"Christian" Yoga - <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Is it Really?
 
 
 
 http://www.danspulpit.com
 
Introduction
It seems like many Christians and mainline Christian Churches are embracing the idea of "Christian" yoga.  But can one actually "Christianize" this practice?  Or is it like trying to "Christianize" Baal worship?  I would argue the latter.  Yoga is a completely pagan Hindu practice, one that can not be Christianized, because the express purpose and intent of yoga is the "yoking" of oneself with a Hindu god, which in essence is a demon.
 
Yoga - The Concept and Practice
The world describes yoga as something to be had or desired.  Something that will "make one wise" as seen by Eve desiring the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3:6.  It really is no different.  Adam and Eve reached out for equality with God by eating the forbidden fruit so the could become like God.  The same lie is repackaged with yoga in Hinduism.  One reaches out for equality with god through rebellion, thinking this will make one wise.
Here's is what Dr. Rammurti Mishra said in his book, Fundamentals of Yoga, concerning yoga: "In yoga the student leads his mind from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from pain, sufferings diseases, and death to peace, happiness and eternity, from unreality to reality" (p. 29).  Sounds pretty appealing doesn't it?  I mean, who wouldn't want that?  Meanwhile, Christians think they can take the physical aspects of yoga and Christianize them, while not realizing that these physical actions have meanings definitely not Christian.  
The concept of yoga comes from the meaning of it's name: "yoga" which means "yoke" with a Hindu god.  This is what Hopfe and Woodward affirm on page 102 of their book, Religions of the World: "The word yoga is derived from the root yuj, "to yoke" or "to join."  Yoga basically follows the philosophical views of Sankhya system, viewing the world as a dualism and teaching that one should attempt to yoke or join the individual spirit to god, the atman, to Brahman."
The primary act in yoga is meditation.  The goal is to find "release" from the reincarnating cycles (Hope/Woodward, Religions of the World, p.103).
And the end goal is summarized in Hindu Spirituality: Vedas Through Vedanta: "the purification of the word is the means to the attainment of the Supreme Self.  One who knows the essence of its activity attains the immortal Brahman.  The Yoga of the Word, then, has the power to take one form the ordinary experience of the word all the way to union with the Divine." (p.221).
 
Yoga - The Biblical Response
Even Hindus see that one cannot "Christianize" yoga, it is an inseparably Hindu practice.  Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, quotes a Hindu in her article for Time Magazine saying, "Hinduism is not like a recipe ingredient that can be extracted from yoga. Says Subhas Tiwari, professor of yoga philosophy and meditation at the Hindu University of America in Orlando, Fla.: "Yoga is Hinduism." ("Stretching for Jesus," Cullen, Lisa Takeuchi, Time Magazine, Monday, Aug. 29, 2005)
What Paul says in 2 Corinthians is really profound when one reads it with issue Yoga as a possible application to the truth of this passage.  "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).  
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?  No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.  Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?  Are we stronger than He?"  (1 Corinthians 10:14-22).
Conclusion
Whether or not yoga "works" or has some physical benefits, really is irrelevant.  The fact it is a demonic practice, coming from a demonic religion.  Something no Christian should take part in!  If sorcery was seen as very athletic and relaxing, should a Christian practice it?  By no means!  Carslon summarizes it nicely: "Why should we think that a pagan religious practice, even one that may work, is suddenly acceptable in God's eyes?  Think about it, there are a lot of pagan religious practices that work (witchcraft, sorcery, spiritism, ouija boards, etc.), but we don't recommend that our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ participate in them.  So, why should yoga be any different?  (Carlson, Ron and Carlson, Jason. "Warning: Christianity and Yoga Do Not Mix!"  Posted Aug.1, 2005. www.worldviewweekend.com)
In conclusion, yoga should not be practiced or promoted.  It is not commanded in the Scripture, and we do not worship the LORD using the practices that people used to worship demons.  The LORD is holy, and we need to offer acceptable worship in reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
 
 
 
BibliographyBooks:Sivaraman, Krishna, editor.  Hindu Spirtuality: Vedas Through Vedanta.  Publisher: New York, NY: The Crossroads Publishing Company.  Year: 1989.Rammurti, Mishra, M.D.  Fundemantals of Yoga.  Third Printing.  Publisher: New York, NY: The Julian Press, Inc.  Year: 1960.Periodicals:"Stretching for Jesus," Cullen, Lisa Takeuchi, Time Magazine, Monday, Aug. 29, 2005Internet Articles:             Carlson, Ron and Carlson, Jason.  "Warning: Christianity and Yoga Do Not Mix!"  Posted Aug.1, 2005.http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=178"Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."