Priest explains why yoga and new age are dangerous

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cjforJesus said:
There are literally hundreds on this forum promoting Gopi Krishnas contention that ALL spiritual experiences involve an unknown force called kundalini. I asked a Carmelite friar and he says kundalini has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit or mystical experiences.What is it then? Some say it is a psycho spiritual energy and some claim it is an intelligent cosmic “Christ consciousness”,sort of a hive mind that people are accessing.
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I have very little knowledge about kundalini so I don’t know what people think it is. I would tend to agree with the Carmelite Friar if this is his position.

Phil St, Romain also seems to attack such beliefs about Kundalini in his forum and from what I can tell, rejects the practice. So, I don’t know how he is attributed with promoting it, unless he was involved with it in his past and had a conversion experience which drew him away. I don’t know.

Perhaps what you read by him is from his past before conversion ? Ask him at his website, he’s just about always available.

I was never interested in Kundalini, so I didn’t bother reading through the threads and debates thoroughly at Phil’s website.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
I have very little knowledge about kundalini so I don’t know what people think it is. I would tend to agree with the Carmelite Friar if this is his position.

Phil St, Romain also seems to attack such beliefs about Kundalini in his forum and from what I can tell, rejects the practice. So, I don’t know how he is attributed with promoting it, unless he was involved with it in his past and had a conversion experience which drew him away. I don’t know.

Perhaps what you read by him is from his past before conversion ? Ask him at his website, he’s just about always available.

I was never interested in Kundalini, so I didn’t bother reading through the threads and debates thoroughly at Phil’s website.

Jim
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After an admittedly brief perusal of Philip’s website, it appears to me that he is not backing away from his own kundalini experience or the notion that it can happen, only that his interpretation of what he experienced has matured now with the passing of time. He now seeks to completely distance himself from any notion of syncretism, and with this I wholeheartedly agree. I see no particular conversion on his part: It appears he was and remains Catholic.

Of course it is fine that you or anyone else would not be interested in these things. Regarding my own meager interest in this subject, I agree with what Camaldolese Father Thomas Matus stated in Yoga and the Jesus Prayer:

“This question has nothing to do with syncretism. I personally have no interest in the attempt to blend Christianity with Hinduism or Buddhism into some kind of higher synthesis. Nor do I see any need to adopt the outward trappings of Asian culture (clothing, diet, etc.) along with its spiritual disciplines. ** What is at issue for me is the use of yoga as an aid to dedicating my whole being to Christ and in fulfilling Christ’s law of loving service to my neighbor.”**
 
cjforJesus said:
now you are saying yoga is a prayer? I thought is was just stretching? I have nothing against ANY religion and do not presume I am better than anyone but you and many others are spreading the belief of a spiritual paranormal experience and union with God that may NOT be compatible with your faith. The heart of HInduism revolves around reincarnation and achieving liberation from the cycle of reincarnation by having a kundalini experience whether it be from breathing and exercises or being touched by a guru who already has the force. and that cannot be reconciled with the belief in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

I spoke with a very kind Carmelite friar who is a contemplative and asked him about kundalini.He said it is NOT the same as Christian contemplation at all.
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I’m just making general comments, that may or may not agree with your specific views. I’m not committed to keeping completely up on the thread, but that didn’t stop me from posting. Sometimes I wonder why I put up with myself? 😛

MS
 
For me, a “true Gospel” is one that produces fruit of the spirit, out of my previously anxious state.
 
cjforJesus said:
now you are saying yoga is a prayer? I thought is was just stretching? I have nothing against ANY religion and do not presume I am better than anyone but you and many others are spreading the belief of a spiritual paranormal experience and union with God that may NOT be compatible with your faith. The heart of HInduism revolves around reincarnation and achieving liberation from the cycle of reincarnation by having a kundalini experience whether it be from breathing and exercises or being touched by a guru who already has the force. and that cannot be reconciled with the belief in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

I spoke with a very kind Carmelite friar who is a contemplative and asked him about kundalini.He said it is NOT the same as Christian contemplation at all.
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Yoga can be prayer just as stretching, running, dance and many other activities involving the body can be prayer.
Prayer is an attitude fof the heart:
2559 "Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,” are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. “Man is a beggar before God.”

