Is yoga demonic or no?

[Michael_Mayo]

 I firmly agree with these statements and this is basically what the Vatican says.

Then how do you account for:

That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.

ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfmed.htm

 

[Hello_everyone]

Please stay away from Yoga, New Age Religion, New Age Buddhism and things like that… I was most interested in them some years ago while still going to a Christian church… But i eventually stopped going to the Christian church… yoga didn’t seem to me to be a big deal, or New Age things, but they were… Over time I forgot all about God and Jesus, I started to regard Christians as odd people and disliked the cross, I grew paranoid and selfish and had a lot of problems and became rather depressed, low and felt lazy and exhausted…It is only recently I have come back to my senses thanks to Jesus and realise how dodgy these things are. Please steer clear. Pray to Jesus, God and the Holy spirit about exercise, there will be some better alternatives for you.

I initially thought it was great… Felt so relaxed etc, etc… But in fact I gained weight! I later read how some people have had fatal strokes following Yoga… if you dig deeper you’ll find Yoga is drawing people towards New Age religions and ‘other gods’. It’s very dodgy.

Steer clear! sorry the message is a bit scary, but I wish I hadn’t got into it myself, it’s taken a lot of love from Jesus, God and the Holy spirit to get me back on track and feeling brighter.

It’s awfull prevalent these days and hailed as a fabulous way to exercise… Don’t believe it, xxx

Sending love X

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

I later read how some people have had fatal strokes following Yoga…

If there are fatal strokes associate with yoga, I’m not familiar with them. There have been some cases where people have had strokes, but there are specific reasons for it. Some people push themselves too far too fast; a person should not be done advanced positions if there body is not ready for it. Doing so can cause damage.

However, this is nothing specific to yoga. If you are 5’3" and weigh 275 lbs., don’t start running for speed. If you just start weightlifting, don’t throw 300 lbs on the rack and try to bench press it. The person doing the exercise has to do the necessary prep work to work up to these things.

if you dig deeper you’ll find Yoga is drawing people towards New Age religions and ‘other gods’. It’s very dodgy.

In my experience, people that are not firm in their beliefs are easily lead astray.

It’s awfull prevalent these days and hailed as a fabulous way to exercise… Don’t believe it, xxx

It’s one of many exercises. Take the good from it, and incorporate it with other exercises to design a program that is beneficial to your body.

 

[Hello_everyone]

Thank you for your reply.

I am not familiar with the catholic stance on this, but from previous posts and references to the Vatican’s opinion it sounds like they have it right…

Therefore, It depends upon whether you see Yoga as linked to another religion or not. The alignment of the chakras through the postures for me links it to other religions.

But then, why my concern about mixing Christianity with other religions?

Well, here goes…

You shall not have strange gods before me. (Exodus 20:3 CPDV)

Do not be willing to worship any strange god. The jealous Lord is his name. God is a rival. (Exodus 34:14 CPDV)

You shall not have strange gods in my sight. (Deuteronomy 5:7 CPDV)

You shall not go after the strange gods of all the Gentiles, who are around you. (Deuteronomy 6:14 CPDV)

And do not choose to go after strange gods, so that you would serve them and adore them. And do not provoke me to wrath by the works of your hands. And then I will not afflict you. (Jeremiah 25:6 CPDV)

And no wonder, for even Satan presents himself as if he were an Angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14 CPDV)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the directors of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12 CPDV)

in order to open their eyes, so that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the remission of sins and a place among the saints, through the faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:18 CPDV)

If we claim that we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, then we are lying and not telling the truth. (1 John 1:6 CPDV)

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and partakers of the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:21 CPDV)

And how can Christ join together with Belial? Or what part do the faithful have with the unfaithful?
Because of this, you must depart from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean. Then I will accept you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:15, 17, 18 CPDV)

And we can be sure that we have known him by this: if we observe his commandments. Whoever claims that he knows him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3, 4 )

…

These scriptures come to mind when I think about Yoga.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

In my experience, people that are not firm in their beliefs are easily lead astray.

I am 58 years old and heve been doing yoga (on and off) since I was 20.
If anything it brought me back into the Church and closer to Christ.
Since then I have been a faithful Catholic.

As I already posted form the CDF the Church teaches that it can be “a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace.”

And Nostra Aetate
(2) The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html

If someone associates Yoga with anything they cannot reconcile with the faith then don’t do it. But do not judge others who do not make the same negative associations. Yoga is a tool for stress relief and relaxation. It does not require any other belief. What one does when relaxed can be prayer.

