Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Christian and Yoga

If any of my readers are practicing YOGA or have friends who are...please warn them with kindness, love and humility that it's not a good idea to use pagan practices in order to FEEL better about your body and mind.

“You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives.The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God.You are no longer your own.God paid a price for you.So use your body to honor God.”(1 Corinthians 6:19-20; CEV)

I want to deal with a subject a little bit off the beaten path today, my friends. (Or maybe it isn’t.)
The subject is yoga.

Yoga has become an accepted practice of physical exercise across America in recent years. You can find yoga classes offered just about anywhere. From on TV to college campuses to the local gym, sometimes it seems like just about everybody is doing it. But is the practice of yoga really okay for a believer?

In an interview article on the Christian Broadcasting Network website, Laurette Willis gives us helpful insight. She can’t help but be able to since she’s had firsthand experience in yoga and the New Age movement for more than 20 years.

Among other things, Willis comments on yoga’s postures, breathing techniques and practice of emptying your mind.

First of all, the body postures are ultimately forms of worship. And why so many of them? Well, it’s because there are 330 million Hindu gods to worship! Willis says, “Yoga postures really are; they are offerings to the [Hindu] gods. If you do these postures and you do this breathing technique and this meditation, then you will be accepted by a god, little ‘G.’”

And then there are the breathing exercises of yoga. Of course, they are meant to relax and bring a sense of peace and calm to the individual. Right? Wrong! That’s not to say that there aren’t any benefits to the breathing techniques .(If sin didn’t have some “attractive” qualities, then who would sin?) But there’s more to it than that. Willis talks about how yoga breathing is really an attempt at manipulating life force energy. She continues, since “Satan is the prince of the power of the [air, it’s] not oxygen [that’s being manipulated via the breathing].”

Finally, yoga encourages the emptying of one’s mind. Willis is quick to point out that the Bible emphasizes “‘the renewing of our minds, not the emptying.’”

Of course, there is much more to say about yoga which my space here won’t allow. But I think this little bit of evidence is reason enough to steer clear of yoga and towards another health regimen.By the way, if you would like to read the entire article that I’ve been quoting, you can view it at: http://www.cbn.com/health/fitness/bagby_yoga-alternative.aspx.

http://www.aheartforgod.org/2007/02/25/the-christian-and-yoga/

"But Dennis, yoga makes me feel good!  So what can be wrong with feeling good?"

Ummmm.....lots of things that are not honoring to God make us FEEL good....but that is never a reason to do them.

"But Dennis, I had chronic back pain and once I started chanting OOOHHMM and emptying my mind...my back felt better!"

Ummmmm.....Apostle Paul had a chronic pain in his side that he asked God to remove...but God refused his request.  Should Paul have then gone to Yoga class and started emptying his mind and praying to pagan gods using pagan practices to summon them?

Think about it.

"But Dennis, God has a lot bigger things on his plate that a few million Christians doing Yoga."

Seriously??  Now you are just rationalizing what YOU want to do by using a ridiculous argument.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Jared said...

Amen, and thanks for blogging on this. This is a huge issue in the church, and I've heard so many Christians (leaders and laypeople) say "what's the big deal?". It's a huge deal. Sin and deception rarely make a full frontal assault. Rather, they creep in, under the blanket of "meditation and scriptural reflection". Meditation , as referenced in the bible, is very different than the meditation involved in yoga. If anyone needs more on this topic, read "Faith Undone" by Roger Oakland.

December 1, 2016 at 7:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think in this nation especially that many have become desensitized to sin. Right and wrong is a grey area and not black and white anymore. Jesus spoke of these times when people would exchange sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet, right for wrong and wrong for right. America has become fat without need. People no longer need God. Dear people ,Satan is a beautiful angel! do not be deceived!!! Our Lord has made a place for him and his minions. In hell you wont be playing poker with your buddies getting jabbed with a pitchfork now and again, nooo you will be separated from your God! Alone! in darkness suffering your sin forever and ever!!!What can you do?? Return to Him! Read your bible His God Breathed Word! His Word is Spirit and Life!! choose Life!!!!! Time is short! All the signs Jesus gave us are converging!! His Peace and grace to you and your house...

