Confused about whether Christians should be doing yoga?
When you’re hearing conflicting information from Christians both for and against?
In this post, we’ll uncover yoga’s roots and unpack those arguments so that you can make an informed decision once and for all.
What’s so bad about yoga?
You may have already heard about yoga’s origin, but I’ll add in a bit more detail.
Yoga began in India, thousands of years ago, with the word first being found written in the Hindu religion.
Pattabhi Jois, the guru who developed the Ashtanga method, is quoted saying that those who do yoga “experience god inside . . . whether they want it or not.”
Psychology Today explains the word yoga can be translated as “yoked to the divine” Hindu gods.
Some may argue that the historical and religious roots don’t matter: yoga has adapted in these modern secular times.
But let’s take a look at the poses still being done today.
are yoga poses a form of worship?
George P. Alexander, a professor who teaches World Religions at Biola University and who grew up in India, makes it clear:
“Many Westerners who practice yoga today are unaware that the physical positions assumed in yoga symbolize a spiritual act: worshiping one of the many Hindu gods,”.
-George P. Alexander, professor of World Religions
For example,
- touching your index finger with your thumb (the wisdom gesture) indicates your surrender to the god
- pressing your palms together symbolized you being a gateway
- “Namaste” states you are bowing to the divine in the other
Take a look at this chart to see some other examples:
The heart of yoga is spiritual – with the physical poses an act of worship. You can’t separate the physical act from the spiritual root simply by ignoring the spiritual aspects.
is yoga really a religion?
The short incomplete answer? No, yoga isn’t a religion.
But it is a spiritual practice of the Hindu religion, much like Holy Communion is for Catholicism, or facing Mecca to pray is Islamic.
And it’s not just concerned Christians who think this.
Secular opinion on yoga
If you want an alternative perspective, Harvard University professor Cathy Gunther Brown did a study on yoga in schools and found there are more and more parents of students in secular public schools who are asking for yoga to be an opt-in activity, as they see it as a religious practice.
Even some states have given yoga studios tax-free status because they view them in the same category as your local church.
is christian yoga okay?
What about those who try to change yoga’s structure by adding Christian elements?
Creators of Christian yoga believe they can safely practice yoga by overlapping the worship poses with Praise & Worship music and meditating on the Gospel instead of emptying their minds.
But is this possible?
Case study: Holy Yoga
Let’s take a closer look at the Statement of Faith found on the Holy Yoga website, an “experiential worship created to deepen people’s connection to Christ”:
“We know that yoga is a spiritual discipline much like fasting, meditation, and prayer that cannot be owned by one specific religion… Yoga postures were originally named in Sanskrit. Holy Yoga teaches instructors to teach in their native tongue to avoid any confusion. Holy Yoga embraces the essential elements of yoga“
In their very own words, while Christian yoga changes the names of the poses, they claim to embrace the essence of a spiritual practice of a specific religion that’s not Christianity.
Conversely, Holy Yoga writes yoga isn’t a religion per se, it’s a “spiritual discipline”, so it’s perfectly acceptable to do it because they’ve adapted it...and that’s faulty, if not dangerous, logic.
We know yoga poses were created and designed to be a form of worship of Hindu gods. In Hinduism Today, they claim yoga as an essential spiritual practice.
Deeply rooted in Hindu scripture and belief, yoga is, and always was, a vital part of Hindu religion and culture
-Hinduism Today
The bottom line? You can’t take the Hindu spirituality out of yoga by denying it, or by adding Christian elements.
Think of the many difference ways to make chicken soup.
You could switch out the noodles for rice. Add in different spices to change the flavour. Change the name of the original recipe.
But have you changed the basic structure or essence of the soup?
serving two masters?
Final point.
Back in high school, I had a friend who firmly believed she was a Christian Wiccan and that it was possible to practice both.
If you believe the arguments of Holy yoga, then, yes, it’s possible to love Jesus and follow the “essence” of witchcraft. She could change the names of the incantations, skip the obviously anti-Christian aspects, and read the Bible during one of their spells.
But what is your soul telling you right now when you think of it to that extreme?
Yoga and Wicca are both religious in their essence. It’s either okay to be a Christian and practise both yoga AND Wicca, or it’s not.
The arguments for Christian yoga sound like they are serving two masters and wanting the best of both without the conviction of drawing a line in the sand.
It’s time to cast aside lukewarm apathy and make a choice of which spirituality to follow.
why should I stop?
Ask yourself, why are you so stuck on continuing yoga? Are you yoked to it?
As faithful Christians, we’re asked to pick up our crosses, but some tend to think that means to take our losses as they come. When something bad happens, we piously accept it as God’s will.
But it’s much deeper than that.
