Yoga for Catholics?

[phoooiee]

ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfmed.htm

This says exactly what you said- fusion of Eastern practices with prayer are fine but one should proceed with caution. It mentions the dangers inherent in these practices but states that they can also be of benefit. One of the footnotes specifically mentions yoga.

I agree- one should proceed with caution. I think it’s perfectly acceptable, but NOT mandatory, for a Catholic to reject yoga entirely.

Bottom line- authentic Christian spirituality and prayer should be supreme in the life of a Catholic.

 

[Pitcharan]

…Here are some excerpts from the Church document “LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION”:

“A consideration of these truths together brings the wonderful discovery that all the aspirations which the prayer of other religions expresses are fulfilled in the reality of Christianity beyond all measure, without the personal self or the nature of a creature being dissolved or disappearing into the sea of the Absolute.”

When our religion as stated above, meets our prayer and meditation needs perfectly and completely where is the need to consider Yoga?

"The majority of the “great religions” which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it. Just as "the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions,"18 neither should these ways be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian. On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured. "

While most Christians who use Yoga may not allow their conception of prayer and its requirements to be obscured, there are many who have drifted too far if not completely, and have allowed their christian values to be obcured or forgotten

"Some physical exercises automatically produce a feeling of quiet and relaxation, pleasing sensations, perhaps even phenomena of light and of warmth, which resemble spiritual well-being. To take such feelings for the authentic consolations of the Holy Spirit would be a totally erroneous way of conceiving the spiritual life. Giving them a symbolic significance typical of the mystical experience, when the moral condition of the person concerned does not correspond to such an experience, would represent a kind of mental schizophrenia which could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations.

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"

The message is LOUD and clear; DON’T confuse Christian East with Yoga. The former is perfectly fine, but the latter is dangerous. Both may be East, but Yoga is like the “yeast of the Pharisees”

This document is by Joseph Ratzinger.
It is quite clear, and it is not saying what you are saying. Yoga is fine as long as it does not begin to replace authentic Christian prayer.

I have more faith in the man who is now Pope than in the opinions of people on this forum.

The opinions which you are crticising only echo the advice of the man Joseph Ratzinger who is now Pope.

 

[Warrior1979]

When our religion as stated above, meets our prayer and meditation needs perfectly and completely where is the need to consider Yoga?

Because Yoga is not be used as for prayer and meditation purposes, but rather for exercise. You’re focusing on the dangers of the former, while others are focusing on the benefits of the latter. Focusing on the former could be adverse…but once again, it’s because the practitioner is assigning certain non-Christian attributes to it.

 

[Pitcharan]

Because Yoga is not be used as for prayer and meditation purposes, but rather for exercise. You’re focusing on the dangers of the former, while others are focusing on the benefits of the latter. Focusing on the former could be adverse…but once again, it’s because the practitioner is assigning certain non-Christian attributes to it.

Several posters who favor Yoga, have themselves acknowledged that the exercises are almost identical to those practised by sports persons, martial artists, etc. If your interest in Yoga is limited to physical exercise of body, why go for something which is already known to everybody in identical terms.

Why don’t you realise that Yoga attracts people by appearing like some good form of physical exercise and then traps them in occult like delusions.

The deceptive potential of Yoga reminds me of the first fall of man and woman. Recall Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

I repeat from my previous post, DON’T confuse meditations of Christain East with the Yoga of East. The Yoga of East = Yeast of the Pharisees

 

[Labarum]

Because Yoga is not be used as for prayer and meditation purposes, but rather for exercise. You’re focusing on the dangers of the former, while others are focusing on the benefits of the latter. Focusing on the former could be adverse…but once again, it’s because the practitioner is assigning certain non-Christian attributes to it.

This is the problem and keeps being brought up. If you look at yoga and find out the purpose, origin and meaning you cannot separate the exercise from the spiritual. The exercises themselves are prayers and they cannot be separated.

Yes you are able to separate in your mind that (which is what most people on this thread are doing) but in reality there is and can be no separation.

• Please look into what yoga is instead of casting those who oppose yoga as “extreme”.*

 

[rotlex]

This is the problem and keeps being brought up. If you look at yoga and find out the purpose, origin and meaning you cannot separate the exercise from the spiritual. The exercises themselves are prayers and they cannot be separated.

Yes you are able to separate in your mind that (which is what most people on this thread are doing) but in reality there is and can be no separation.

• Please look into what yoga is instead of casting those who oppose yoga as “extreme”.*

This has been quite an interesting thread. However, I’ve noticed in a few posts extremist types might be mentioned. I feel I must state I feel this way as well. These forums, and the internet in general, breeds that sort of thing. All one needs to do is search these very forums on different subjects, and you will find those that believe lots of things not taught by the Church. (Having sex for any reason other than procreation comes to mind).

I truly believe anyone that thinks you cannot separate a yoga “exercise” from the spiritual is an extremist. I guess that means that through many years of grade school, while sitting in the gymnasium with legs crossed and my hands on my knees I was practicing some form of yoga, and becoming spiritually corrupt. Really, can you understand how ridiculous that sounds?

How can anyone honestly believe that a group of people at a local gym, stretching and performing what equate to strength exercises are actually worshiping anything? Really? come on now, that has to almost make you laugh.

 

[phoooiee]

No, really. I promise I have looked into this. I have done a lot of reading on it. I understand that yoga has roots in the Hindu religion. (kind of like the way we celebrate Christmas and Easter on what used to be pagan festivals, or countless other examples of the Church transforming practices like these for a greater good.)

The document I posted specifically mentions yoga.

It really does say that it is fine if you want to do it and your Christian prayer life remains unobscured.

It really does. And Joseph Ratzinger wrote it. That is good enough for me.

And, it can be necessary. For back problems. It’s very easy to find a class in yoga. It is not very easy to find an exercise class geared toward back problems. If I tried to do this, it would cost me enough time and money that I would have to stop homeschooling my kids. In the Catholic faith. I used to spend thousands of dollars on chiropractors, and lots of time. I wasn’t any good for my family. How does this glorify God?

It’s also a good way to help a person relax. Like the last priest I talked to told me. Who was a Monsignor.

The important thing is to use it for what it can do (strengthening the physical body, working on strength and flexibility and posture and learning to relax), and not to buy into any false spiritual philosophies. Which Joseph Ratzinger says I can do. So I am going to.

 

[Farsight001]

This is the problem and keeps being brought up. If you look at yoga and find out the purpose, origin and meaning you cannot separate the exercise from the spiritual. The exercises themselves are prayers and they cannot be separated.

And this is why I say you are ignoring posts, because this has been responded to. To say that the two cannot be separated is flat out untrue.

 

[Warrior1979]

This is the problem and keeps being brought up. If you look at yoga and find out the purpose, origin and meaning you cannot separate the exercise from the spiritual. The exercises themselves are prayers and they cannot be separated.

Yes you are able to separate in your mind that (which is what most people on this thread are doing) but in reality there is and can be no separation.

So, can I assume that we can no longer put our hands together in church because it is the same position as the namaskara mudra? After all, by your reasoning, the position cannot be separated from the spiritual aspect, thus you would be practicing Yoga by placing your hands in that position.