Is There”Christian” Yoga?

Is There “Christian” Yoga?

by Roger Oakland

Lighthouse Trails
Research 

June 16, 2009

INDEX of previous
reports from Lighthouse-Trails

Home

“Yes to Yoga: Can a
Christian breathe air that has been offered to idols?”1
The title caught my attention in a Christianity Today
article. The author begins:

“It’s 7:45 p.m. on a
weekday and for the first time today, I consciously slow
down my breathing. I send the air deep down into my
belly, letting it rise and fall like a wave.

“In … Out … Along with a group of 30 people … I
use the unhurried cadences of the air filling and
leaving my lungs to lull my muscles and joints into
daring postures….

“Finally–my favorite pose that comes at the end of each
workout–a corpse, during which I lay down and relax
every muscle.2

Now, you may be asking
the question, why would Christianity Today publish an
article promoting Eastern religion? Yet, the author of the
article claims to be an evangelical born-again Christian.
She says yoga draws her closer to Jesus. In her own words:

“[Y]oga has never had
any negative influence on me, and it doesn’t trigger any
harmful religious impulses. Just the opposite is true.
The three hours a week I spend doing yoga … draw[s] me
closer to Christ.”3

The woman sees yoga as a
way to connect with the Holy Spirit, and the breathe in,
breathe out repetition is essential:

“Holy Spirit in.
Anything that’s not from God out. Come Holy Spirit.
Renew my mind. In. Out.”4

Christian yoga
practitioners often claim they cannot be deceived, even
though they know what yoga is and where it comes from. The
author of the article states:

“Now, my enthusiasm
for yoga doesn’t mean I’m in denial about its Hindu
roots…. I know that hard-core yogis believe that yoga
is more than exercise or a relaxation technique. To
them, it’s a religious ritual. But the Hindu gods don’t
make it onto my mat. Yoga purists don’t lead classes at
mainstream American gyms.”5

In other words, it’s OK
to do yoga if you only do it halfway. But the problem is,
you cannot disobey God just halfway–and the demons know it.
So what would Jesus say? Can a Christian incorporate Hindu
spiritual practices in order to get closer to the Jesus of
the Bible? I have a strong suspicion the “Hindu gods” have
an agenda to introduce unsuspecting yoga practitioners to a
different Jesus.

A most insightful article on this topic comes from a
surprising source. The article, titled “There is No
Christian Yoga,” is written by Yogi Baba Prem, a Hindu Yogi,
a Vedavisharada trained in the traditional gurukural system.
Listen to what he has to say about Christian yoga:

“It was quite
astonishing to see on the flyer “Christian Yoga! This
Thursday night….” I could feel the wheels spinning in
my brain. “Christian Yoga,” I thought. Now while
Christians can practice yoga, I am not aware of any
Christian teachings about yoga. Yoga is not a
Judeo/Christian word! … It is a Hindu word, or more
correctly a Sanskrit word from the Vedic civilization.
So how did we get “Christian Yoga”?…

“Hinduism should reclaim its full heritage and not allow
other groups to rename its sacred teachings under their
banner, especially when they have no history of those
teaching within their own system. If they wish to
“borrow” and say this comes from our brothers and
sisters in Hinduism, then that is another thing….
Hinduism should guard against its sacred traditions
becoming distorted and taken away.”6

This Hindu yogi resents
Christians grabbing Hinduism’s spiritual practice and
calling it Christian. His resentment is understandable. How
would we feel if there was suddenly a new craze called Hindu
communion. We’d say, “Communion is about Jesus Christ. It
can’t possibly be called Hindu.” How tragic that a Hindu
guru sees the problem, but Christian leaders don’t. In 2006,
the same year this article came out, Thomas Nelson, the
largest Christian publisher, published a book titled Yoga
for Christians. And incredibly enough, many ministries
and Christian organizations are selling the book in their
bookstores!

---

From

Faith Undone,
chapter 6, “When East Meets West” – for more on Yoga and its
Hindu roots, read

Out of India)

---

Notes:
1. Agnieszka Tennant, “Yes to Yoga” (Christianity Today,
May 2005,

http://www.christianity
today.com/ct/2005/120/42.0.html).
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Yogi Baba Prem, Vedavisharada, CYI, C.ay, C.va, “There is
No Christian Yoga” (October 2006,

http://yogibabaprem.sulekha.com/blog/post/2006/10/there-is-no-christian-yoga.htm

---

Source article:

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletter061609.htm