Yoga and energy

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kbwall

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Yoga has origins in Hinduism, and much of yoga is centered around synching your mind to the universe, and the Hindu version of God. For obvious reasons, it is unacceptable for a Christian to worship any other gods. However, there is basically a secularized form of yoga that is essentially just stretches and light excercises. Is the latter OK? I’ve done the secularized yoga, and it seems fine, just stretches and I feel relaxed and rejuvenated after doing so.

There’s also meditation techniques that don’t focus on any specific Hindu deity, but just on clearing your mind. It helps one focus and be more aware. Is that a sin?
 
kbwall said:
Yoga has origins in Hinduism, and much of yoga is centered around synching your mind to the universe, and the Hindu version of God. For obvious reasons, it is unacceptable for a Christian to worship any other gods. However, there is basically a secularized form of yoga that is essentially just stretches and light excercises. Is the latter OK? I’ve done the secularized yoga, and it seems fine, just stretches and I feel relaxed and rejuvenated after doing so.

There’s also meditation techniques that don’t focus on any specific Hindu deity, but just on clearing your mind. It helps one focus and be more aware. Is that a sin?
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As to secular yoga, as long as you aren’t being told you’re “channeling energy” or any other sort of posture of illicit means attempting to control that which is beyond the scope of human ability, you’re okay. Scientifically, it’s just stretching and exercise, which likewise releases good chemicals and endorphins and makes you feel better. There is nothing mystical about yoga and believing it to be so is wrong.

As to meditation, you don’t need to go into other traditions to meditate. Do a little research on Christian meditation. Be aware that some forms of meditation tap into the subconscious and can actually be damaging to a person who dabbles in the wrong stuff (for some forms of meditation, they approach “self-hypnosis” techniques which can allow suggestions into the subliminal area of thought)
 
promethius said:
As to secular yoga, as long as you aren’t being told you’re “channeling energy” or any other sort of posture of illicit means attempting to control that which is beyond the scope of human ability, you’re okay.
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How do you know that it is beyond human ability to manipulate energy? Where is it said what the maximum of human ability is?
 
kbwall said:
How do you know that it is beyond human ability to manipulate energy? Where is it said what the maximum of human ability is?
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There are only two forms of extra-human power: the Divine Grace and the occult (demonic). There is no such thing as a neutral and independent source of power or energy. All goodness comes from God as sacramental grace, which we cannot CONTROL or SUMMON through any means (yoga included). All other power not inherently part of the human nature itself is evil.

Yoga purports to control energies outside of oneself. This is a lustful type of power: we WANT to be able to dominate and direct “good energies” into ourselves. As such, the very act of trying to control power outside of ourselves is, itself, intrinsically disordered. We cannot DEMAND grace from God, and ritual actions, such as yoga, do not allow us to receive grace as a result of participating in some form of ritual.

If we are believing in a sort of third party, non grace, energy that is available and maleable to human will, we are sorely deceiving ourselves because such a power or energy does not exist and what we are opening ourselves up for is occult practice.

On occult practice, the catechism says the following (and I’ve added emphasis):
The Catechism:
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity**.
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promethius said:
If we are believing in a sort of third party, non grace, energy that is available and maleable to human will, we are sorely deceiving ourselves because such a power or energy does not exist and what we are opening ourselves up for is occult practice.
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Is it possible though that by “energy” it could just be simply be referring to the natural, biological energy that is produced by the body? I mean, we are living organisms and we all need energy or else eating, breathing, and sleeping would be useless for us. Seeing as how secular Yoga is considered a form of fitness and all I mean, it could be just that… 🤷
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Is it possible though that by “energy” it could just be simply be referring to the natural, biological energy that is produced by the body? I mean, we are living organisms and we all need energy or else eating, breathing, and sleeping would be useless for us. Seeing as how secular Yoga is considered a form of fitness and all I mean, it could be just that… 🤷
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😛 You and I both know that was not what I was referring to by “energy”. If you read my post I clearly distinguish that there is a difference between traditional yoga’s attempts to “channel energy” and modern understanding of secular yoga that this good feeling is produced by purely natural means of releasing stress and producing good endorphins.
 
kbwall said:
There’s also meditation techniques that don’t focus on any specific Hindu deity, but just on clearing your mind. It helps one focus and be more aware. Is that a sin?
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The closest I have seen Christianity come to Indian meditation is Saying the Jesus Prayer. You may want to use that in place of whatever meditation exercise your teacher is suggesting.

rossum
 
promethius said:
😛 You and I both know that was not what I was referring to by “energy”. If you read my post I clearly distinguish that there is a difference between traditional yoga’s attempts to “channel energy” and modern understanding of secular yoga that this good feeling is produced by purely natural means of releasing stress and producing good endorphins.
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No, it looks I just missed your first post. Didn’t know you already had two in here. My bad. :doh2:
 
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