Would one say that people drinking wine are necessarily practicing the Christian rite of communion? Would one say that people eating bread with a meal are practicing the Christian rite of communion? Of course not.
If one does physical postures outside of its context as a 100% spiritual practice, you cannot call it Yoga, any more than you can call merely drinking wine and eating bread Christian communion.
Here is a brief video entitled
"Can a Christian Practice Yoga?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQXAYioSQ9I
I think the monk has a good point. I was not sure what to think about it at first, so after asking advice from my smart friend from Living Journey, I have paraphrased her answer and combined her input with some of my own thoughts...
The point is this. If the physical is only part of whole yoga, and if yoga positions by themselves are just stretches, are those teaching it as yoga actually doing authentic yoga a disservice?
According to the real yoga experts like the persistent monk, the vehicle used is the body, but the destination really should be spiritual, as yoga itself means ‘union’.
Think of all the warm up exercises that do use stretches similar to yoga positions that are done by dancers, ballerinas, and gymnasts, who stretch for physical reasons to prevent injury.
There is nothing wrong with stretching. And so, if these Christians want to do stretching videos or write books on stretching, why don't they just call it stretching? Why call it yoga and imply the spiritual implication? Is the monk right? We can stretch our bodies all kinds of ways, but if we try to spiritualize movements by calling it Yahweh yoga, Christian yoga, or even just “stretching for Jesus”, then I suppose, as the monk says, it does become spiritual, in the same way that we spiritualize partaking of bread and wine with the body of Christ. This is when it becomes communion; a ‘common union’ together with other believers of like mind and spirit, who are remembering their Lord and His sacrifice (I’m not talking about the Catholic Eucharist and transubstantiation here).
The point is this. Okay, Christians…go and stretch and exercise, fine. But if it has nothing to do with Eastern religion why must you insist on calling it yoga?
It reminds me of a newsletter I got not too long ago from Ray Gano of Prophezine that compared this phenomena of Christian yoga to indulging in the way of the Canaanites…here is just a part of it...
"We are living in a world made of excuses. Many of these excuses are pure out and out lies that have been told over the ages and now believed as fact.
“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed” Adolf Hitler quotes (German Chancellor, leader of the Nazi party, 1889-1945)
We have been seeing a lot of that lately. Excuses have been put out there for so long, they have now become “truth.” But they are not to those who are grounded in God’s word.
Here is an example…
“Yoga is not religious; it is just a form of exercise and relaxation”
One can also replace the word yoga with Tai Chi, Karate, Transcendental Meditation - TM, pick your poison, they are all excuses and practices with originating roots from Hell…
(yes, you read right, he said the forbidden “H” word)
…Here is what God’s word says…
Joshua 24:14 -15 (KJV) Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
When Joshua stated these words, he was on his deathbed. He called all of Israel together to speak to them one last time.
You see, he feared for Israel. He started to see Israel become lazy and choose the apostate ways of the Canaanites, the false ways, the ways of the world.
Like Joshua, we too must choose this day, who we are going to serve. Once we have chosen, we must take action on it.
Too often we see people making excuses so that they can indulge in the ways of the Canaanites, the ways of the world, the ways God has told us to stay clear of."
He is right, isn’t he? Excuses excuses…why do something you have to make a bunch of excuses for?
This post has gotten kind of long and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out...but then, everyone is making such a big deal about 'Christian' stretching, thought it was a good thing to blog about.
Related articles, books and things about this subject:
Christian Research Articles on Yoga:
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/ChristianYoga.htm
Yoga: The Occult
http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/new-age/NA0202W1.htm
Innocent Yoga?
http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/new-age/NA1101W1.htm
Is it okay for a “strong” Christian to practice Yoga?:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=810&more=1&c=1
CHRISTIAN YOGA: Rooted in Hindu Occultism
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=779&more=1&c=1
Order DVD Yoga Uncoiled from east to west:
http://www.carylmatrisciana.com/shop/catalog/Yoga-Uncoiled-p-16188.html
Order Book called Yoga and the Body of Christ by Dave Hunt here:
http://www.thebereancall.org/node/5244
Oh, and one more thing...speaking of stretching things, now this is one flexible girl.
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