Is yoga demonic or no?

[maxdouglas402]

Maxdouglas, I think you already know the answer to your question. It has been said that yoga can be practiced if you do the physical exercises without participating in the spiritual aspect (which I personally think would be very difficult but perhaps some can do it.) HOWEVER, you say you have had troubles in the past with evil spirits. So for you personally this is not a good idea and the worries that you have are either from your own conscience or promptings from your guardian angel. I would heed the warning.

thank you for helping me realize this and thank you to everyone else who has posted

Im not saying yoga is evil, but I just don’t feel comfortable to test the waters. I guess Im going to have to deal with the injuries until I find a better solution.

jmanjackal.net/eng/engyoga.htm

This website helped clear some things up for me as well.

Are there any alternatives to yoga that do not alter the conscience in any way?? (I might need to start to new forum on this topic…)

I just dont understand how yoga can help my body feel that “good soreness” that I’ve been looking for for years, yet I feel so uncomfortable with the idea of where it came from. There has got to be an alternative that helps align the body, and stretch and strengthen the muscles

 

[johnnyjones]

I was informed that there is no teaching in the church against yoga.

I discovered that even if the Hindu’s claim that yoga is offered up to their gods, there really is only one God, The Holy Trinity.

I started a yoga class last night at myyogaonline.com and the teacher kept speaking of the body healing itself, and finding that inner divine. I completely ignored her teachings but I followed the movements and physical aspects of what she was teaching.

I strangely woke up in the middle of the night last night and was wide awake.

Im wondering if yoga affects the mind more than it affects the spirit, or vice versa, or neither. They speak of teaching the body how to fix itself. Somewhat like a neural reboot. I felt this might have affected my spiritual life. Or maybe I was just being paranoid.

Again, I completely ignore the philosophies of yoga. I merely focus on what they tell me to do physically. But sometimes when Im in a relaxed laying down position it seems like they start bombarding me with their philosophies. In a calm voice they say, “let that inner divine come out.” Or something along those lines.

I have experienced some troubles in the past with evil spirits so I was definitely worried when I entered into it. But I woke up this morning and felt this great soreness on my muscles that I was looking for. I have a lot of injuries from football and yoga seems like it can really help.

Any advice? (sorry for such a long post)

Just don’t empty your mind and fill it with new age junk. While doing yoga fill your mind with prayer and devotion.

 

[CrimsonThorn]

I’m with RC and whoever else said it was impossible to seperate spirituality from Yoga (which is also from the mouths of Catholic priess and the Hindu priests).

Yoga is false and all about religious practice, even if it claims it is not.

 

[pwlj_christ87]

i would stay away and listen to the church official about this.
there are plenty of other excercises you can do why put your self in danger?

 

[R_C]

Yet you mandate his word for all Catholics. That’s contradictory. And hypocritical.

Wow All I did was quote the words of a priest whose ministry was and is to directly confront demons. As someone with a very, very scant knowledge of how exorcisms work, I can at least tell that you do learn about how Satan works in the world, and how he disguises himself. What do me and you know about Satan’s works and thoughts? If he says yoga can have negative consequences and can be used by Satan against us, even in the case that I don’t agree with all he says I’m still keeping his advice under consideration, since he knows what he’s talking about, while we really don’t So I am not saying: “stop doing yoga because Fr. Amorth says so”, all I am saying is that I’d rather refrain from it, since I don’t need it.

But by all means, do as you please

 

[Daizies]

Or if you still want to do yoga, but don’t want the Hindu or New Age stuff, there are several books and DVD’s on Christian Yoga on Amazon

 

[maxdouglas402]

Or if you still want to do yoga, but don’t want the Hindu or New Age stuff, there are several books and DVD’s on Christian Yoga on Amazon

see now this is thought provoking. Are these Christian yoga practices really separate from the Hindu yoga practices? I really don’t know where to draw the line

I would really enjoy these if they’re considered separate, but if not I personally can’t allow myself to get involved in it.

amazon.com/Yoga-Prayer-Father-Thomas-Ryan/dp/B0007Q6R04/ref=pd_sim_b_4

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Wow All I did was quote the words of a priest whose ministry was and is to directly confront demons. As someone with a very, very scant knowledge of how exorcisms work, I can at least tell that you do learn about how Satan works in the world, and how he disguises himself.

I’ve already read several books and articles on the subject. I’m particularly familiar with Amorth’s reputation. It is skewed and the man’s claims really do need a bit of salt.

It is just as much a mistake to see the devil everywhere as it is to deny his existence.

Alas, my experience on this part of the forum shows how a moderate view seems hard to digest because people like clutching to their emotional security blankets.

So I am not saying: “stop doing yoga because Fr. Amorth says so”, all I am saying is that I’d rather refrain from it, since I don’t need it.

Your original post says otherwise. Care to read it again please?

Since we don’t need yoga in our life, we should refrain from it.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

see now this is thought provoking. Are these Christian yoga practices really separate from the Hindu yoga practices? I really don’t know where to draw the line

I would really enjoy these if they’re considered separate, but if not I personally can’t allow myself to get involved in it.

Just do what you’ve been doing. Monkey-see-monkey-do.

I personally do kuji-in hand seals at times both to snap myself into focus… and for geeky lulz.

http://mongolian-tiger.tripod.com/s...builderpictures/.pond/kujiin.jpg.w300h225.jpg

 

[TheHolyTrinity]

Just do what you’ve been doing. Monkey-see-monkey-do.

I personally do kuji-in hand seals at times both to snap myself into focus… and for geeky lulz.

http://mongolian-tiger.tripod.com/s...builderpictures/.pond/kujiin.jpg.w300h225.jpg

These hand symbols are based on Taoist esotericism as I am sure you are well aware.

