What are your thoughts on followers of Christ practicing yoga? Not the meditation portion, but strictly for flexibility purposes.
Discussion
47 comments
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Not much. It’s just that it’s good for the body.
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God knows your intent and heart. It’s fine
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I don’t see nothing wrong with stretching, and relaxing, but chanting and practicing Hinduism is wrong.
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You have to be extremely careful.
These yoga poses are actually poses that are a portrayal of the false Hindu gods and some acts they had done within the religion.
Romans 12:1 says that our bodies are living sacrifices and we should be careful not to pay homage to false gods, k owing or unknowing.
There are stretches that are good for body mechanics that aren’t yoga focused.
Check out Steven Bancarz on YouTube.
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Makes as much sense as a Christian Hindu (where the practice originates) or Christian Buddhist.
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Not sin at all. No record in the bible says “thou shall not stretch your limbs for i designed it that way, so let it be blah blah.” ??♂️
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Man basically is religious snd can turn anything religious. So we must watch over every activity we do for the good of our lives that they don’t become a religion in themselves drawing us away from our devotion to God.
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It is evil and inviting the demonic forces to enter by the posture etc
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Using yoga for stretching is a Christian liberty issue.
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Dear, don’t be too legalistic about it 🙂 I suggest you do a book review on the Galatians.
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It’s exercise. The Bible does say physical training is of some value. Flexibility is good. I don’t see any problem with it. As you have already pointed out, the traditional meditation is not the goal. Obviously, the Yoga meditations are not Christian however the Bible does speak of Christian meditation which is obviously different but I am suggesting you can incorporate that when practicing yoga.
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Stretching is not a problem at all. Physical practices that take care of the body (God’s temple) are very good. But the origins and purpose of yoga are out of line, and many of today’s yogis fall back to the Hindu thoughts and teachings. I suggest caution and wisdom in how you use or don’t use it. What is your practice saying to those who are around you or know what you’re doing?
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From a Hindu perspective, yoga is an important part of achieving their ultimate goal, moksha, which is unity with God and freedom from the cycle of birth and death. All of which are against Biblical teaching.
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Yoga is a form of worship done before idols…
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Excercise is good but worshiping idol is sin and not biblical.
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Do a different exercise. Yoga is rooted in New Age mysticism where you empty your soul and mind to be filled with “light” but what another false religion calls light we know is darkness. Pilates and Barre are 2 great alternatives that incorporate flexibility without the mysticism.
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There was I believe a two-year study done on the physical benefits of yoga and the results were zero actual benefits. In fact the extreme stretching that goes on in yoga can damaged ligaments and tendons.
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Many of the things that come out of India in that general area we’re people doing strange and different things proclaiming that these abilities were spiritual in nature and that these people were Superior humans more spiritual humans thus the scammed ignorant people in small towns out of money that sort of stuff still happens today in India so I see Zero benefit in yoga even for the stretching
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I do yoga all the time but I don’t follow any of the spiritual stuff
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Jesus rocks!
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A few years a back when I was a in high school I joined an after school yoga class. I really didn’t know anything about yoga at first; I just though it was stretching until I participated in a class. The teacher was saying a lot of odd things, there was weird music and then she would come and press certain points on our heads and it would tingle after. I focused on Jesus and just would pray when she would try to lead us into meditation because I was very uncomfortable with the things she was saying. Just after 2 classes I never went back; I was extremely convicted and definitely knew I couldn’t go back. Since then I repented over participating but I honestly didn’t know the severity of it. So Id definitely inform you from my experience and mistakes not to join any yoga classes even if you are doing it for stretching. Also many of the yoga stances were made to worship their gods. Perhaps try Pilates or non yoga stretches? Just pray about it and see what the Lord is leading you to do. I hope sharing my experience kind of helped.
I’ll send you a video from Steven Bancarz. The Lord brought him out of the New Age Movement and now his ministry is in exposing it.
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I understand the poses are done to the many God’s and have some meaning , that’s why I chose not to do yoga.
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To me it’s never been about the spirituality of it. It’s about the relaxation and stretching and calming.
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Yoga itself is all about opening your body and mind to the Hindu gods. So, no, it is utterly demonic.
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Seriously?
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I don’t think is wrong
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Practice away. But ONLY serve Jesus Christ.
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Knock it on the head and do a few sit ups and press-ups.
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That’s called stretching
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Demonic, seek other alternatives. And just like some people have mentioned here, Steven Bancarz expounds on this. I’ve read a couple of horror stories of people who practised it
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Yoga stretches are also a form of worshiping their God’s and are done on a specific order. Would be like watching porn without it being for sexual reasons doesn’t change the fact its pornography.
You simply do stretches just not yoga 🙂 -
Don’t do it. The whole system is demonic.
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You cant separate the spirituality from Yoga, thats what makes it Yoga. Bad thing to do as a Christian. Just stretch normally
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Try Pilates. Why mess around with yoga at all if you are questioning if it’s appropriate for Christians to do? Look up Steven Bancarz or Doreen Virtue on YouTube. They are former New Age leaders who shed light on practices like yoga.
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No
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I did YOGA for years…But God stepped in and reminded me HE IS A JEALOUS GOD! So I quit and just began stretching..
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I did yoga poses before. They give a real good stretch. I followed a video tutorial and didn’t have a clue that a lot of it were yoga inspired poses. I think the trainer wasn’t concerned (or wasnt aware?) about the spiritual side of it. He just felt it was a good routine.
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What is the Christian view of yoga?”
Answer: For many Christians in the West who don’t understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.
The word yoga means “union,” and the goal is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of “God.” This god is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called “pantheism,” the belief that everything is God and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.
Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga that focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with fewer obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as high-level spirituality.
The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within their own consciousness instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims whom he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).
Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT). A Christian should exercise caution and pray for discernment regarding involvement in yoga.
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Perhaps this should be a separate thread but it is related. What about Ti Chi? The slow stretches, balance work… does it have philosophical conflict with Christianity?
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So this threads begs the question: If yoga, Ti Chi and others are each part of a conflicting philosophical belief system from Christianity, and whereas our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit in which we are the stewarts who are instrusted with care of that temple, in what ways has the Lord provided us guidance for that stewardship? What is found in the word to guide us for good health and physical well being.
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No true. I recommend you read my book on the subject
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As long as it is not against the beliefs or principles of the doctrine of Christ, it’s cool to practice.
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I heard that certain poses and stretches resemble hindu practices and work as gateways for demonic access to your body, albeit these are from former hindu converts and strong anti yoga advocates, so take it for what it’s worth.
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If you are against doing yoga as an exercise simply because another religion used to employ them as part of their worship, then everyone with a cat needs to get rid of them. No, I’m serious. The Egyptians used to worship cats for some perceived connection to the afterlife. You don’t want to accidentally worship it.
Or you all better stop eating beef since Hindus believe they are sacred and revere them. You might be ingesting things that are holy objections somehow.
I’m sure I could go review the religious practices of all known non-Christian religions and basically shut down you life with this logic.
Why do you want to make things that God has made clean un-clean?
In 1 Corinthians 10:23, it says “”I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but not everything is constructive.” This is in the context of religious practices of other religions. He could now eat food that was not even part of religious practices because it isn’t what you put in your body it is what comes out. But you have to be careful to not do things that are inherently harmful. Obviously, yoga is just an stretch and flexibility exercise. How about you do some yoga to take care of the temple you have for God, and pray to the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob while listening to Christian worship music. Take something that was practice to non-existence gods and take it captive for God.
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