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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bouligny
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bouligny

Guest
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.
 
Yoga is about health. you can be catholic and practice yoga.

I am in the RCIA currently and I asked a similar question about buddhist meditation.
 
I regularly attend yoga. In fact, I’ve taken yoga from a Catholic instructor from my parish before!
Although some studios or teachers focus on hindu teachings (it originates in a religious hindu practice) you should be able to find a class or a studio near you that does not, if that makes you uncomfortable. Often yoga classes taught at gyms (rather than independent yoga studios) are less “religious” and focus more on the exercise benefits.
Although I don’t believe in chakras or hindu gods, I view the classes where they get mentioned a lot as a learning experience. Education about other religious traditions is not a bad thing, and they have no effect on my yoga practice!
 
Bouligny said:
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.
Click to expand...
I think you did the right thing by quitting. You should look into Pilates instead. 🙂
 
algebra said:
Yoga is about health. you can be catholic and practice yoga.
Click to expand...
No you cannot. You have been misinformed by people who don’t know any better.
algebra said:
I am in the RCIA currently and I asked a similar question about buddhist meditation.
Click to expand...
There are many RCIA instructors who are very liberal and can be ignorant about a lot of things Catholic. They are misinformed and therefore you are misinformed.

If someone wants to relax and excercise there is a good alternative in Pilates.
 
AlegreFe said:
No you cannot. You have been misinformed by people who don’t know any better.

There are many RCIA instructors who are very liberal and can be ignorant about a lot of things Catholic. They are misinformed and therefore you are misinformed.

If someone wants to relax and excercise there is a good alternative in Pilates.
Click to expand...
I may try Pilates. Thank you. I think that the Holy Father has warned against Eastern centering meditation. Am I wrong?
 
Nuance said:
I regularly attend yoga. In fact, I’ve taken yoga from a Catholic instructor from my parish before!
Although some studios or teachers focus on hindu teachings (it originates in a religious hindu practice) you should be able to find a class or a studio near you that does not, if that makes you uncomfortable. Often yoga classes taught at gyms (rather than independent yoga studios) are less “religious” and focus more on the exercise benefits.
Click to expand...
I have heard the same thing but nonetheless will stay away from even those.
Nuance said:
Although I don’t believe in chakras or hindu gods, I view the classes where they get mentioned a lot as a learning experience. Education about other religious traditions is not a bad thing, and they have no effect on my yoga practice!
Click to expand...
That is what you think. If someone gave you a glass of orange juice and told you it had poison in it but that the poison would not have an affect on you because of the benefits of the orange juice, it would still affect you. If someone gave you orange juice with poison in it but didn’t tell you about the poison, and you drank it because of the benefits of orange juice, it would still affect you.
 
Bouligny said:
I may try Pilates. Thank you. I think that the Holy Father has warned against Eastern centering meditation. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
You are not.

JESUS CHRIST: THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE
A Christian reflection on the “New Age”

It’s quite the document to read through, but very enlightening!

As for centering prayer- it is rather controversial. It is a banned topic, so I cannot discuss it here, but do a search for “centering prayer” in the “spirituality” forum.
THIS is the response you want to read.
As is THIS responseforums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=11533&highlight=centering+prayer
As well as THIS response
Here is an AAA response regarding the practice
Here are the search results for the entire forum

Here are AAA answers regarding Yoga
 
AlegreFe said:
I have heard the same thing but nonetheless will stay away from even those.

That is what you think. If someone gave you a glass of orange juice and told you it had poison in it but that the poison would not have an affect on you because of the benefits of the orange juice, it would still affect you. If someone gave you orange juice with poison in it but didn’t tell you about the poison, and you drank it because of the benefits of orange juice, it would still affect you.
Click to expand...
I like that analogy!
 
That’s not really an apt analogy. Listening to other people talk about other religions is not guaranteed to have an effect on a person. I know I am strong enough in my faith that I know that hearing someone mention a chakra while I am stretching will not change anything about my faith.

Of course, if Bouligny was uncomfortable with it and felt it had a detrimental effect on his or her faith, then by all means he or she should quit.
 
Nuance said:
That’s not really an apt analogy. Listening to other people talk about other religions is not guaranteed to have an effect on a person. I know I am strong enough in my faith that I know that hearing someone mention a chakra while I am stretching will not change anything about my faith.

Of course, if Bouligny was uncomfortable with it and felt it had a detrimental effect on his or her faith, then by all means he or she should quit.
Click to expand...
I am going to have to disagree.
False religions are insidious and and creep into one’s psyche and spiritual practice. It is better to have nothing to do with them and reject their false teachings outright than to think there is “no harm” in learning about them.
 
Bouligny said:
I may try Pilates. Thank you. I think that the Holy Father has warned against Eastern centering meditation. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
No you are not wrong.

I did a quick search and found many articles. This is just one of them; A Closer Look at Centering Prayer where I found this;

What Does Pope John Paul II Say About This Type of Prayer?

