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on_the_hill
Guest
Which poses are the demonic ones?
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As far as inhale exhale
Pray the Hail Mary. Notice your breath.
Hail Mary
Full of grace
The Lord is with you.
Blessed art Thou amongst women
And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb
Jesus.
Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of death
Amen.
Soothing peaceful God sent and gracious.
Pray the Hail Mary. Notice your breath.
Hail Mary
Full of grace
The Lord is with you.
Blessed art Thou amongst women
And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb
Jesus.
Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of death
Amen.
Soothing peaceful God sent and gracious.
T
TheHolyTrinity
Guest
I never have quite understood why people have mimic something else.
Similarly goes for vegans eating foods that are shaped to mimic meat. Just makes me think “why?”
Similarly goes for vegans eating foods that are shaped to mimic meat. Just makes me think “why?”
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phil19034
Guest
For starters, Demons can’t read our minds. Only God can. But Demons can latch on to us by things we do, even if we don’t realize it.phil19034:
That sounds superstitious. How does one invite without the will to invite?
But let everyone follow their own conscience.
The goal of Yoga is to enter an altered state of mind. When we are in an altered state we open ourselves up for suggestion from other people AND from demons.
That’s something I learned during a lecture at at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s diocesan office building.
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phil19034
Guest
All of the following appeared in (or linked to) the National Catholic Register:
Additionally, here are some posts/videos from Susan Brinkmann, OCDS. The parish I live in invites her to talk about why yoga is bad (she lives in the area) and our Monsignor (who has a Ph.D.) has talked about the ills of Yoga at Bible Study too.
https://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=17011
(This on the New Age and gets into Yoga around minute 16)
there are so many more, but it’s 3am for me right now.
Additionally, here are some posts/videos from Susan Brinkmann, OCDS. The parish I live in invites her to talk about why yoga is bad (she lives in the area) and our Monsignor (who has a Ph.D.) has talked about the ills of Yoga at Bible Study too.
https://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=17011
there are so many more, but it’s 3am for me right now.
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LilyM
Guest
So if I fall off a ladder and my body as it falls just so happens to make the exact same.shape as one of these “bad” yoga poses, demons will thereafter assail me?puer.dei:
NO, you don’t see “Yoga poses.”phil19034:
And if you look at the photos of those, what do you see?
Yoga poses.
OP, yoga poses, in and of themselves, are just stretching exercises. And there’s nothing wrong with them. If they work for you, do them. If they don’t, then don’t use them. Easy-peasy.
Most poses in Yoga are totally harmless, they are just stretching. However, SOME poses are specifically used to invite the Hindu spirits (aka demons).
The Catholic alternatives all know which poses are 100% religious in nature and do NOT use them.
In other words:
- Yoga uses some religious poses and some poses that are simply stretching. Not every Yoga pose is religious.
- The Catholic alternative knows which poses invite/summons the demons and does NOT use them.
What about children who accidentally do the same (children do some.whacky things with their.bodies at play and sleep in some strange contorted positions sometimes!) Same?
Religion is an act of the will, not just the body.
A Hindu actor playing a Christian in a movie would not magically be overcome by the Holy Spirit by merely making the gesture of the Sign of the Cross. Vice versa for bodily poses associated with Hinduism.
And it stands to reason that if God does not affect people against their will merely because of their physical geatures or posture, neither do demons.
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puer.dei
Guest
Some types of yoga, yes. Merely physical stretching? Of course not.
You can’t make blanket statements like that about something with so many varieties.
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Rau
Guest
All I can say is…
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Shakuhachi
Guest
We really don’t know much about demons. Can influence us if we visits particular places? pick up certain objects? What does it even mean? Can they take over our will or just torment our bodies, our moods or our frame of mind?
“Altered state of mind”? You mean relaxed and tranquil? Deep peace? Prayer of quiet?
I am reminded of St John of the Cross, a Doctor of the Church. He says no harmful influence can touch us when we let our mental faculties rest. The internet is a far more dangerous place for “suggestions”.
“Altered state of mind”? You mean relaxed and tranquil? Deep peace? Prayer of quiet?
I am reminded of St John of the Cross, a Doctor of the Church. He says no harmful influence can touch us when we let our mental faculties rest. The internet is a far more dangerous place for “suggestions”.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
No one gets into an “altered state” by simply trying out a physical pose to see if they’re flexible enough to do it.
No one gets into an “altered state” by simply stretching or positioning their body in a certain way for exercise or because they just happen to be falling off a ladder, sleeping in bed, or trying out some funny gymnastics with their friends with no religious overtones.
With all due respect, your posts are coming off as a huge overreaction to nothing, especially since the OP was in no way practicing yoga or thinking of practicing yoga or approving of practicing yoga. I also agree with puer.dei that there are all different types of yoga and that some which are purely for physical exercise are unlikely to harm anyone (Unless you pull a muscle stretching), but that’s really a topic for another thread, as well as a discussion we’ve already had multiple times in past threads.