Picking up a cross is active, not passive.
It means making daily little sacrifices to think of “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…excellent or praiseworthy” (Phil 4:8) and choosing NOT to take up anything “iffy”.
God doesn’t ask us to avoid things because He’s controlling, He asks because He wants to protect us from something harmful.
I skip movies that don’t align with my values, I’ll (painfully, I’ll admit) close a book mid-chapter if the plot swerves towards something that doesn’t sit right.
I avoid these so I can stay faithful and free. And because I love the God I’ve chosen to follow more than my wants or desires. I trust Him to provide for my needs that come from making a sacrificial choice.
does yoga do more harm than good?
I firmly believe yoga is spiritually harmful. Let me share why with a personal story.
This has me a bit vulnerable because my gift can be misinterpreted, but I think it’s too powerful an image to choose to stay in my comfort zone.
I have the gift of discerning spirits – quite frankly I can sense when evil is in the room or surrounding my loved ones, and rarely (thank goodness), Jesus allows the spirits to be visible so I know what to do about it.
A few year’s back,my oldest son was…off. There was evil shadowing him when he would get home from school and I could see something following him around the house.
I couldn’t figure out why or what had invited it in until I got a report from his occupational therapist that their class had been doing yoga for gross motor skills.
I wrote a note in his agenda that night asking him to be exempt for religious reasons and we prayed a simple prayer to Jesus renouncing the spirit behind yoga and asking for Jesus to send His protection.
The next day the spirit was gone and hasn’t been back.
My son is special needs, so I know none of this was his intention or fault. He didn’t even know that he was doing yoga.
The school was secular and had no idea about yoga beyond it’s physical activity.
But the intention of avoiding the religious aspects of yoga and “just doing the stretches” wasn’t enough to protect my son spiritually.
Stopping the yoga did that.
Staying faithful to my beliefs and keeping my son spiritually safe was worth having my son “miss out” on any benefits his teachers believed yoga would give him.
what do i do now that i’ve stopped yoga?
For a gentle spiritual deliverance, you first need to pull out the book Unbound by Neal Lozano. He lists 5 keys to reach freedom and healing and I’ve simplified it for my family.
Deliverance doesn’t have to be scary – because of my gift, it’s rather matter of fact in my house.
If I notice a sin or unholy spirit that needs to be addressed, I’ll have them repeat after me using Unbound’s formula:
- Repentance: Say sorry for [name all sins out loud]. This is done in love, without guilt or shame. We are confident in our God’s forgiveness and desire to pick us up from a fall
- Forgiveness: We forgive ourselves and/or the person involved in our hurt
- Renounce: Sometimes this can lead to trouble if we haven’t found the root of sin, so we say these words instead of those in the book: “I take authority in the name of Jesus Christ and bind the spirits of [name all the apply, for example, yoga, idolatry, pride, a lukewarm spirit, etc.] and all interlocking spirits. I place you under the foot of the cross where you will be dealt with as Jesus sees fit”
- Blessing: Ask for Jesus’ protection from these spirits from trying to reenter your home and life
- Faithfulness: Commit to avoiding yoga
After this initial prayer, we can dig deeper into the root problem as we grow and God reveals more of our hearts. This means you may have to repeat this deliverance prayer a few times in order to name sins or hurts that you didn’t realize existed the first time.
tuning into your prayer life
If you’re looking for a healthier lifestyle, find a safer, more neutral exercise to stay loose and in shape.
Is the thought of that a struggle? And you’re pushing back with reasons why yoga’s been so helpful to you?
That’s a warning sign, friend. I’ve noticed a spirit of dependence on yoga lately, like it’s the “only thing” good for gross motor skills, relieving stress, improving flexibility.
It’s not.
There are other forms of exercise out there that have just as many, and more, benefits. Do some research to find a safe option for you.
But if you’re using yoga to connect with God, be wary.
Even when pulling out Scripture like “the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”, I think Christians are mixing up the purpose of the body with their soul.
Our souls were meant to be a conduit to God, not our bodies.
Our bodies turn to dust, but our souls rise to heaven. So, make sure it is well with your soul first and foremost.
Focus on interior prayer without the need to put the body in a specific position so you can meet God, and you just might find you have less stress and physical tension as well.
Yoga is considered to be a religion by Hindus, as well as many governmental and secular institutions. It is not possible to think that truth away by replacing some elements with biblical ones or by denying its spirituality. If your relationship with God is the centre of your life, in order to avoid being divided or yoked, you need to avoid yoga (and its alternatives) altogether.
read more:
- Renew your prayer (over 30 different ways)
- Why God sometimes says no (even if it’s a good thing)
- Is it God or is it me? (how to hear God’s voice)
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