Is yoga against the Catholic religion?

Question

Im a teen and I dont belive in any of the budist crap but, i like the poses and i like the calm feeling. when i meditate i meditate on bible verses. So is it against my Catholic religion?

i did not mean budist 'crap' in a mean way i am sorry if it offended you- it came out wrong. my point was that i didnt belive in people saying it was okay to chant to 'gods' even if you were Catholic. Sorry!!

Answer 1

Mediation as prayer is encouraged by the Catholic Church.

For Catholics meditation is a quest to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.

One way this is done is by reading scripture, asking God to give you understanding of it, and then pondering it in your heart.

Feel free to use whatever posture helps you meditate.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Some of the non-physical aspects taught along with yoga (or tai chi, or other oriental disciplines) are from Eastern religious philosphy, and therefore suspect according to some Christian belief. For example, the idea of 'prana' and 'pranayama'. If you simply teach balance and stretching, and speak of correct breathing without referring to 'prana' or 'chakras', there should be nothing incompatible with Christian teaching. The poses are not any form of worship -- but I'm guessing someone has heard of the 'Yoga Sutras' and is assuming that all yoga is like that. If you've got a Yoga-Pilates combination it's pretty certain it's not Yoga Sutras. But why ask us? If it's a Catholic school, isn't there a priest around?

Answer 3

No. Yoga is a discipline of the spirit within to control the physical world around you. Religion is not part of yoga. Yoga can be a part of the religious person. but usually is thought of as a seperate disipline in the far east. Both hinduism and Catholicism can benefit a yogi but are usually opposed for dogmatic reasons rather than any other reason. Meditation is practiced in all religions, yoga is only one method used to achieve the calm inner state necessary to reach for higher states of meditation.

Answer 4

Anything practiced for the preservation and edification of the Temple of the Spirit (ie, your body) is not a bad thing. A Catholic version of meditation is called Centering Prayer. Another is Taize.

Chanting phrases that are calming are one thing - chanting the name of a pagan deity is another. While you might know they don't exist, someone who sees you doing it and understands what you are doing might be confused and be led away from Christ. Stay on the safe side and chant something either neutral ("Peace like a river") or Christian ("In Nomine Christi").

Answer 5

Some buddhists do yoga. So do some catholics, jews, atheists...it's not a religion. Your meditating on verses is just fine.

By the way, do you believe the path to enlightenment/spirituality includes loving kindness and compassion, moral conduct, charity, wisdom, and meditation?

That people have free will to commit wrongs or rights; that evil doings may result when egoism, cravings, attachments, and ignorance are expressed as greed, hatred, and violence?

That unenlightened life is suffering?

Whoops, you sound like a Buddhist.

Answer 6

The exercising part is fine and as long as you meditate on the Bible thats good.

Yoga is actually a part of Hinduism and the higher levels incorporate their polytheistic gods so be careful.

Oh and promoting such things to stupid Americans is something they use to bait people, reel them in, and then slowly convert them. However, it is quite obvious from your question that you are not one of these people.

EDIT!

And for these other ignorant F*&% heads....yoga IS FROM ANOTHER RELIGION!!!!! try learning something before running at the mouth

EDIT #2

yeah that whole thing about clearing your mind....transendental meditation is the next step up from meditation. TM is where you clear your mind of all thought, become one with all that is around you, and become "enlightened." People who practice TM claim sometimes to see God or an angel or a being of light. BEWARE!!! the bible specifically says that this being that gives off light who you might see or talk to is Lucifer

My advice - dont do yoga

Hindus hook stupid Americans with yoga exercises which leads to meditation which then leads to transendental meditation which may allow you to contact this "being of light" which ultimately leads to him convincing you that he is Jesus and you swearing your allegiance to him

EDIT #3

The Vedas are an extremely large series of writings originating in Ancient India. They are considered to be one of the integral scriptural foundations of Hinduism.

sorry that i know my stuff

anyways these so called "veds" arent around anymore so i'm pretty sure that it was the Hindus who started spreading their practices throughout America during the 60's and 70's

Buddhism comes from Hinduism

Answer 7

Ask your Priest for an authoritative answer.

I asked my priest and he said it was fine as long as I did not worship other Gods (breaking the great commandments & First Commandment) ... he did caution that I be aware of what I was meditating on and he introduced me to a fellow Catholic who does teach Yoga and incorporates meditation on the scriptures with the Yoga.

Answer 8

Apparently yes!!

I even saw an item on the news a couple of weeks ago, and they had 'invented' Christian Yoga! Just like the real thing, but with 'Christian' type chanting and stuff..!

Pathetic and unbelievable, but it was NOT the 1st of April, so I suppose it must be true...!!!!!
; )

Honestly though, if the church thinks that doing yoga with Buddhist chanting is going to make you un-Catholic in some way, they really need their heads examined!

Answer 9

catholic teens are more hateful and insulting to other faiths than other religion's teens, because of the poison put in your mind by your churches

Come out of this hatered and see what God has presented to humans through different religions !!

Yoga is the biggest gift of Hinduism to the humanity. Yoga is a science dealing with the body, with the mind and with the soul.

Yoga is not for hindus or buddhists.. it is for the whole humanity... this is what its father Patanjali declared 5000 years ago!

Yoga does not need any conversion to any faith.

If you do yoga only for body it will give you a healthy life

If you do yoga for mind, you will be able to better understand your own religion, also you will appreciate truth of other faiths... you will no more be fanatic or arrogant.

If you do deeper Yoga, it will lead to enlightenment... in this life in this body itself

Answer 10

Yoga basically is one of the excersie prevalent in the world few hundred years ago. You can perform any of the excersie to keep yourself fit these dosen't belongs to any particular religion. They just belongs to that particular geographical area and developed there only. Since the growth of communication technology these are spreading around the world.