After a little yoga the mind is clearer and more alert. The Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy or any prayer at all can be prayed with less distraction. In fact, yoga is incarnational. It can be a way to honor God with our body. It is all in our intention. We genuflect, prostrate, lift our hands in the house of God. With yoga we can take it further.

And the fact is that yoga has nothing to do with any gods.

In the oldest references to yoga it is a method in pantheistic metaphysics. Classical yoga uses it in a mind (Purusa)/body (Prakriti) dualism. Then again in later yoga of Vedanta it is used again in a pantheistics view. It is a method, a tool, a technique for relaxation that can be used in any religion or philosophy or none at all.

Again, if you have a problem with it, don’t do it.

But it is not demonic.

I have been doing it for 38 years, still close to Christ, still Catholic, still do other forms of Catholic prayer including Rosary and Liturgy of the Hours. When I am relaxed I can focus on the Lord better. That is a defenite benefit of Yoga.

Don’t try to lay guilt on others. (Not you Warriormonk. I have appreciated your comments)

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

In my case, I use yoga solely for stretching. My breathing exercises are from practicing qi gong.

 

[BluesPicker]

“How wrong you are. I use plenty of sacramentals, and in particular love my collection of Rosary beads which are used in praying my daily Rosary. My understanding of the definition of a sacramental was faulty. Point taken.”

How do you reconcile this with your previous statements:

Some people are called by God to a life of prayer. The Lord calls them and they are obedient.

You make all these leaps and bounds contradicting yourself  accusing those who are called to a life of  prayer as if it is an affliction.  Yet you don't even know what sacramentals are.

 And  you accuse me of  supporting street gangs and Satantists?

 The topic of this thread is "Is yoga demonic or no."

 Yoga itself is born from a pagan religion that pays homage to demons.  Some Catholics and Christians, and others have  become possessed from practicing Kundalini yoga.

 The demon of  Kundalini stated in an exorcism "the more painful the position and posture I force this person into the more comfortable it is for me."   

  Actually the more a demon tortures a person the more it is punished by God; but it's hate for humans is satisfied.  Hate that a person can't even imagine.

  What the Church worries about is the spirituality that is imparted in learning and practicing yoga.  

  It is like stretching and breathing techniques are confined to yoga and yoga is the only way.

  And,  I can discuss this without making ad hominens.

Seriously,  I don't understand why sacramentals and sacraments or the practice there of by Catholics is brought to the table here.

   It is almost as if some equate  Catholic religious practices on the same level as yoga and have the audacity to do so in a Catholic Spirituality forum.

  Yoga is a spiritual & physical practice, true yoga that is.  Yoga is derived from Hinduism which is a pagan religion that worships demons.

    You can't deny that yoga is inspired by demons.

  To refute the last 3 statements is just lying to one's self.

 I have posted several posts with documents that discuss yoga written by Catholic priests and  Cardinal Ratzinger  but  near one proponent of  yoga practice has even read one.  

  There is a hidden agenda to promote yoga practice and completely ignore the Church's warnings  that prevails in this thread.

   Lastly,  just look at  India and the horrible state of that country have to live in.  Hinduism has foster poverty, ignorance,  disease, and filth.  Don't believe me, go and see. Drink from the Ganges as bodies float by.

   The world emerged from a great darkness because some nations embraced Christ. And  I am certain many will disagree with this.   But it is true.

BP

 

[Michael_Mayo]

Greetings Blues Picker, I appreciate this opportunity to clear up a few misconception.

Yoga itself is born from a pagan religion that pays homage to demons.  Some Catholics and Christians, and others have  become possessed from practicing Kundalini yoga.

 The demon of  Kundalini stated in an exorcism "the more painful the position and posture I force this person into the more comfortable it is for me."   

  Actually the more a demon tortures a person the more it is punished by God; but it's hate for humans is satisfied.  Hate that a person can't even imagine.

What evidence do you have that:
#1 Yoga pays homage to demons

The fact is that yoga has nothing to do with any demons.

#2 People have become possessed from practicing yoga

That would be hearsay and pure speculation, spurious conjecture.

#3 Kundalini is a demon

Kundalini is a mythical energy in every human being. There is actually no scientific evidence that it exists and no evidence what so ever that it is a demon. That would have to mean that we all have a latent demon within our nervous system. Do you believe that?

You can’t deny that yoga is inspired by demons.

Sure can. What makes you even think that?
You should study some history if Indian philosophy before making such misleading statements.