For those that are not aware Kuji-in, is a ritual practice which primarily leads to the development of psychic abilities.

Nine is seen in Taoist divination - Nine Symbols = Nine Seals = Nine Gates = Nine Chakras = Nine Levels of Consciousness

Kuji-in hand symbols do not mix well for Catholics.

 

[R_C]

May I rephrase it, then?

Since we don’t need ___(fill in the blank)___in our life, we should refrain from it.

Is it such a bad idea to refrain from what we don’t need It is pretty much like giving up the superfluous

 

[CrimsonThorn]

It is just as much a mistake to see the devil everywhere as it is to deny his existence.

Would you say that St Paul made a mistake and spoke in error when he said that the very air we breathe is filled with evil spirits and if we could see all the fallen angels they would blacken the sky?

 

[lavinialuna]

I have health problems and have lived in pain for 10 years. I found a yoga dvd and have found it amazingly healing. I feel better than I have in years. The instructors don’t preach any religious views yet prompt the viewer to relax, and to breath deep as the oxygen is healing.
I have often prayed during yoga, and it makes the experience even more amazing. Once I felt Mary’s presence so strongly during yoga it moved me to tears.
I hope and pray that yoga is acceptable to my Lord as I seek health and less pain in my body and I never want to offend him.

 

[maxdouglas402]

Father Mitch was on the air yesterday 10/24 and said he tried to integrate yoga with Christianity but it is incompatible. I think I trust Father Mitch on this one.

itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ewtn-open-line/id86588633
13:00-17:00

I think Im switching over to pilates

 

[Veronica97]

Father Mitch was on the air yesterday 10/24 and said he tried to integrate yoga with Christianity but it is incompatible. I think I trust Father Mitch on this one.

itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ewtn-open-line/id86588633
13:00-17:00

I think Im switching over to pilates

Good for you!

 

[starshiptrooper]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with yoga positions. When I was going to college at Thomas Aquinas College, a friend of mine injured his back and neck. My Mom suggested some yoga positions that were an effective remedy for the problem.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

These hand symbols are based on Taoist esotericism as I am sure you are well aware.

They’are also used in Shinto… as well as by ninjas and Oriental fantasy characters.

They are not exclusive to religious practices any more than the cassock is exclusive to Catholicism.

Read again: “…geeky lulz.”

May I rephrase it, then?

Still off-base. People depend on exercises such as Yoga for health benefits. What you deem as unnecessary for yourself is not always so for others.

Another problem with this section: People enforcing their brand of spirituality on others.

I suggest you ditch the ‘we’ instead.

Would you say that St Paul made a mistake and spoke in error when he said that the very air we breathe is filled with evil spirits and if we could see all the fallen angels they would blacken the sky?

You’re talking about a man who likes to exaggerate to the point that he would use a foul world to describe a life without Christ.

So no I would not suggest him mistaken. You are though.

 

[R_C]

Personally, I am not saying that yoga does not work or that people won’t experience some sort of benefit. I am actually very glad that some have benefited from it.

But my concern is with the majority who goes to these practices without having a real need, or even worse, with the clear desire to open themselves to some sort of spiritual experience.

Everything that is good comes from God, and God can take even evil things and make good come out of them.

The concern here is: can Satan work through these things?

The answer, it seems, is yes.

I think that if we do not need yoga (and even if we have some sort of injury, aren’t there alternatives that do not carry spiritual risks? Of course there are.) and we are just looking into, it’s better to refrain from it.

I have done some research and found two official documents of the Church on these topics:

• Orationis Forma
• A Christian reflection on New Age (mentions yoga)

concentration on the physical aspects of meditation “can degenerate into a cult of the body” and equating bodily states with mysticism “could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations.”

Some of the traditions which flow into New Age are: ancient Egyptian occult practices, Cabbalism, early Christian gnosticism, Sufism, the lore of the Druids, Celtic Christianity, mediaeval alchemy, Renaissance hermeticism, Zen Buddhism, **Yoga **and so on.

 

[CrimsonThorn]

You’re talking about a man who likes to exaggerate to the point that he would use a foul world to describe a life without Christ.

So no I would not suggest him mistaken. You are though.

What exactly have I mistaken? It seems you’re not even talking about anything relevant to the discussion, but rather take a liking towards going against the grain on any subject and simply telling people they’re wrong for the sake of doing so, or even worse, when people like RC are offering REASONABLE advice, you seem to want to dissuade people from that.

It seems like because YOU do yoga you want to sway people to succumb to YOUR brand of spirituality, and because you do it, it must be OK.

For anyone reading anyhing Lost Wanderer posts, Id be weary and question this user’s motives here on these forums.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

What exactly have I mistaken? It seems you’re not even talking about anything relevant to the discussion, but rather take a liking towards going against the grain on any subject and simply telling people they’re wrong for the sake of doing so, or even worse, when people like RC are offering REASONABLE advice, you seem to want to dissuade people from that.

Really? All I see is concession.

It seems like because YOU do yoga you want to sway people to succumb to YOUR brand of spirituality, and because you do it, it must be OK.

I don’t do yoga.

I just find that, after seeing so many threads like this in the past, those who evangelize against it have only a poor record of logical consistency.

One of the funniest post I can remember is where one poster said that because the same position we use to search under the coach is a Yoga position, good Catholics must refrain from kneeling or getting on the floor or risk possession.

For anyone reading anyhing Lost Wanderer posts, Id be weary and question this user’s motives here on these forums.

See my profile? I would think people have seen me post here longer than you. Cool off.