Views on Yoga?

[God's_gift]

wait, i'm not into it but i am just curious should christians do yoga or is it ok if a christian do yoga?

 

[Classik]

I don't think so. In fact it isn't.

[video=youtube;gNcx8H7pcMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNcx8H7pcMg[/video]

 

[Tina]

Better avoid it... I have heard stories from the Deliverance ministry in my church of past yoga practitioners crawling and slithering like snake or hissing like snake with their tongues when they go through deliverance.

Such is the demonic spiritual effect .... evil

 

[Nick]

Obviously avoid the spiritual Hindu part.

Nothing wrong with the physical part.

 

[tim-from-pa]

FYI yoga is something basically endorsed by the medical establishment, health programs and whatnot. We all know here my high opinion of them.

 

[felix]

Yoga is a form of worship - NOT exercise.

There is nothing like a spiritual part and a physical part. It is like bowing down to their Idols and saying, I am not following their spiritual stuff as my heart is with Christ but I am just following their physical part of bowing down.

Goal of Yoga
The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on the Hindu concept of divinity or Brahman (Source: Wiki)

The goals of yoga is actually to achieve Moksha.

Moksha:
Within Indian religions, moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष mokṣa) or mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति), literally "release" (both from a root muc "to let loose, let go"), is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth (Source: Wiki)

 

[Nick]

Yoga is a form of worship - NOT exercise.

There is nothing like a spiritual part and a physical part. It is like bowing down to their Idols and saying, I am not following their spiritual stuff as my heart is with Christ but I am just following their physical part of bowing down.

Goal of Yoga
The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on the Hindu concept of divinity or Brahman (Source: Wiki)

The goals of yoga is actually to achieve Moksha.

Moksha:
Within Indian religions, moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष mokṣa) or mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति), literally "release" (both from a root muc "to let loose, let go"), is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth (Source: Wiki)

Not if you do the physical exercise without the spiritual goal.

 

[felix]

Not if you do the physical exercise without the spiritual goal.

You can consider bowing down to an idol as a physical exercise without any spiritual goal but what's the difference?

Yoga is NEVER an exercise not even in ancient India. It is NEITHER in modern India too. I am from that country where I had seen and knew it better. Common people even today in India don't practice it. The only purpose of Yoga is to achieve Mukthi (as per my native tongue) a concept in Hinduism. It is usually taught in temples and followed mostly by priestly caste alone. It is taught mostly in hindu oriented schools in India and not even in all the govt state school (My mum is still a govt school teacher back in India). Because of the quota system based in castes in India, most of the priestly caste people who enjoyed the high status in society for thousands of years, today had to compete by scoring extremely well compared to the lower caste counterparts who just have a pass mark, which gave them an unfair competition. This led to the mass migration of priestly caste people in India to go abroad esp., to US and European countries for better life after Indian independence. When they came to the west, they "rebranded" Yoga as an exercise and deceived many good Christians who "blindly worship" their god thinking they are doing an exercise.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I personally think yoga is too steeped in New Age-y spirituality to be a good option for most (all?) Christians. I've been doing a Pilates DVD lately, and that's a good option. Build up your core, increase flexibility, all w/o the quasi-religious aspects.

 

[Pizzaguy]

Obviously avoid the spiritual Hindu part.

Nothing wrong with the physical part.

I'd LIKE to agree, but Classik's video seems to support Felix's hard-line position.

 

[Fedusenko]

I am going to side with felix based on my own research. Sorry dude. I would listen to him since Felix is from the culture you are asking about. If you are not satisfied with the answer I would suggest doing your own research, not melted down American crud, but the real deal from those who know.

 

[Chris.]

I have done it many times a hall with a dude wearing spandex pants (that were way too tight) teaching it. He was only about position perfection and didn't care about any spiritual stuff. It sure makes you feel good doing yoga and it is a good gentle exercise for your body.

The scary part of yoga is it has very low male participation rate and means at times you are greatly outnumbered by women in the class. A couple of times I was the only guy in a group of 15. As a Christian it doesn't bother me one bit, it hasn't hurt me spiritually to exercise in a few classes.


It probably centers my nirvana in balance with my Feng Shui chakra (or something like that) so I can unlock my inner lounge room interior decorator skills . lol

 

[God's_gift]

It sure makes you feel good doing yoga and it is a good gentle exercise for your body.

i was thinking maybe while doing the yoga excercises instead of meditating the " nirvana or buddha thing" , i will meditate on God's word or listen to praise and worship song ...