I have posted several posts with documents that discuss yoga written by Catholic priests and Cardinal Ratzinger but near one proponent of yoga practice has even read one.

I have. Much of it is hearsay. What does the church actually teach about yoga?
Did you read my links to CDF?

That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.

ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfmed.htm

There is a hidden agenda to promote yoga practice and completely ignore the Church’s warnings that prevails in this thread.

Not promoting, but defending from misconceptions. That’s all.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

 The demon of  Kundalini stated in an exorcism "the more painful the position and posture I force this person into the more comfortable it is for me."   

  Actually the more a demon tortures a person the more it is punished by God; but it's hate for humans is satisfied.  Hate that a person can't even imagine.

Yoga is supposed to be slow and gentle, not torture. That would be forcing it and doing it wrong. But even as we learn a musical instrument and train our hands to difficult chords it can be a little painful at first. But then it becomes easy.

 

[LilyM]

“How wrong you are. I use plenty of sacramentals, and in particular love my collection of Rosary beads which are used in praying my daily Rosary. My understanding of the definition of a sacramental was faulty. Point taken.”

How do you reconcile this with your previous statements:

Some people are called by God to a life of prayer. The Lord calls them and they are obedient.

You make all these leaps and bounds contradicting yourself  accusing those who are called to a life of  prayer as if it is an affliction.  Yet you don't even know what sacramentals are.

 And  you accuse me of  supporting street gangs and Satantists?

 The topic of this thread is "Is yoga demonic or no."

 Yoga itself is born from a pagan religion that pays homage to demons.  Some Catholics and Christians, and others have  become possessed from practicing Kundalini yoga.

 The demon of  Kundalini stated in an exorcism "the more painful the position and posture I force this person into the more comfortable it is for me."   

  Actually the more a demon tortures a person the more it is punished by God; but it's hate for humans is satisfied.  Hate that a person can't even imagine.

  What the Church worries about is the spirituality that is imparted in learning and practicing yoga.  

  It is like stretching and breathing techniques are confined to yoga and yoga is the only way.

  And,  I can discuss this without making ad hominens.

Seriously,  I don't understand why sacramentals and sacraments or the practice there of by Catholics is brought to the table here.

   It is almost as if some equate  Catholic religious practices on the same level as yoga and have the audacity to do so in a Catholic Spirituality forum.

  Yoga is a spiritual & physical practice, true yoga that is.  Yoga is derived from Hinduism which is a pagan religion that worships demons.

    You can't deny that yoga is inspired by demons.

  To refute the last 3 statements is just lying to one's self.

 I have posted several posts with documents that discuss yoga written by Catholic priests and  Cardinal Ratzinger  but  near one proponent of  yoga practice has even read one.  

  There is a hidden agenda to promote yoga practice and completely ignore the Church's warnings  that prevails in this thread.

   Lastly,  just look at  India and the horrible state of that country have to live in.  Hinduism has foster poverty, ignorance,  disease, and filth.  Don't believe me, go and see. Drink from the Ganges as bodies float by.

   The world emerged from a great darkness because some nations embraced Christ. And  I am certain many will disagree with this.   But it is true.

BP

Where to start? Ok - first of all you do not appear to know the difference between USE of something and ABuse or MISuse of it. I suggest you acquaint yourself with the dictionary definitions of those words. I can quite consistently say that I use sacramentals often while at the same time they can be misused or abused by others.

The point is that to breathe in a certain way or put my body in certain postures is, like any spiritual practice, something that can be either used or misused/abused.

Then please kindly reread the posted excerpts of documents which state

a) the church rejects nothing which is good in other religions - including Hinduism; and

b) Eastern meditation techniques (which includes such things as Zen and the meditation techniques of yoga) may be profitably used by Christians - ie they are not in and of themselves wrong.

Now a simple logical process:

A) burning incense as an act of worship to the One True God = good
B) burning incense because it smells pretty = morally neutral
C) burning incense as an act if worship to a false god = bad

In the same way:

A) doing physical exercise and breathing (including yoga-style techniques) as a means of enhancing one’s worship of the one true God (as documents provided by previous posters have told us is permissible) = good
B) doing yoga-style exercise and breathing as a means purely of enhancing one’s physical
well being = morally neutral
C) doing the same as an act of worship to a false god = wrong.

NB: one does not worship without the comscious intent of doing so, otherwise no-one would be able to enact, for example, a scene of a child’s baptism on stage or screen without the poor infant really being baptised, at least sometimes!

