Is Yoga Ok for Christians?

[BenFTW]

I never suggested it would send people to hell. I am asking if it makes God happy that we engage in it. Does it put a smile on God's face or a frown? Can you do the tree pose for 20 mins while controlling your breath and meditate please God?

If indeed it grieved the Spirit, I think He would reveal to you the better option. But do you know of a Christian who grieved the Spirit by practicing yoga (as a Christian, and not for purposes of Hinduism)? As the means to get a stretch and relieve stress?

I am not accusing you of such a suggestion, but getting to the heart of the matter. It will neither condemn you, or save you, so it really comes down to the individual.

 

[crossnote]

If it's only 'exercises' then call it something else.
Why have the name of a false religion associated with your exercise regiment?
Also consider your weaker Christian brother or sister who may stumble or think 'hey, yoga practice is ok after all'.

 

[Hizikyah]

I am not claiming anything...I think that it is ok to do yoga if your heart is based on GOD ONLY... If you are doin yoga to practice Hundism then yea it is not ok to do yogai think...If you are heart and mind and soul is based on God then i believe it is okay..My personal opion ..If i am wrong i appologize..

I think depending on how we use it...There are lots of thing that have you ever stopped to think..Will God approve of what I am doing?..Will God be happy wit my choice?..It is all based in CHOICES.. good or bad...Just because something came from another religion doesn't makes us non-christians..Put God first in everything we do...

My precious sister, we must consult the Creator of the heavens and earth in all we do.

Deuteronomy 12:3, "You must destroy their altars, break down their sacred pillars and burn their sacred poles. Cut down the images of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. You must not worship Yahweh your Father in such ways."

Many times in Scripture we are told not to worship Yahweh (the Creator) in any pagan ways, only in the ways Yahweh tells us to.

 

[danschance]

Stretching does not make you a pagan any more than eating food offered to idols makes you a pagan. However, consider what Paul said about offending your weaker brothers. You're not walking in charity if you are just throwing caution to the wind and saying "I don't care what anybody thinks! I'm gonna get my stretch on!" I wouldn't do it.

Streching before a work out can prevent injuries. I never said stretching was bad. I am talking about specific postures that are designed and used to open chakras, get in touch/worship with the Kundalini spirit (a demon) and other deities, breathing and meditation to accomplish certain spiritual goals, being co opted by Christians for their health.

Is there not a better way to get healthy than yoga?

 

[RedTent]

The world is filled with physical practices that false religions use from tattoos to feasts and parades. Our OT is filled with examples of people who lived in ways that is against God and what God thought of His people copying from those practices. Many times when people copied them they would say that it was done only for the one True God, and still they were told no, don't do them.

If Yoga stretching exercises are part of this, then God doesn't want us to stretch in this way. I used these Yoga stretches without the slightest realization they were ever used by anyone in a religious way, I simply stretched my body to make it healthy. I have no idea what God saw in those stretches I did. When someone told me about the religious aspect, I got a book of stretching Christian doctors devised and used those instead. They were almost the same stretches.

My life belongs to the Lord. If the Lord would rather I use stretches that never were associated with a false religion, so be it.

 

[RachelBibleStudent]

i voted 'not sure'...not because i have any uncertainty about the issue...but because the question did not specify what was meant by 'yoga'...

most of what is advertised as 'yoga' is not real yoga...

 

[myfriendtiny]

So you are claiming it is OK to borrow some practices from other religions if our heart is in the right place?

Do you think that if I am doing yoga for fun...am I doing a sin???? I am just curious..I am not trying to upset any one or anything..I am still trying to be a child of Christ...I am new at this and am having a difficult time..Is yoga a Demonice stretch practice?...

 

[crossnote]

I also find that many who are into stuff like 'Christian yoga'or Harry Potter etc., have never 'been there' themselves...as in bound up in Eastern mysticism or occultism. Those of us who have won't touch it with a 100 foot pole,

 

[Hizikyah]

I also find that many who are into stuff like 'Christian yoga'or Harry Potter etc., have never 'been there' themselves...as in bound up in Eastern mysticism or occultism. Those of us who have won't touch it with a 100 foot pole,

That is part of the craftiness of the adversary...

Its for the children...its innocent...ohh there just having fun...my family has done this for years...etc


But in reality it leads to more and more dangerous practices, even opens one up for contact with unclean spirits....

 

[RedTent]

Streching before a work out can prevent injuries. I never said stretching was bad. I am talking about specific postures that are designed and used to open chakras, get in touch/worship with the Kundalini spirit (a demon) and other deities, breathing and meditation to accomplish certain spiritual goals, being co opted by Christians for their health.

Is there not a better way to get healthy than yoga?

