditation part.

To me, though, separating the physical part from the eastern meditation is like trying to drink wine and avoid the alcohol. Yoga focuses so much on breathing and focusing on the body, and those very techniques are meant to bring about an altered state of consciousness.

As one Hindu writer says in the Hinduism Today article, “Yoga Renamed is Still Hindu,” (an article criticizing westerners for trying to Christianize yoga): “Hindus know where yoga came from and where it goes.”