Yoga has been brought under a new microscope as recent online papers have regurgitated an age old question. Can Yoga and Christianity mix?
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, doesn’t think so. In his article, "The Subtle Body – Should Christians Practice Yoga?" he outlines why this culturally hip practice should be anathema to Christ-followers. Mohler describes a book by Stefanie Syman, The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America, as an accurate depiction of how this practice went from being a "heathen" practice, to a celebration of health and fitness.
The roots of Yoga are laden in Hindu and Buddhism, creating the strain of those who seek to practice the exercise of Yoga without buying into the spiritual element. The very definition of Yoga decries Christian principles, yet so many believe they can extricate themselves from being influenced by the Eastern philosophy and still get the physical benefit. According to dictionary.com, Yoga is "a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle."
Once upon a time Yoga was absolutely not practiced by Bible-believing Christians. Now, there are Christian Yoga classes and those who believe the exercises and poses will simply create a healthier body. Beth Morris is a Yoga Instructor and Physical Trainer in Orlando. As a Christian, she has learned how to teach a Yoga class and incorporate the techniques without the spiritual vein. "Many Yoga classes, especially in a gym, or non- yoga studio, are a mode of physical fitness, similar to a Pilates, cardio dance or muscle toning class. Meditation in yoga is usually only offered in special classes that state ‘meditation’. I think it is rare to find yoga meditation in a yoga class at most clubs or gyms," she said. "As a Christian yoga instructor I teach the HATHA part of yoga, which is the physical aspect of yoga. Yoga means to yoke or bring together. As a Christian yoga teacher I bring together to the mind and the body and the breath. I do this physiologically. For example: the mind: "focus on the movement", the body: "align your spine" and the breath: "exhale your breath as you reach for your toes". I do not teach anything spiritual. At the end of every class we spend about 5 minutes of quite time being still which calms and quiets our minds."
In a TIME article dated in 2005, the article Stretching for Jesus documented the growing popularity of Christian yoga. For some, meditation means prayer, focusing on Jesus. Churches all around the country are offering their brand of exercise with praise music in the background, capitalizing on the popularity of Yoga. One woman said it was her time alone with the Lord, yet others decried the idea of Christianity and Yoga being bedfellows. Laurette Willis delved into Yoga beginning as a child and then steeped deeper into the New Age movement until she became a Christian. Willis said "It is impossible to separate the subtleties of yoga the technique from yoga the religion," and calls Yoga "the missionary arm of Hinduism and the New Age movement." She has developed an alternative to Christian Yoga dubbed "PraiseMoves."
"If you’re not meditating while doing the Yoga moves, "you’re not doing Yoga," Dr. Mohler notes in a follow up article. He also speaks to the theology involved, believing those who derive spiritual benefit from Yoga are creating their own religion outside of biblical Christianity. Yet a 2005 New York Times article speaks of Christian Yoga instructor, Cathy Chadwick, who renames poses, like the ‘warrior’ pose to encourage participants to be ‘Christian warriors.’ Chadwick said "I feel more comfortable practicing yoga in conjunction with my faith."
The physical benefits to Yoga are valid. "Some of the benefits of Yoga are relaxation, increased flexibility and strength, improved circulation, improved respiratory system, skeletal alignment, pain prevention, joint mobility and calming of the mind," noted Morris. The website www.healthandyoga.com also includes detoxification and the fact that "Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner …"
There are strong, Bible-believing Christians on both sides of this divide. Fifteen to twenty million people practice Yoga around the country.
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