Out of curiosity, I've been reading articles about what other Christians thought of the yoga practice. Whether they thought Christians should be practicing it or not, and why. I'm a Christian, and have been ever since I could remember. That doesn't make me a perfect Christian, so my opinions aren't perfect, but I base them off of the Bible as much as I possibly can. Here's my thought on yoga, and Christians practicing it.
I practice yoga on a daily basis. At first I never gave much thought to the fact that yoga originated in Hinduism. I looked at yoga as a way to improve my well-being and to be "united" with myself and God. I'll explain more on these later. I want to share with you things I've collected from tons of articles, and where I stand on the matter.
"Yoga is anything but christian"
It's true that yoga wasn't developed for the Christian religion, rather it was developed in Hinduism. BUT I learned that most yoga practiced in Western countries, aren't even close to the original "yoga."
Okay, so let's get the meaning of the word yoga out of the way. Yoga comes from the root Sanskrit word "yuj," meaning "to unite" or "to yoke." The purpose of the practice is to unite with your highest nature, and to be aware of yourself. The poses aid in that process. I could go deeper into this, but that would take a century. You get the idea.
Just because this originated in a different religion, doesn't mean you can't use its same purpose in Christianity. Be patient with me, I will unfold my points further (with more points).
Okay, so let's get the meaning of the word yoga out of the way. Yoga comes from the root Sanskrit word "yuj," meaning "to unite" or "to yoke." The purpose of the practice is to unite with your highest nature, and to be aware of yourself. The poses aid in that process. I could go deeper into this, but that would take a century. You get the idea.
Just because this originated in a different religion, doesn't mean you can't use its same purpose in Christianity. Be patient with me, I will unfold my points further (with more points).
"Meditation and yoga are dangerous to the Christian"
Totally false. Meditation is used in the Bible a multitude of times. I am telling you, meditation can be on the Word, on gratitude, and on God's creation. There's nothing more whole than meditating on God's creation. Being fully aware of what God has done brings more light onto your relationship with Him.
It's all about intention. Yes, yoga has been used in pagan practices. But let me give you a little tid-bit of ancient history. We are all familiar with what comes with the Christmas holiday. Presents, mistletoe, and trees. Do you know where this originated? Ancient Babylon on December 25th, for the feast of the Son of Isis. A lot of historians believed that Jesus was born in September, but that's not when we celebrate Christmas, obviously. in 350 A.D. Pope Julius I declared that Jesus' birth shall be recognized and celebrated on December 25th. It is believed that he did this, mostly so that pagan Romans may convert to Christianity.
There you have it, Christians turning something pagan into something to worship God. This also isn't the first time that happened, but a very valid example. So, turning a practice into something for practicing your own religion, isn't totally crazy, but awesome. In everything us Christians do, we are to do it with Christ as our purpose.
It's all about intention. Yes, yoga has been used in pagan practices. But let me give you a little tid-bit of ancient history. We are all familiar with what comes with the Christmas holiday. Presents, mistletoe, and trees. Do you know where this originated? Ancient Babylon on December 25th, for the feast of the Son of Isis. A lot of historians believed that Jesus was born in September, but that's not when we celebrate Christmas, obviously. in 350 A.D. Pope Julius I declared that Jesus' birth shall be recognized and celebrated on December 25th. It is believed that he did this, mostly so that pagan Romans may convert to Christianity.
There you have it, Christians turning something pagan into something to worship God. This also isn't the first time that happened, but a very valid example. So, turning a practice into something for practicing your own religion, isn't totally crazy, but awesome. In everything us Christians do, we are to do it with Christ as our purpose.
"Yoga is selfish"
I read of many negative Christian views on yoga. One of their main points were that "yoga is selfish" mostly because yoga is about connecting with your "inner-self" and being aware of your own body. They say that this is totally the opposite of what we're supposed to do: "look outward to Jesus." Looking outward to Jesus is awesome, don't get me wrong, I do that all the time! But, sure enough, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit was given to dwell within us and speak to us.
So how do the postures and breathing help with this? It's been proven that the physical motions of the yoga practice benefit a person's self-control and focus. These are the perfect tools for noticing when the Holy Spirit is speaking and dwelling within us. How cool is that? How much closer can you get to God than inside??
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul says that using the body as a living sacrifice is holy and pleasing to God. So let me explain what this has to do with yoga. You already know that yoga has its health benefits. It can help to fix mental and physical health issues that one has. I have high levels of anxiety, and yoga helps eliminate its side effects. Removing unhealthy distractions and limitations such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, spinal issues, arthritis, etc., we are able to focus more on God and be a healthier person to worship Him. After all, he's the one that gave you your body and soul, so take care of it for goodness sake!
Just as you invite God into your life and heart, invite Him into your yoga practice. He will be delighted to join you and your "inner-self."
So how do the postures and breathing help with this? It's been proven that the physical motions of the yoga practice benefit a person's self-control and focus. These are the perfect tools for noticing when the Holy Spirit is speaking and dwelling within us. How cool is that? How much closer can you get to God than inside??
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul says that using the body as a living sacrifice is holy and pleasing to God. So let me explain what this has to do with yoga. You already know that yoga has its health benefits. It can help to fix mental and physical health issues that one has. I have high levels of anxiety, and yoga helps eliminate its side effects. Removing unhealthy distractions and limitations such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, spinal issues, arthritis, etc., we are able to focus more on God and be a healthier person to worship Him. After all, he's the one that gave you your body and soul, so take care of it for goodness sake!
Just as you invite God into your life and heart, invite Him into your yoga practice. He will be delighted to join you and your "inner-self."