What God does with it from there by any means or force, whether you want to call it normal, paranormal, natural or supernatural is God’s business. But it is a gift we must be open and ready to receive.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
There is Yoga Exercise, which most Americans do, and Yoga which incorporates Hindu Spirituality.

The later is generally what people who attack Yoga as being dangers are thinking of. The former, they have no idea about.

I’ve done Yoga exercises for many years and there is nothing spiritual about it. In fact, the Power Yoga routine I do is a good work out.

Just as Cardinal Raitzinger once wrote, we don’t reject what is good in Eastern Religions, just because they are not Catholic, but in fact use them for the good they do.

Yoga exercise is probably the best form of exercise a person can do for a life time.

Jim
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I took it at my parish but it’s since disbanded. Do you say “Namaste”?
 
Faith1960 said:
Our teacher told us to fold our hands, bow and say Namaste, that kind of made me wonder if it was ok or not.
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It’s just a greeting or farewell expression.

Personally, I haven’t taken any Yoga Classes, I don’t plan to.

I trained in martial arts and Tai Chi in the past and following Allen Finger’s DVD Yoga Zone was easy enough.

They say Namaste, and other terms, but like in Martial Arts which instructors just spoke poor Japanese, my guess is they’re better off just speaking English.

Jim
 
Every time I hear the term Namaste – including from some Hindu inlaws – I think of the comedy movie God Bless America where a man and a girl teamed up to kill all the terrible and the annoying people who need to die, including “people who say ‘namaste’.” hee hee
 
Faith1960 said:
Our teacher told us to fold our hands, bow and say Namaste, that kind of made me wonder if it was ok or not.
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“I bow to the divine in you.”

Namaḥa means ‘bow’, ‘obeisance’, ‘reverential salutation’ or ‘adoration’[11] and te means ‘to you’ (dative case). Therefore, Namaste literally means “bowing to you”.

If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, as Catholicism teaches, there should be no problem.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
“I bow to the divine in you.”

Namaḥa means ‘bow’, ‘obeisance’, ‘reverential salutation’ or ‘adoration’[11] and te means ‘to you’ (dative case). Therefore, Namaste literally means “bowing to you”.

If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, as Catholicism teaches, there should be no problem.
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👍
 
Interesting discussion. Let me just add my two cents. First off, there are many types of Yoga, but the most common type practiced in the West today are the physical type or Hatha yoga systems. Generally, speaking those are pretty benign systems and require no special beliefs to enjoy the benefits they offer. The idea that Yoga could open one to demonic possession is inconsistent with Yoga philosophy. Yes, Yoga does open you and expand you in a way, but the vast majority of people who practice will tell you it has been a very positive and blissful experience for them. In the case of the entity possessed woman, it seems that she was all ready possessed before her Yoga practice as she had an entity related to abortion in her from her Mother and no telling how many other entities, besides. In other words, the opening was all ready there. Some people actually have a pre-disposition to possession because by nature they are more open to psychic influences. Anyway, what is more likely the case is that the positive energy which Yoga enlivened in her could have become a source of irritation to those entities and sent them on the war path so to say. There are other possibilities, too, but the very fact that the entity stated that her yoga practice was how they got in is a good indication that it was bothering them, afterall, these type of entities aren’t exactly known for their truthfulness and they would naturally say that to try to get her to stop anything that was threatening them. Her Yoga practice, however, was not enough to remove them so she needed some extra help to get them out. I wouldn’t recommend going by anything an entity like this tells you. The basic meaning of the word Yoga is “Union.” The union of which it refers to is the “Divine Union” not the demonic. If Yoga caused demon possession then everyone who ever practiced it would be possessed and the fact of the matter is they are not. As Jesus said, we judge a tree by the fruit it bears, and the vast majority of Yoga practitioners will tell you the fruit of Yoga is very good and a positive adjunct to their faith. It is my understanding that the Pope has green lighted some forms of Yoga, though I have yet to confirm this. I know that there are many Catholic priest who practice it and yogic meditation even, so I suspect it must be true. Hope this helps.
 