While I do not deny the existence of the supernatural, I also don’t go around seeing demons under every bush. If you choose to do this, fine, but it’s not Church teaching that if I bend in some manner with no intent to invite demons or enter an “altered state” that I am putting myself at risk of demonic attack. It is superstition, it should not be promulgated by Catholics, and if a priest is going around propagating this type of thinking he should be stopped.
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phil19034
Guest
Search “Susan Brinkmann yoga” on YouTube. She explains it far better than I can
She is an approved speaker on the dangers of New Age and Eastern practices (such as Yoga).
She’s also a former New Age practitioner and current researcher into those same dangers.
She’s a third order Carmelite and a regular on EWTN and EWTN’s Women of Grace.
I trust her completely in regards to this subject, as do many bishops & priests.
If you watch her videos and read her articles on this and still disagree, then it’s on you. But for me, I trust her and so do all the bishops that allow her to speak because she travels the country and world speaking in this topic.
BTW - I honestly don’t understand why people insist on using a program that is called yoga when there are plenty of programs not called yoga available?
Finally, with yoga - even if your intentions are not demonic in nature, you don’t know what the leader’s intentions are. He/she could be summoning demons without you knowing. Plus the Vatican talks about the dangers of Eastern practices in the document “Jesus Christ - The Bearer of the Water of Life” released by Pope Benedict XVI while he was still a Cardinal at the Vatican.
I’ll just leave it there. I pray you all watch her videos with an open mind.
God Bless
CC: @Tis_Bearself @puer.dei @LilyM @(name removed by moderator) @Rau
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Gorgias
Guest
So, the ‘orans’ position can be seen as an “inviting posture.” Are you suggesting that when a priest assumes the orans position at Mass, he’s at risk of being possessed by a malicious demon?
Nope.
I have to stretch in order to reach to my wallet during the offertory collection at Mass. I’m guessing that that is approved.The church has approved stretching exercises? Good grief!
From the intercessions from the Liturgy of the Hours this week: “Sun of Justice, the immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing your rising; grant that we may always live in the light of your coming.”
There are many places in which God the Father or Jesus is portrayed (metaphorically) as the ‘sun’. It’s not idolatrous to pray in that way. (Unless you think the sun is literally Jesus, or vice versa.)
If you’re doing it as a quasi-religious practice? Sure. As mere stretching? Nah. You’re seeking to relax, no? And, if relaxing “opens us up” to demons, then my Sundays sitting and watching football are spiritually dangerous, too…
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TheHolyTrinity
Guest
Your examples are blurred and not helping towards any fruitful discussions.
Phil is talking about risks for Catholics who attend yoga classes that incorporates into the yoga class New Age and Eastern practices and beliefs.
Phil is not talking about standard stretches before and after exercises, nor is he stating that certain postures within Mass could be construed as diabolical worship.
Phil is talking about risks for Catholics who attend yoga classes that incorporates into the yoga class New Age and Eastern practices and beliefs.
Phil is not talking about standard stretches before and after exercises, nor is he stating that certain postures within Mass could be construed as diabolical worship.
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phil19034
Guest
Look, I’m just repeating what approved Catholic speakers and approved exorcists have said. If you don’t want to trust them, that’s on you.phil19034:
So, the ‘orans’ position can be seen as an “inviting posture.” Are you suggesting that when a priest assumes the orans position at Mass, he’s at risk of being possessed by a malicious demon?
Nope.
I have to stretch in order to reach to my wallet during the offertory collection at Mass. I’m guessing that that is approved.The church has approved stretching exercises? Good grief!
From the intercessions from the Liturgy of the Hours this week: “Sun of Justice, the immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing your rising; grant that we may always live in the light of your coming.”
There are many places in which God the Father or Jesus is portrayed (metaphorically) as the ‘sun’. It’s not idolatrous to pray in that way. (Unless you think the sun is literally Jesus, or vice versa.)
If you’re doing it as a quasi-religious practice? Sure. As mere stretching? Nah. You’re seeking to relax, no? And, if relaxing “opens us up” to demons, then my Sundays sitting and watching football are spiritually dangerous, too…
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Gorgias
Guest
Actually, I was trying to point out that Phil’s comments were doing what you accuse my examples of doing. The question being asked is specifically regarding the acceptability of “standard stretches”. If he’s not talking about that, then he seems to be the one “blurring” and “not helping fruitful discussion”.
…in a context that’s different than the context of this thread.
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TheHolyTrinity
Guest
I have read all his comments, they are related to the spiritual risks of practicing yoga.
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phil19034
Guest
I was NOT talking about standard stretches. I was talking about a few very specific poses of yoga, that are anything but “standard stretches.” What exactly those stretches are, I don’t know.
All I know is that SoulCore (specifically) was encouraged by Cardinal Dolan to have Susan Brinkman review their program when they first started. Susan Brinkman reviewed their program and taught them which poses are demonic in nature, which they removed. What those poses are, I really don’t know.
I only know this because the co-founder of SoulCore told me about it when we shared a train ride back during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
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