Should a Christian participate in Yoga?

[redeemed4life]

I've been debating this issue for a long time and I feel that as a Christian that the topic of yoga should not be practiced as a Christian. The pastor Mark Driscoll introduces a filter that Christians could use when approaching topics like this. Either we receive it, reject it, or redeem it. As a Christian should we receive yoga with open arms and not be concerned to the origins? Should we reject it all together? Or should we redeem it, in the sense of creating our own "Christian" version that praises and glorifies God?

Also, Romans 14, talks specifically about issues of drinking, eating meat offered to idols, and what days to celebrate. I'm not convinced that the topic of yoga is concerned with Romans 14. I'm not convinced that it is one of the issues concerning Romans 14 in the sense that yoga is a practice taken from another religion to worship their gods and connect with the spirits or powers.

Multiple times in the Old Testament, the Lord commands the Israelites not to associate and adopt the practices of the surrounding nations. Why would the Lord not want his chosen people to associate and adopt the practices of the surrounding nations? Could it be issues such as yoga? I'm not sure, but maybe.

For example, if we adopt the practices of yoga, but only do it for Jesus, is it safe? Can we go into a Muslim Mosque, and participate in the prayers, meditations, and services and say we did it for Jesus, is it safe?

Also, can we separate the physical from the spiritual? If yoga was created with worshipping the gods in mind, can we ignore that part and still do the physical? Is it even possible?

What are your thoughts, ideas, and advice?

Thanks

 

[Kakeb]

Are you going to be worshipping false gods through yoga?
Is doing yoga going to cause you or others to stumble?
If no, go ahead.
I have done yoga, but with no spiritual meaning to it. No issue.
What is your purpose in doing it? To get a workout or what?

I do agree that this is a Romans 14 issue. Possibly a better way to look at this issue is, "is it okay for ME to do yoga?" instead of "is it okay for Christians to do yoga."

Romans 14 is very clear that if you believe something (something that isn't clear in scripture..?) and then you do it, you are sinning. So for you, I would say no, do not do yoga. For me? I do not see a problem with it and see no scriptures that would lead me to believe it would be a sin...but if I realized it was causing someone to stumble I would hopI would be wise enough to stop

Yoga is one of those disputable issues.

 

[Christianmissus]

I've attended yoga classes where the "spiritual" beliefs of yoga took over the class, and where no spiritual beliefs were present at all...

It's fine for a Christian to attend a yoga class in my opinion, as long as they are not partaking in that spiritual part of the class. This being said, I don't like nor do I believe in the belief system that some yoga classes (depending on where their hosted, who the teacher is, etc) emphasize on, so I instead choose to participate in the classes that focus wholly on the workout.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

Darkness does not hold any patents on anything so it can only supply inferior products through a black market.
Any thing darkness can copy is a shadow of a part of the One creator.

So we should find something better than yoga for exercise and enlightenment.
There are 7 ways in the old testament that they praised the Lord and it mixes prayer with exercise.

Below are the lyrics from a Carmen song called"seven ways to praise" that explains it well.


Lyrics:
Way back in the Bible, the Hebrew language says
That we were taught that we could praise the Lord in seven ways
Seven great expressions, seven different flows
Seven ways to worship God and this is how it goes

Number one is towdah (towdah), it's the sacrifice
Praising God inspite the fact that your world is in a vice
It's praise that pushes through the wall of all adversity
An offering that flows to heaven in our time of need

Somebody say mind (mind)
Praise the Lord (e)
Say body (body)
Praise the Lord (e)
Say body (body)
Praise the Lord (e)
Spirit (spirit)
Praise the Lord (e)

Number two's yadah (yadah), that means to lift your hands (lift your hands)
In response to what the Lord has done through the land
An outward sign of what's inside for all the world to see
A demonstration of our love so come praise the Lord with me

Can you wave one hand and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)
Can you wave both hands and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)
Now can you clap those hands and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)

Number three is barouch (barouch), that simply means to bow
In the awesome presence of the Lord and all His power
To just be overwhelmed 'cause you hardly can believe
That you've been given favor by His Holy Majesty

Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord

This fourth one is shabach (shabach), it is what we call the shout
It's praise that's given way before the answer comes about
A public testimony that drowns out all the noise
Of whiners and complainers as the saints all lift their voice

If you believe that God's alive today, shout yeah (yeah)
If you believe that He's worthy of our praise, shout yeah (yeah)
If you believe the answer's on the way, shout yeah (yeah)

Number five is zamar (zamar), this one you'll like fore sure
It's playing any instrument that glorifies the Lord
Instruments that blast, instruments that strum
Instruments that keep the beat, so I'll praise Him on my drum

Six we call halell (halell), that means to rave and boast
And praise the Lord in such a way that gets you on your toes
(Wait a minute, wait a minute) What (Hey now, what did you say)
It's beyond just clappin' hands
But best of all, this is the one that makes you wanna dance

Finally tehillah (tehillah), seven is the best
It's the one that is the combination of the rest
It's singing and it's shouting, it's dancing and it's more
It's wild, it's fun so everyone rejoice before the Lord

Praise the Lord (e)
Praise the Lord (e)
Praise the Lord (e)
Seven ways we can say
Everyone praise the Lord



----------------------------------------------------------.

These can be used in any combination with variations and Baruoch is better than meditation.
Anyway praying and praising in a radical physical manner is scriptural and really fun.
King David danced before the Lord.

 

[lyn]

Yes I agree. It's wonderful to Praise God with your whole heart.
I love that David danced before the Lord. He didn't do it just to dance.
He was praising God with his whole heart.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

My heart says Yoga is of eastern religion and not adaptable for us ...My body says its unnatural and hurts .!! lol

 

[wayward_thought]

I would say go for it. If you find a studio that increases your health, why would you be scepticle about it's origins. Trust your own judgement and your faith and testamony. We walk everyday through a world full of people who believe in different faiths or none at all. If simply being around that makes you weak or uncomfortable then it indicates to me that your own faith is not strong in itself and that the source of the problem is not the yoga.

 

[wayward_thought]

Your body always hurts if your doing a workout the right way. Change itself can feel uncomfortable but are either of these things as bad as you think?

 

[DutchChristian]

TAKE HEED!

No yoga for christians!

Yoga is not just some set of harmless physical exercises but is always and automatically connected to demonic spirituality so called "enlightenment" and "path to self realization" which is an evil wicked lie! Yoga and spirituality are not separate they always come together in hidden form one or the other: Which these new age occult eastern teachings have hidden in yoga which is inseparable from this spirituality of the devil and is based on the KUNDALINI serpent EVIL DEMONIC spirit!

Thinking the base to joy and happiness lies in ourselves is a GREAT LIE!

It involves with certain witchcraft breathing techniques and certain hand postures: which is all witchcraft!

Do not be involved with it!

Yoga is FORBIDDEN for all christians! These are all eastern spiritual and occult be "self-god" inner exercises and worship of inner self (that which is a lie)

It is WITCHCRAFT!

FLEE from it and repent do not be involved with it do not even read about it it is all a lie!

Yoga will never give you peace, yoga it is all a lie!

Only The Lord Jesus Christ Can Give you PEACE do not be involved with these demonic exercises that always come with yoga and breathing techniques that evoke evil spirits and this so called: kundalini serpent (= satan's evil and dark malicious spirit who he covertly presents as if a love and light spirit, and even wickedly pretends to be covertly as to be the real Holy Spirit! but is NOT! Have you seen some of the charismatic movement's involvement with this kundalini spirit as in: people barking like a dog and moving and rolling on the floor anyone?)

if you are involved with yoga you are actually doing exercises with a devil together as your personal instructor!

YOGA -DEPART AND FLEE FROM IT!!!


(i know i used to be formerly in the new age for 7 years, before coming to Christ!)

And besides yoga: mindfulness, reiki and meditation work with and resemble overall the same principles it is all evil and not for the christian, it is all a LIE you MUST STAY AWAY from all of these!