 

[Chris.]

i was thinking maybe while doing the yoga excercises instead of meditating the " nirvana or buddha thing" , i will meditate on God's word or listen to praise and worship song ...

lol i think doing a couple of yoga stretches is about as questionable as Zumba spiritually.

Yeah go for it and don't worry. If you are stretching and praying or concentrating on God it will be good for you.

Those things are very good for your mind and body.

 

[felix]

I have done it many times a hall with a dude wearing spandex pants (that were way too tight) teaching it. He was only about position perfection and didn't care about any spiritual stuff. It sure makes you feel good doing yoga and it is a good gentle exercise for your body.

The scary part of yoga is it has very low male participation rate and means at times you are greatly outnumbered by women in the class. A couple of times I was the only guy in a group of 15. As a Christian it doesn't bother me one bit, it hasn't hurt me spiritually to exercise in a few classes.


It probably centers my nirvana in balance with my Feng Shui chakra (or something like that) so I can unlock my inner lounge room interior decorator skills . lol

Deception working at it's best.

People don't do yoga for nothing. They except something from it. The other reasons generally given to all are exercise but the fact yoga is done ONLY to attain mukthi. As you specified, "nirvana" and "Feng Shui chakra" are unbiblical and satanic, simply puts your faith itself in question and I really doubt your statement being a "Christian and doesn't affect you spiritually". Do you read the Bible or know what is in it?

Skills, knowledge and wisdom are from God - not through any exercise.

 

[Chris.]

Deception working at it's best.

People don't do yoga for nothing. They except something from it. The other reasons generally given to all are exercise but the fact yoga is done ONLY to attain mukthi. As you specified, "nirvana" and "Feng Shui chakra" are unbiblical and satanic, simply puts your faith itself in question and I really doubt your statement being a "Christian and doesn't affect you spiritually". Do you read the Bible or know what is in it?

Skills, knowledge and wisdom are from God - not through any exercise.

I was Joking Felix there is no such thing as a Feng Shui chakra, I was making fun of it all. People I see at yoga can be trendy new age guys, they are into funny fad things. It's a bit of a grin sometimes.

 

[Nick]

You can consider bowing down to an idol as a physical exercise without any spiritual goal but what's the difference?

Yoga is NEVER an exercise not even in ancient India. It is NEITHER in modern India too. I am from that country where I had seen and knew it better. Common people even today in India don't practice it. The only purpose of Yoga is to achieve Mukthi (as per my native tongue) a concept in Hinduism. It is usually taught in temples and followed mostly by priestly caste alone. It is taught mostly in hindu oriented schools in India and not even in all the govt state school (My mum is still a govt school teacher back in India). Because of the quota system based in castes in India, most of the priestly caste people who enjoyed the high status in society for thousands of years, today had to compete by scoring extremely well compared to the lower caste counterparts who just have a pass mark, which gave them an unfair competition. This led to the mass migration of priestly caste people in India to go abroad esp., to US and European countries for better life after Indian independence. When they came to the west, they "rebranded" Yoga as an exercise and deceived many good Christians who "blindly worship" their god thinking they are doing an exercise.

My mum did yoga for a few years. She said there was absolutely no spiritual aspect in the class, it was 100% a physical workout, using excercises from yoga. All she did it for was to get physically fit.

If I am doing some excercise and not engaging in the spiritual part, then I am not engaging in idol worship - I am just exercising. Simple as that.

 

[Chris.]

My mum did yoga for a few years. She said there was absolutely no spiritual aspect in the class, it was 100% a physical workout, using excercises from yoga. All she did it for was to get physically fit.

If I am doing some excercise and not engaging in the spiritual part, then I am not engaging in idol worship - I am just exercising. Simple as that.

Thank you Nick you are right! one thing that struck me as sad the first time I went to a class was The excess baggage I took there of guilt for going and expectation of occult or demon involvement.

I think that was unfair and unjustified for the people there as it was just not true, assuming they are demon possessed etc.

I Read it on forums and am not convinced the people who wrote it were speaking entirely from from personal observed experience but from something else.

I am so glad you got in here nick you are really good guy.

 

[felix]

My mum did yoga for a few years. She said there was absolutely no spiritual aspect in the class, it was 100% a physical workout, using excercises from yoga. All she did it for was to get physically fit.

If I am doing some excercise and not engaging in the spiritual part, then I am not engaging in idol worship - I am just exercising. Simple as that.

So, what is the motive of those exercise? The only motive for anyone to do yoga is to achieve mokthi.

'Yoga can damage your body' article throws exponents off-balance

Looks like your mother is trusting hindu sages and not modern doctors.

 

[Fedusenko]

What do modern doctors say about Yoga?