Waverideryogi said:
Interesting discussion. Let me just add my two cents. First off, there are many types of Yoga, but the most common type practiced in the West today are the physical type or Hatha yoga systems. Generally, speaking those are pretty benign systems and require no special beliefs to enjoy the benefits they offer. The idea that Yoga could open one to demonic possession is inconsistent with Yoga philosophy. Yes, Yoga does open you and expand you in a way, but the vast majority of people who practice will tell you it has been a very positive and blissful experience for them. In the case of the entity possessed woman, it seems that she was all ready possessed before her Yoga practice as she had an entity related to abortion in her from her Mother and no telling how many other entities, besides. In other words, the opening was all ready there. Some people actually have a pre-disposition to possession because by nature they are more open to psychic influences. Anyway, what is more likely the case is that the positive energy which Yoga enlivened in her could have become a source of irritation to those entities and sent them on the war path so to say. There are other possibilities, too, but the very fact that the entity stated that her yoga practice was how they got in is a good indication that it was bothering them, afterall, these type of entities aren’t exactly known for their truthfulness and they would naturally say that to try to get her to stop anything that was threatening them. Her Yoga practice, however, was not enough to remove them so she needed some extra help to get them out. I wouldn’t recommend going by anything an entity like this tells you. The basic meaning of the word Yoga is “Union.” The union of which it refers to is the “Divine Union” not the demonic. If Yoga caused demon possession then everyone who ever practiced it would be possessed and the fact of the matter is they are not. As Jesus said, we judge a tree by the fruit it bears, and the vast majority of Yoga practitioners will tell you the fruit of Yoga is very good and a positive adjunct to their faith. It is my understanding that the Pope has green lighted some forms of Yoga, though I have yet to confirm this. I know that there are many Catholic priest who practice it and yogic meditation even, so I suspect it must be true. Hope this helps.
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I do not know of any Catholic priests in my area who practice yoga.Most of the Carmelites who celebrate mass are quiet contemplative individuals with extraordinary insight and compassion.I asked one of them about kundalini and yoga and he said it is not of the Holy Spirit. That sort of sealed it for me and any snakes I have hiding in my bottom are expelled into the toilet;)
 
cjforJesus said:
I do not know of any Catholic priests in my area who practice yoga.Most of the Carmelites who celebrate mass are quiet contemplative individuals with extraordinary insight and compassion.I asked one of them about kundalini and yoga and he said it is not of the Holy Spirit. That sort of sealed it for me and any snakes I have hiding in my bottom are expelled into the toilet;)
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I know several Catholic priests and monks who do Yoga exercise.

I’m a Secular Order Discalced Carmelite, OCDS, and when I asked my spiritual assistant about yoga, although he didn’t do it himself, he knew other friars who did and he said as long as you separate the physical exercise from the spiritual which is not Christ centered, its fine.

I also go to the Trappist monastery, St Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA. and have spoken to the monks there about Yoga. They say the same thing and there are monks that do Yoga exercise.

In all, Christ is the center of our lives, whether it’s in work, exercise or play.

Jim
 
After spending 40 minutes condemning Hinduism as “ugga booga,” the priest says “well, we don’t have a knee-jerk condemnation” of Eastern Religion. Could have fooled me.

He presents a strange story. After intensive years in Eastern religion, he discovers Catholicism appeals to him and he becomes a priest. It’s only a chance encounter with another priest that he realizes he has a huge problem, because he hasn’t renounced his Hindu mantra gods. And it takes a special ceremony for him to be free of these gods. In other words, after all those years of devotion and sacraments as a Catholic, he was still in thrall to demonic Hindu Gods, but didn’t know it, and had to be told he had a problem? Just maybe this priest’s problem wasn’t possession by demons, it was scrupulosity.

In any case, I find it ironic that he’s such a fan of the rosary, given that the origin of rosary prayer beads likely came from the Hindus in the 3rd century BC. Could praying on beads be as spiritually dangerous as the downward dog pose? If you’ve been to a yoga class, do you need an exorcism from a special priest from Peru? If you ever read a Harry Potter book, is your soul corrupted and in grave danger of perdition? This is the gospel of scrupulosity, where according to one man’s opinion, evil lurks everywhere you look.

I’ve done yoga for decades, with many leading teachers and hundreds of students. Given that I’ve seen zero evidence that yoga does anything but lead people to more peaceful, integrated, and healthy lives, I find it hard to believe the current popular interest in yoga is just a clever ruse of Satan to implant himself into faithful Catholics so deeply that even the sacraments will have no effect of freeing them from Lucifer’s grasp.
 
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