The question of meditation is another question we need to ask ourselves. That word is simply a descriptive word of a practice of focusing our mind, and is used in scripture as a good thing. It is also used in cults, and used in ways God does not want us to do. If we say to never meditate, we are going against the Lord. If we meditate by emptying our minds, focusing on saying aahhh, etc. or focusing on nothing allowing anything to enter our minds, we are going into sin.

 

[BenFTW]

That is part of the craftiness of the adversary...

Its for the children...its innocent...ohh there just having fun...my family has done this for years...etc


But in reality it leads to more and more dangerous practices, even opens one up for contact with unclean spirits....

It also comes down to edification. Is doing such a thing beneficial? In what ways does it add or subtract from my life, even so my relationship to the Lord? Is practicing yoga for an hour taking up an hour I could spend meditating on the Word or speaking with the Lord?

There are a lot of perspectives on this, some consider it an issue. Others see it as harmless. Again, in the totality of things, as far as eternal destination, it doesn't condemn you. So, then it comes down to personal edification, while it may not be "banned" to partake in, is it beneficial? Maybe to answer that question, it is subjective to each individual.

 

[Nautilus]

I never mentioned sitting. I am talking about specific postures that are designed and used to open chakras, get in touch/worship with the Kundalini spirit (a demon) and other deities, breathing and meditation to accomplish certain spiritual goals, being co opted by Christians for their health.

Is there not a better way to get healthy than yoga?

you realize you can separate the physical act of yoga into an entity by itself right? ive never been to/seen a yoga class even mention anything about hinduism out side of a classs for actual hindus.

 

[Hizikyah]

Why can we not just consult the Creator of the heavens and earth and follow whatever He says?

 

[Nautilus]

I also find that many who are into stuff like 'Christian yoga'or Harry Potter etc., have never 'been there' themselves...as in bound up in Eastern mysticism or occultism. Those of us who have won't touch it with a 100 foot pole,

Is it that tough to read a childrens book and not enter into the occult?

 

[danschance]

If it's only 'exercises' then call it something else.
Why have the name of a false religion associated with your exercise regiment?
Also consider your weaker Christian brother or sister who may stumble or think 'hey, yoga practice is ok after all'.

I am specificly asking if Christians should or should not engage in yoga. Yoga was designed to work with Hinduism. The poses or postures in yoga along with breathing techniques and meditation were designed to worship specific Hindu deities and open chakras, get in touch with the Kundalini spirit ( a snake that wraps around your spine which is a demon) and bring enlightenment. It is to help a person gather the supreme cosmic energy and achieve a "god consciousness.

Each posture or "asana" are "prayer movements" specifically worships a Hindu deities and help the "energy flow" or prana, purify nerve channels. For example, the cobra pose helps students "become the cobra".

Honestly, how does this please God?

 

[myfriendtiny]

Why can we not just consult the Creator of the heavens and earth and follow whatever He says?

I agree....

 

[crossnote]

It also comes down to edification. Is doing such a thing beneficial? In what ways does it add or subtract from my life, even so my relationship to the Lord? Is practicing yoga for an hour taking up an hour I could spend meditating on the Word or speaking with the Lord?

There are a lot of perspectives on this, some consider it an issue. Others see it as harmless. Again, in the totality of things, as far as eternal destination, it doesn't condemn you. So, then it comes down to personal edification, while it may not be "banned" to partake in, is it beneficial? Maybe to answer that question, it is subjective to each individual.

Like I said, though you see no harm in it for your self, what about your weaker brother who may see it as an equivalent of eating meat that has been offered to idols?

 

[lav]

if you are doing postures that are designed for a specific religion ( which 'real' yoga, originally is ) that has specific postures for specific gods ( which 'real' yoga, originally involves ) then NO, it is not okay to do these postures and pretend that they are for something else.

 

[Hizikyah]

Is it that tough to read a childrens book and not enter into the occult?

When a child is exposed to it at a young age it may create interest or make one fell it is innocent, and thus the child may get into these things later in life....

The magicians staff is made out of holly wood......hollywood

 

[myfriendtiny]

I am specificly asking if Christians should or should not engage in yoga. Yoga was designed to work with Hinduism. The poses or postures in yoga along with breathing techniques and meditation were designed to worship specific Hindu deities and open chakras, get in touch with the Kundalini spirit ( a snake that wraps around your spine which is a demon) and bring enlightenment. It is to help a person gather the supreme cosmic energy and achieve a "god consciousness.

Each posture or "asana" are "prayer movements" specifically worships a Hindu deities and help the "energy flow" or prana, purify nerve channels. For example, the cobra pose helps students "become the cobra".

Honestly, how does this please God?

I do agree with you...But I do think that if we are not careful than we can stumble and open the door to the demonice world...But the world has changed so much that nothin is the same any more....