December 4, 2016 at 3:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I see a problem with Yoga if one tries to adopt the mental stances; or emptying one's mind, etc. But I don't see a problem as a purely physical excercise - some of the movements prescribed by chiropractors, for example - because they WORK, are like some yoga exercises. I don't think movement of the physical body in the form of exercise constitutes error; the body can move in several different directions, none of them owned by yoga. It's not much different than the rainbow - which God created to show a promise. The fact that LGBT have co-opted and perverted it doesn't make it something different.

December 4, 2016 at 3:41 PM  
Blogger GeriGirl422 said...

I wrote an article on this years ago. It is SO dangerous for a Christian to practice this Hindu worship of their gods. The Kundalini spirit can enter a person through their spine during Yoga. You've seen the "Holy laughter" and other aberrant practices in the church? I've been told that if a person goes into a Hindu temple - they will see these same manifestations of the Kundalini spirit - uncontrollable laughter - barking like a dog, etc etc.

Here is my article:

"Christian Yoga: Bringing the Kundalini Serpent Into the Church:

https://grandmageri422.me/2016/01/04/christian-yoga-bringing-the-kundalini-serpent-into-the-church-2/

December 5, 2016 at 9:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would agree that yoga isn't something Christians should participate in, but this article doesn't lend enough weight in my opinion to persuade against it (especially for those already practicing yoga). More should have been said about the progression towards New Age beliefs and how opening one's mind becomes increasingly dangerous in making one vulnerable to spiritual deceptions. The eastern religious ties should also be highlighted, despite claims to the contrary.

December 5, 2016 at 10:13 AM  
Blogger dennis said...

Anonymous, there is SO MUCH written on Christians and the dangers of YOGA that this little blog reminder was not intended to lend weight to the discussion. Deuteronomy 12--2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.

4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.

So WHY would someone who has surrendered to Jesus Christ go looking for some other pagan practices to dabble in?

December 5, 2016 at 1:28 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

What about the breathing techniques used for childbirth in Lamaze classes? Is it wrong to do that which has been done for decades...maybe even longer? Many years ago I got an exercise book and tapes called Callinsinics (or something like that) where the lady taught different movements or poses for stretching and toning muscles. Nothing was mentioned about meditation, or emptying the mind. Breathing in at a certain time and then expressing the air out at certain time was very necessary to be able to better complete the exercise movement. Was that Satanic? I have done some Yoga poses unwittingly over the past 50 or more years just to stretch my muscles...does that mean I was being part of Hindu worship when I stretched? I don't think so. I can see the dangers in getting involved in full-fledged Yoga but don't see the devil in some of the ways I stretch my muscles or exercise to tone muscles which is good for me. If I think I need to take "10 deep breathes" to calm down, I don't believe I am breathing in demonic spirits, especially since The Holy Spirit lives in me.

December 5, 2016 at 4:42 PM  
Blogger dennis said...

Hi Cynda,
you say, "Is it wrong to do that which has been done for decades...maybe even longer?"

What does the Bible say? If we have surrendered to Jesus with our ENTIRE LIVES are we supposed to keep living like the world? Or are we supposed to be different?

If you are stretching and exercising that is awesome!! We are called to take care of our bodies.

If, on the other hand, you are following the directions of a YOGA MASTER and she is telling you what to say, what do do, what to feel and to empty your mind....I would stay FAR AWAY for your own personal good.

Deuteronomy 8 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.

December 6, 2016 at 11:35 AM  
Blogger dennis said...

Thanks GeriGirl442 for your comments. I will re-post the article you wrote at this link;

https://grandmageri422.me/2015/08/24/christian-yoga-bringing-the-kundalini-serpent-into-the-church/

December 6, 2016 at 1:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone has something to say but very few are listening.The rant goes on. Listen, stop and be still and know that He is God!!! We all are sinners, we all have issues but I will not knowingly give a foothold for the devil. A little of this is ok or doing this without the mental part is fine...You are playing with eternal fire!!! I have no desire to flirt with everlasting destruction and if you would just stop and think you would'nt either..God's wisdom dear people.

December 7, 2016 at 5:23 PM  

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