 

[BluesPicker]

LilyM,

    Other than your divining or however you arrive about at this false picture of my disposition on the abuse and use of sacramentals,   I don't see the connection of this to the topic of this thread.  I certainly hope and pray that you are not attempting to equate sacramentals with yoga.  However, your last post was clearer than some of the previous ones.

I felt much like you at one point. The Church says pretty much the same thing as you. Just doing exercises is beneficial. The trouble is exposure to non-Christian spirituality.

People have unconsciously given consent for demons to occupy their body.

I have a few documents attached including some written by Indian Catholic priests & other experts.

Michael Mayo,  it is your duty to learn your Catholic Catechism & tenets of  our Catholic Faith.    I posted here out of Christian charity.

YOGA IS A HINDU MEDITATION TECHNIQUE WHOSE GOAL IS UNION WITH THE BRAHMAN OR THE IMPERSONAL ABSOLUTE. WHILE IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE FOR HINDUS TO EITHER WORSHIP THEIR DEITIES OR INDULGE IN THE PRACTISE OF YOGA, FOR CHRISTIANS TO DO SO IT WOULD MEAN TRANSGRESSING THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WHICH IS TO “HAVE NO OTHER GOD” THAN THE PERSONAL GOD OF THE BIBLE.
CHRISTIANS WHO PERFORM YOGA OR OTHER HINDU RITUALS MIGHT SUFFER HARMFUL SPIRITUAL AND EVEN PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES BROUGHT ON BY THE “ELEMENTAL POWERS” THAT MAY BE ATTACHED TO THE DEITIES OR THEIR SYMBOLS AND RITUALS.
SEVERAL CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF SUCH OCCURRENCES ARE PROVIDED IN THE REPORT
“DANCING AND BHARATANATYAM IN THE MASS”, PAGES 107 THROUGH 121, AND IN “BHARATANATYAM - I”, PAGES 93 THROUGH 107. BHARATANATYAM IS A HINDU DANCE.

FOR INFORMATION ON YOGA, PLEASE READ:
SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR AND THE ‘ART OF LIVING’ SEPTEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 ephesians-511.net/documents/ravishankar.doc
YOGA - A SUMMARY JANUARY 2007
ephesians-511.org/documents/TCT_1_YOGA.doc
YOGA MARCH 2007, UPDATED DECEMBER 2009
ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA.doc
SURYA NAMASKAR, GAYATRI MANTRA, PRANAYAMA, YOGA MEDITATION TO BE MADE COMPULSORY IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MARCH/APRIL 2007 ephesians-511.net/documents/SURYA NAMASKAR AND YOGA.doc
YOGA IN THE DIOCESE OF MANGALORE APRIL 2007, UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2007
ephesians-511.net/documents/DIOCESE OF MANGALORE_ YOGA.doc
SURYA NAMASKAR, PRANAYAMA, YOGA ASANAS AND YOGIC MEDITATION AT ST. PETER’S COLLEGE, AGRA - AN ENTIRE CATHOLIC SCHOOL GOES THE YOGA WAY APRIL 2008 ephesians-511.net/documents/A%20CATHOLIC%20SCHOOL%20GOES%20THE%20YOGA%20WAY_SURYANAMASKARA-YOGA%20AT%20ST-%20PETERS%20COLLEGE-%20AGRA.doc
YOGA - WHAT DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAY ABOUT IT? APRIL 4 & 5, 2009 ephesians-511.net/documents/YOGA_WHAT%20DOES%20THE%20CATHOLIC%20CHURCH%20SAY%20ABOUT%20IT.doc
TRUTH, LIES AND YOGA BY ERROL FERNANDES
ephesians-511.net/docs/TRUTH_LIES_AND_YOGA_BY_ERROL_FERNANDES.rtf
YOGA, SYNCRETISM, INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE BY ERROL FERNANDES
ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA_SYNCRETISM_INTERRELIGIOUS_DIALOGUE_BY_ERROL_FERNANDES.doc

 

[Michael_Mayo]

  Michael Mayo,  it is your duty to learn your Catholic Catechism & tenets of  our Catholic Faith.    I posted here out of Christian charity.

I am well aware of “Catholic Catechism & tenets of our Catholic Faith”
You did not post Church teaching, only hearsay from a few individuals with a bitter taste and axe to grind.

I have been doing yoga for 38 years.
It has been nothing but a blessing, bringing me closer to Christ and back into His Church.

