Do you think “Christian yoga” is acceptable?
Yoga is being taught as a means of relaxation and also as a spiritual discipline in many Christian Churches. Does yoga have a spiritual significance that Christians may not be aware of? Can it be harmful to a Christian, or to anyone else? Although this article does not address that specific issue, it raises the possibility that the practice of yoga is incompatible with Christianity. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.
Hindu leaders slam yoga for Christians
by Teneshia Naidoo
Published:Mar 29, 2008 in The Times of South Africa
It’s hypocrisy, says Maha Sabha head, but Catholic teacher says it has helped her draw closer to Christ.
A Catholic spiritual teacher who encourages her pupils to find God through yoga has been slated by Hindu leaders.
Winnie Young, 96, has spent most of her life teaching yoga after studying under one of the world’s leading yogis, Yogacharya BKS Iyengar.
Young, who founded a national yoga institute in 1975, said people had a misconception of yoga as a religion. Her institute believed yoga was a tool to connect to God.
However, religious leaders in the Hindu community have criticised her, saying it is impossible to teach yoga from a Christian perspective.
Young said yoga had helped her draw closer to Christ.
Her institute practises hatha yoga, which advocates controlled breathing to calm the body and cleanse the mind in an effort to achieve nirvana, an elevated mental state.
“I have been led by my Christian beliefs, but I don’t do indoctrination. I teach as a Christian, my Christian principles guide me.”
In her book Yoga for the Christian, Young says while she realises that yoga is based on an Eastern philosophy, she can draw from the technique and knows where to draw the line.
She concedes that there are certain Hindu beliefs incorporated in yoga that Christians cannot accept.
But the head of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, Ashwin Trikamjee, is critical of Young’s teaching.
“It’s hypocrisy of the highest order. I don’t understand how anyone can teach yoga from a Christian background. It is an indisputable fact that yoga has its origins in the East and in Hinduism,” he said.
He added that if Christians wanted to teach yoga, they should teach the true form and not be guided by any religion.
Kamal Maharaj, editor of Vishwa Shakti, a progressive Hindu newspaper, said that teaching yoga from a particular perspective defeats the purpose of the philosophy.
“You cannot come to yoga with a background. There is no perspective that you can imbed yourself in. To believe that there is a personal creator and each creator is different goes against the teaching of yoga. If one has to adopt yoga, one must come out of the box,” he said.
However, yoga teacher Kanchana Moodliar said teaching yoga from a specific perspective or background could not be considered incorrect.
“Yoga does form part of the Hindu religion, but does that mean we need to own it and not share it? Are we not about sharing, tolerance, embracing all and about making better people, no matter what their religion is?” she said.
“Yoga is a philosophy, and the practice is an exact science aimed at reaching a higher consciousness, so it can be adopted by anyone who has a yearning to connect with the Divine.
“So, whether yoga is taught from a Christian point of view or Hindu, as long as it enables the yogi to get into their bodies and through the body reach a higher consciousness, who are we to stop that?”
Father Desmond Royappen of the Catholic Church said the technique of yoga could help Christians quieten their mind and body to lead them closer to Christ.
He said Young employed techniques whereby she disciplined body and mind, leading her closer to God.
“Yoga is often misunderstood, but the technique of yoga can lead to great physical and spiritual health, although, for Christians, yoga is not to be used as a means of salvation but to draw them closer to their Saviour,” he said.
STUMBLE IT!
I think Hindus should allow anyone to learn Hinduism. The worst that can happen is that it becomes so diluted as to do nothing, in which case it is no worse than not teaching it.
I have known people come to Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) thorough Yoga. They start with yoga as an exercise, then seeing it’s potential and affects go to an authentic yoga teacher who will teach the vedic philosophy behind it. This in turn brings them to vedic Hinduism. Of course we would like everyone to be able to go to an authentic teacher straight away, but in practice this is unlikely to happen. Yoga really does bring higher consciousness and bring you closer to God.
Yoga was written by great Sanatana Dharma sage Patanjali and developed subsequently by sages of Sanatana Dharma over centuries. In ancient world Greek philosphers were drawn to yoga due to mysticism and vedic philosophy behind it. The modern form of yoga was never known the western world before late 19th century. All the teachings of Yoga are based on Hindu philosophy precisely without any inputs from any other baby religions. To detach Yoga from Sanatana Dharma is like detaching Atman from the body. You cannot practice Yoga by detaching the very core philosophy behind it. It is like genetic mutation of species if associate it with Christian beliefs. I am not against which ever religion a person follows and draws closer to his or her God, but using word “Christian Yoga” is outrageous and unacceptable. They should replace word Yoga with “Christian Exercise” or “Christian body treatment”. Why do you need word Christian when there is nothing Christian about it ?
I think it’s very sad that we have to put labels on everything in order for it to be palatable for people to accept. Yoga is an ancient, beautiful, and healthy way to bring one closer to the Divine. I follow Christ, and I am confident enough to say that He would not only recommend it, but in most likelihood He practiced it to some degree.
I believe with all of my heart that if Christians were to incorporate the perfect science, knowledge, and spirituality of the ancient Gurus along with the teachings and sacrifice of our perfect Guru, we would be truly whole beings in mind, body, and spirit.
Master/disciple relationship is not understood in the modern west, but let’s not forget – Jesus of Nazareth was an Easterner.
Peace to all,
Marianne
Marianne,
I was saddened to read your comment. Please let me explain. You will also understand why if you read my recent post on yoga and contemplative spirituality.
In the same sentence you say:
I am sorry to say but right now I cannot think of 2 statements that are more mutually exclusive than the first and second parts of this statement. You claim that yoga is a way to bring you closer to the divine, yet Christ said:
You say that yoga takes you closer to the divine, yet Jesus tells us that only He can take us to the Divine. What yoga takes you close to cannot be the same thing that Jesus is talking about. Yet you claim to follow Jesus. Which path to the divine are you taking? You have to make the choice.
You say:
I cannot find any scriptural or historical basis for this statement. Yoga is opposed to what Christ taught.
The only ‘perfect’ teaching is that revealed by Jehovah God, the God of the Bible. Everything else is heresy and deception. Any other teaching will lead to death. We cannot be ‘truly whole beings in mind, body, and spirit.’ The Bible teaches that we are fallen corrupt beings. We cannot achieve perfection in this life, nor can we achieve it on our own strength, nor by the teaching of men.
Nothing describes this relationship better than the Bible. If the modern west doesn’t understand it, then perhaps you should speak up about it. Jesus is my Master. I am His disciple. Who is your master?
Let’s not forget that He was God in the flesh. Have you ever tried to imagine what God would speak like or think like, if He were to walk among us? If you have read the words, character and life of Jesus then you know what God is like: Luke 22:70, John 10:30, John 10:37, John 10:38, John 12:45, John 14:7-10, John 1:1, Revelation 19:16, etc.
Marianne, do you see that by the way you worded your comment you show that you hold yoga and the teachings of the gurus above the authority of Jesus Christ? You have to decide whom you will follow. I urge you to reconsider contemplative spirituality and instead understand yourself as a sinner [as we all are] who has offended God [as we all have], who needs salvation [as we all do]. This can only be on His terms and in the way that He wants. If you are confused by this statement or you do not know what I mean by salvation, please email me.
Read Derek Prince books on deliverence etc, he says yoga invites demons to come hang with you or in you
agree with rene.. have to be careful not to assume things about Christ that we do not read in scripture. If its not mentioned in the Word, it means its not necessary for our salvation or spiritual growth.
my mum practises new age religion, and the ‘divine’, ‘christ’ and all other gods mean the same thing..have to be careful about that.