In Cardinal Ratzinger’s booklet, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, he quotes the Pope. On p. 34, footnote 12, he writes "Pope John Paul II has pointed out to the whole Church the example and doctrine of St. Teresa of Avila who in her life had to reject the temptation of certain methods which proposed a leaving aside of the humanity of Christ in favor of a vague self-immersion in the abyss of divinity. In a homily given on November 1, 1982, he said that the call of St. Teresa of Jesus advocating a prayer completely centered on Christ “is valid even in our day, against some methods of prayer which are not inspired by the gospel and which in practice tend to set Christ aside in preference for a mental void which makes no sense in Christianity. Any method of prayer is valid insofar as it is inspired by Christ and leads to Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (cf. John 14:6). See Homilia Abulae habita in honorem Sanctae Teresiae: AAS 75 (1983) 256-257].

I hope that link works for you.
 
Nuance said:
That’s not really an apt analogy. Listening to other people talk about other religions is not guaranteed to have an effect on a person. I know I am strong enough in my faith that I know that hearing someone mention a chakra while I am stretching will not change anything about my faith.
Click to expand...
That’s exactly what Satan wants you to believe. You are playing right into his hands and you don’t even know it. There are many poisons that work gradually with time and will not kill you instantly. That is how Satan works, slowly and gradually. That is why I do not believe in tolerance of other religions or “ways of life.” Tolerance can lead to desensitization and therefore can lead to death of a soul.
 
I’m really concerned about the misinformation you’re spreading, AlegreFe. This has been covered in AAA: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=189264
Fr. Vincent Serpa:
If people are simply using Yoga relaxation amd stretching and breathing techniques, there is no problem. I suspect that this is all that is being done. But Catholics must not engage in any Yoga theory or beliefe system.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
Click to expand...
As I said, if Bouligny was made uncomfortable, then it was a wise decision for her to quit, but there is nothing inherently wrong with doing yoga.

As for being intolerant of other religions and ways of life, I think you should look to your Savior for the example for how to behave towards those who are different or sinful.
 
Nuance said:
I’m really concerned about the misinformation you’re spreading, AlegreFe. This has been covered in AAA: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=189264
Fr. Vincent Serpa:
If people are simply using Yoga relaxation amd stretching and breathing techniques, there is no problem. I suspect that this is all that is being done. But Catholics must not engage in any Yoga theory or beliefe system.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I am not spreading misinformation so please do not say that I am. There is no need for concern unless it’s for yourself.

Father is saying if that is all they’re doing. He doesn’t know if that’s all they’re doing. You said yourself that things are mentioned in the classes you have attended. And you already read my comment about how it affects you whether you know it or not.

Why even bother attending a yoga class whether it is meditative centered or not. Just look into something else like Pilates or something.
Nuance said:
As for being intolerant of other religions and ways of life, I think you should look to your Savior for the example for how to behave towards those who are different or sinful.
Click to expand...
You don’t even know what you wrote do you? Your sentence is inconsistant. You have “religion” and “ways of life” and then you write about how I should behave towards “those who” are different, meaning people. Read your comment again. You have two different things. I said I do not tolerate religions and different ways of life. I did not say that I do not tolerate the people who are from a different religion. They just don’t know that’s all. They are ignorant of the truth. I don’t like that they have been told lies. And that those people have also been told lies… and down the line from where the lies first started. I don’t have to tolerate that. And I don’t have to “like” other people’s religions. I just have to respect those people that have those different religions.
 
AlegreFe said:
You don’t even know what you wrote do you? Your sentence is inconsistant. You have “religion” and “ways of life” and then you write about how I should behave towards “those who” are different, meaning people. Read your comment again. You have two different things. I said I do not tolerate religions and different ways of life. I did not say that I do not tolerate the people who are from a different religion. They just don’t know that’s all. They are ignorant of the truth. I don’t like that they have been told lies. And that those people have also been told lies… and down the line from where the lies first started. I don’t have to tolerate that. And I don’t have to “like” other people’s religions. I just have to respect those people that have those different religions.
Click to expand...
I think Nuance may be responding to my post:
“I am going to have to disagree.
False religions are insidious and and creep into one’s psyche and spiritual practice. It is better to have nothing to do with them and reject their false teachings outright than to think there is “no harm” in learning about them.”
 
One of the main reasons I am no longer Cathoic is because of the compromises The RCC has made throughout the centuries.
Those that have counseled against this are correct.
 
PatienceAndLove said:
I think Nuance may be responding to my post:
*“I am going to have to disagree.
False religions are insidious and and creep into one’s psyche and spiritual practice. It is better to have nothing to do with them *and reject their false teachings outright than to think there is “no harm” in learning about them.”
Click to expand...
No. Nuance has addressed me by my name “AlegreFe” in the post following mine right here. If you read my post (linked) then read those following posts you will see it is clearly towards me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top