Thank you for the dialogue,

 

[Chantal25]

The one that feel that Yoga has done nothing but blessings to them, i could have written this myself about many new age modality. In truth, when i resumed to church, I had no intention to give up some of the healing modality such Reiki or Yoga or even the Angel Reading that i was doing. I judged them to be good and a great value to serve God. I was still considering myself Catholic because i believe what they thought (Sacrament, Jesus the son of God, Mother Mary a virgin) still except that i modernized it in my own distorted perception. I didn’t feel guilty or even consider anything wrong with Reiki, Yoga, and many old modality such Feng Sui.

Mother Mary said, that we needed to go back to church and go to confession. So i did but still under the spell of New Age.

One thing, i always wanted to please God, when i read some of the Message of Mother’s Mary, i started to have greater clues that my believes weren’t right or should say** my assumed new founded truth were indeed a great deception.**

I also found out that two people were praying for me fervently. They liked me and they were worry about me with my New Age involvement. So clearly, new age isn’t what guided me back to church, but prayer from others and our blessed Mother Mary.

**I read a message from Mother Mary that we needed to pray to be shown our wrong doing and to pray to have remorse. **I did this, and it is when that it began for me. Meaning my freedom from this illusion that i was caught. So, when i had this guilt, i went back to confession and this time, this priest did a special prayer for me, and i felt it. I wasn’t all of sudden free but it was a major step. I had to meet again with him and he conducted a more intense prayer and i had to do homework before this.

Month after of persevering, i can feel this amazing gift when i go to receive the Eucharist and this amazing feeling when l leave the confession, just when i was a little girl.

I came to realize that it is far more precious to do God’s Will then being right, i am rediscovering the bible and so many precious teaching from the Saints and the Church.

Some of what that had leaded me the wrong way even though i was convinced that i had a strong faith.

-I didn’t believe everything from the Old testament because it changed the God that i was perceiving (Unconditional love wonderful and nurturing). I didn’t understand God’s plan and his will, but i wasn’t wrong about him to be unconditional love, wonderful, merciful and nurturing. I had strong faith in the church but not the old bible.

-I proclaimed myself an expert because i have read the bible, i participated to pastoral class, one year training prior to be a missionary etc… Not only that i had a big ego clearly thinking this way but i deprived myself from learning more. One new things that i discovered lately is that when you humble yourself, the bible speaks to you all the time. It is like a garden that grow always. A message that meant something to you months ago, will deliver you a new message for you. I thought that since i figured out the bible and i was good at it, that nobody else could teach me.

-I couldn’t accept the concept that if you were Catholic you would go to Heaven and the other great amazing people wouldn’t . I saw and experienced Catholic people that weren’t nice and actually awful. I knew compassion people from different Religion. I didn’t understand again God’s message. I understand it better and i now finally accept to be little and let God teach me always. I understand more the message of Jesus to pray for others and our responsibility to do so.

So this concept that if you have a strong faith, you will be ok, need to be reevaluate. Meaning, it is important to see if there isn’t any disguise ego in there. **I don’t disagree with this, if you have strong root but even a plant with strong root can be pulled and transplant else where. **

New Age promote self empowerment. Opposite of humble ourself.

I highly recommend to read sister Faustina’s diary. It is bringing to me great insight about myself and how much i need to allow Jesus in my heart and to transform me.

God is please with the little and the humble. I was like this as a child because i had no self es time and i thought everyone were far more important then me. I remembered when i was a teenager, i had no identity still and i would seek to copy others that i would feel were a success, i let myself being arrogant and compared myself to others as i observed from a lady. I would judged how they dress etc… completely ego, isn’t it. Well, i remembered clearly feeling like the spirit of God leaving me, just like that.

Anyway, some message for me, is seek to do God’s will more then being right, stay little and pray to love God more.

Blessings and love!

 

[Michael_Mayo]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and journey through New Age practices and Mary, Chantal25. I have very little knowledge of Reiki and Feng shui and no knowledge of Angel Reading so I will not speak to them.

My own experience and journey has been one of God’s grace working through yoga. I was a hedonistic, pot smoking, alcohol drinking, girl chasing, selfish young college student. Yoga helped me to relax, look within and consider my life style. I studied yoga and Buddhist philosophy seriously and have a good idea of what they are truly about…and what they lack. In that tranquility of soul it was quite easy for me to acknolwdge my need for Christ and His Church. Yoga continues to help me to come to the poverty of spirit wherein I can sincerely call upon the Trinity from the heart without the distractions that often encumber us.

Yoga is nothing but a tool to relax the body and mind.

Once that inner tranquility is established one has a choice on what to do with it, just as we always have choices in our daily lives.

