There's a lot of chit-chat in the news about the practice of Yoga and how it's considered to be "Anti-Christian". Read this article and leave your thoughts!
http://learnsomethingnewtoday.us/?p=8
2007-11-23 02:34:41 · 34 answers · asked by decochix 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There quite similar in that they both help you emit noxious gas.
2007-11-23 02:42:46 · answer #1 · answered by Cotton Wool Ninja 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I'm a yoga therapist (and psychiatric nurse practitioner.) First of all, yoga is not "just an exercise," not "just stretching," nor is the asana portion the whole thing. True yoga is an eight fold philosophical path (not a religion.) Following the path in earnest would help you in whatever religious path you have chosen or help you if you have no particular religious path. It does help you recognize your connection to others and to the universe in general so it is a spiritual practice.
The yogic path includes moral values which are not at odds with any religion I can think of. Yamas (includes non-violence, non-stealing, being truthful, nonpossessiveness, and appropriately using your energy) and niyamas (includes purity/cleanliness, contentment, having a practice causing self improvement, self observation, and devotion - to whatever higher power you have, God, the Universe, the present moment, or whatever) - These are the moral values. Then the asana which are the poses that most people think are "yoga." Pranayama is breath regulation - variety of techniques....Pratyhara is sensory withdrawal...sort of a first step in learning meditation...it's like learning how not to respond automatically to all the external stimuli "out there." Dharana, dhyana, and samadhi are all concentrative meditation but the difference is in the depth of the meditative state. (Dharana is more of a momentary concentration while samadhi is complete absorption.) Again, this doesn't conflict with any particular religion.
In order to gain full benefits from yoga practice, the whole thing needs to be practiced. In other words, you actually have to practice "yoga." (Not to say that there aren't benefits from an asana practice combined with pranayama for example; it's just not really "yoga" nor will you achieve the same level of benefits. It is truly a wonderful practice.
Namaste.
2007-11-23 04:19:29 · answer #2 · answered by lotus4yoga 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a yoga practitioner hence my screen name, not the eggnog part, however:) Why is it a slap in the face to Christianity? I can promise you that when I go through an asana practice, I'm not remotely thinking unkind thoughts about anyone. The yoga tradition predates Christianity. If a Christian doesn't want to practice it then that's there choice, isn't it? If you think it's anti-Christian then don't practice if you're Christian. I'm not doing my practice in public, I do it in a studio or at home and it brings me great peace. That peace extends to those who I encounter throughout my day. Honestly, I think some people just need something to fight about. The health benefits are enormous and many cardiac rehabilitation units are starting to use yoga as a way to bring someone back to health. It relieves stress, makes you stronger both physically and emotionally, makes you more balanced in general. I could go on and on about the health benefits. I do get spiritual benefit from my practice because that's how I choose to practice. Some people only practice for the physical aspects, that's their choice. Everyone should do yoga for the reasons I've listed and more. Namaste
2007-11-23 02:45:45 · answer #3 · answered by Yogini 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Yoga is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get.
So I can understand why some branches of yoga would be considered spiritually-iffy for Christians. I can see their point of view. In some yoga classes spiritual cleansing & rejuvenation are the focus of the whole hour. To some, that's what makes the class, it helps calm them, and that's what they come for. For others, it may be seen as strange or contrary to their beliefs. Christians see spiritual cleansing & rejuvenation in a completely different way than dedicated yogites do so an hour-long session of this nature may be challenging for dedicated Christians to sit through (much less attend on a regular basis). That coupled with the fact that some teachers are extremely generous with spiritual guidance during their sessions... I can see how it would make it awkward for someone with other spiritual views.
But I don't think that yoga should be ruled out completely... even for dedicated Christians. Other less-spiritual, more mainstream branches of yoga (found at a local gym, YMCA, etc.) should be mostly stretching. They're harmless, relaxing, and give you the same lean tone "core" (abdominal region) without the spiritual aspect of traditional yoga. Plus they're fun. They are just as spiritually involved as a 30 min jog on the treadmill or an aerobics class. I'm an atheist and I admit that I also enjoy sitting through the secular yoga sessions and doing them privately at home. It's just my personal preference.
2007-11-23 02:43:51 · answer #4 · answered by Acorn 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yoga has nothing to do with religion, maybe it can be seen as a spiritual experience but not religion.
I go to Yoga 3 times a week. The stretches are fantastic and it really helps me regain my focus, it's like my alone time to not think about anything or anyone.
I think there are some people who are just looking for any excuse to call something 'anti-christian' - so so lame. What is this world coming to? Why are people so bent on trying to further divide humanity? *sigh*
2007-11-23 02:47:02 · answer #5 · answered by JD 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
According to Pat Robertson, included in things of the occult are precognition (or fortune-telling), ESP, telepathy, clairvoyance, automatic writing, Ouija boards and other games that claim a magical or demonically spiritual orientation, astrology, horoscopes, tea leaf reading, palmistry, techniques of mind expansion, drugs, hypnotism, mind control, transcendental meditation, YOGA, sorcery or witchcraft, physical phenomena, telekinesis, levitation, astral projection, spiritism, seances and satanism, animal and human sacrifices, animism, etc. Pat Robertson also believes that seeking spiritual knowledge through Eastern religions and other counterfeit religious groups (TM, Yoga, humanism, etc) will lead to a manifestation of demons. This comes from the same man who claimed that his prayers alone caused a hurricane to turn away from the East Coast. This idiocy just makes me want to shake my head in wonder. There are worse things in this world than yoga. Stamp out hunger and poverty before having a call to arms against yoga.
2007-11-23 04:35:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yoga can be used as a form of physical exercise WITHOUT any spirituality blended into it. Some people are just too ignorant to know that. I've used yoga incorporated into my beliefs (Wiccan) but that is by my choice and because of what I perceive the symbolism to be.
2007-11-23 02:55:30 · answer #7 · answered by Keltasia 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Before the council of Nicea, the story of jesus and the new testament, was extreemly contradictory, so the story had to be brought into line to be more single minded way of thinking, consequently certain texts were left out. The same situation existed prior to the writing of the King James editon. It was a way of of trying to bring together the various sects that were becoming off shoots of Christianity. it was actually good for Christians it helped to bring them closer together.
2016-05-25 02:34:16 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Exercises that enable one to purify the mind and body while increasing their spiritual awareness is healthy for an individual no matter what their religious background might be. In this example the problem is Christian dogma and has nothing to do with the practice of Yoga.
2007-11-23 02:44:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
It feels good, so of course the most hardcore Christians are going to be against it.
It's funny to express it as "a slap in the face" because generally practicing yoga relieves stress and you no longer feel like slapping anyone in the face (even an obnoxious person who insists on hassling you about religion.)
2007-11-23 02:42:24 · answer #10 · answered by catrionn 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Yoga is the best--I wish I had more time for it.
Whoever wrote that article was really groping for material
Hold on a second--my years in TaeKwonDo must have been pure devil worship: It's an eastern discipline and it involves kicking the crap out of your enemies. Oh, no. I'm surely going to hell.
2007-11-23 02:39:55 · answer #11 · answered by colebolegooglygooglyhammerhead 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