No New Age philosophy is needed.
No Yoga philosophy is required.

In fact, those philosophies have changed and there are differences, just proving that one can believe whatever one wants and still use the tool.

God can use yoga even as the CDF has stated:

That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.
ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfmed.htm

Let me remind everyone that the concept of a soul that lives on independently from the body comes from Plato, a pagan. It is a pagan philosophy the Church has accepted. Aristotle was also a pagan. That did not stop St Thomas from drawing upon his philosophy, his pagan philosophy.

Blessings and peace.

 

[Chantal25]

Dear Michael, i can understand more where you are coming from. I used to have many clients with the challenge that you faced and the New age Modality helped them to stay away from those obvious armful choice. I understand more why you believe in yoga, it was this step that helped you to realize about harmony, kindness and compassion toward life and give you peace. Having experienced this with clients, it was another reason why i didn’t think it was wrong. I have seen so many clients suicidal, in poor shape, and you can name it and after a session, feeling alive again. Well, i didn’t understand again God’s message and took it in my own hand to spare others from suffering.

You know someone that go on rehabs, they are given drugs to help them to wear out the effect of the other drug so they don’t get sick. In your case, yoga helped you and it brought you balance and some sanity, for this, it was a life saving. I understand why you have full faith in Yoga because it brought you far more peace then your previous choice.

I am not sure how to say this without offending anyone, but Yoga saved your physical life because it offered you another alternative to cope with life and brought you this feeling of well being. If you don’t detach from the spiritual aspect of it, it is your soul that is in grave danger this time. It was good for you, so you can start to honor your health but now, you need to honor your soul. Our physical life here on earth is nothing, there isn’t anymore turning back once we die.

The homely of this weekend was about this fig tree that didn’t produce fruits. Someone plead to give it time, that they would do something else to help it. So it could have more chance to produce fruits the following year. God is love, unconditional love, merciful but there will be a time where we will have this last chance and no more.

Yoga as many healing modality, can lead to be a tree that produce deception and even no fruits.

We are so so so loved. I was so so loved too, so loved, but i know without a doubt, if i wouldn’t have been given more chance, i would have die as a bad tree.

Blessings!

 

[BluesPicker]

I am posting the document attachments again. The links in previous post are different.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

If you don’t detach from the spiritual aspect of it, it is your soul that is in grave danger this time.

That seems to be the nugget here, Chantal25, the physical can most certainly be detached from the spiritual aspect.

Long before Catholics burned incense, Hindu devotees were doing it in worship of Ganesh.
Long before Catholics ring bells, Buddhists were doing it praying to Buddha.
Long before Catholics played music and sang in liturgy, pagans were doing it in their religions.
Long before Catholics made vows of poverty & chastity, Sunyasins & Yogis were doing it in India.

What exactly is the danger you see?

Peace be with you.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

I am posting the document attachments again. The links in previous post are different.

Not quite, some are a repeat and these are a mixture of Catholic documents and other people’s opinions. Much of it is misrepresentation.

If you really want to make a statement, quote a church document condemning yoga.

 

[Chantal25]

I understand your points (incense, bell, etc) and for this, i cannot argue with you and i never did since i started to post in this thread. My concern is only the fine line of it.

You can pray for a god (such Ganesh as you said) or pray the living God. Prayer is not what make our intention good or bad it is a way to communicate with God or for others their gods. Neither burning incense, or ringing bell, etc… is bad. You can do the exercise of Yoga and you can do the breathing of yoga to achieve what you said about the peace of mind and improvement within your physical body. For this, it is like a tool as you said.

I know well that Yoga enhance the chakra, promote the kudalini, it gives you a high, etc… I can only separate the exercise or breathing **if i isolate YOGA from it period.
** As you need to separate the Ganesh from the incense.

I am curious since that you have been doing yoga for so long, if you are still a student or you are a teacher, or a trainer or even have your own healing center?

Anyway, just be careful and don’t under estimate the power of it. I am thrill for you that you found your faith back to God.

All the best!

 

[Michael_Mayo]

No, Chantal15, I wish I were more consistent with it though. At this point I do a few simple stretches for my legs and back, a few twists for my spine and posture, a few deep breaths before prayer.

When I feel as though I need it I will do a more thorough routine (about 30 minutes). The older I get the more important flexibility, balance and strength become. In older adults lack of flexibility, balance and strength are causes of many injuries.

And because I am not consistent I do not do any of the more challenging stretches or postures.

Thanks for your interst and sharing.