What every Catholic needs to know about yoga...

[Michie]

A recent caller to Divine Intimacy Radio asked about the practice of yoga and its link to potential demonic activity. Listen as we discuss a Catholic perspective on yoga, including the opinions of an exorcist and theologians and consider suggestions on alternatives to yoga for faithful Catholics. Among other points, Fr. Fortea, an exorcist and expert on possession...

What every Catholic needs to know about yoga...

 

[Rhamiel]

it is part of a non-Christian religion
no need to get involved in it

but also no need to be over the top with talk of demons and whatnot

 

[Fantine]

I thought this article was interesting:

Want to Start an Argument? Just Say ?Yoga? : Catholic Stand

although most respondents commonly began yoga for reasons of physical health, they usually continued it for reasons of spirituality.

“In addition, the more people practiced yoga, the more likely they were to decrease their adherence to Christianity and the more likely they were to adhere to non-religious spirituality and Buddhism. In other words, whatever their intentions may have been, many people experience yoga as a gateway to a spirituality disconnected from Christ.”

And I'm not sure whether that's true or not. I've been reading a lot of Richard Rohr, OFM lately about "the historical Jesus and the cosmic Christ." And so I don't know whether they are really spiritually disconnected from Christ or whether they are beginning to expand their vision of Christ beyond "the historical Jesus."

I sometimes enjoy doing yoga but I am more of an aerobics person--I'm in my sixties, I know I need exercise for health and fitness, and I'm still working, so I go for efficiency. I love water aerobics and a new drumming fitness program that is great for memory, sequencing, and plain old fun. I love exercise that accomplishes two goals at once--things that involve water and music are body-mind-spirit experiences for me. I just don't think yoga would work my body enough in the time I can allocate.

 

[Miss Shelby]

.. oh for the love.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

it is part of a non-Christian religion
no need to get involved in it

but also no need to be over the top with talk of demons and whatnot

Thanks for the post Michie. I hd my recent query answered. I agree, it never sat right in the spirit. I will stay away.

 

[bill5]

There is nothing inherently "un-Christian" about it, but if it bothers people, don't do it.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I don't eat much yoga these days. The Greek kind, though a touch strong and sour, is decent though.

 

[Rhamiel]

There is nothing inherently "un-Christian" about it, but if it bothers people, don't do it.

well it is based on Hindu spirituality

so while I am not really comfortable calling it "demonic" or whatever
I would call it "un-Christian" at its core

if you just want to do stretches and exercises, there are a lot of systems that are NOT based on Hindu spirituality that you can take up

 

[bill5]

Having origins in Hindu doesn't mean you're doing something Hindu/un-Christian by doing yoga.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I must confess something awful, friends. The other day I was using multiplication. It was originally a form of math invented by Muslims. I beg forgiveness.

Then a few weeks back I watched E.T., directed by a Jew. Have mercy on me.

And then I ate baklava.

I've sold out....

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I'm not a Catholic but I was raised in the Christian religion and yoga has been a positive and empowering of my life since I was four. In the thirteen years of regular yoga practice I've never felt like it was anything but an asset to my faith. I actually hadn't even known about its origins until a few years ago. We adopt, assimilate, and exchange all sorts of cultural and religious practices. I mainly do acrobatic yoga, it's sort of like a hybrid exercise of yoga and acrobatics. I also a calmer form of yoga at night to help with insomnia.

A girl I befriended through yoga had Trichotillomania, an impulse disorder causes her to pull her own hair out, since the age of 10 and is Catholic. She actually dropped out of a her Catholic high school because of bullying about it and switched to CAVA. Even after years of dedicated prayer, psychiatric counseling and cognitive behavior therapy, she still struggled immensely. She had been feeling and desperate and hopeless. Her CBT therapist recommended a specific type of yoga that taught her deep breathing exercises, and she said it helped her more than anything else. That then led to her learning other types of yoga and eventually making to advanced acro. Another positive is that the yoga community has been kinder to her and given her a social life she desperately needed after being rejected and ostracized as a freak at school.

I hope people aren't discouraged from at least trying yoga. If is something that offers no benefit to them they shouldn't pursue it. So many of my Christian friends have benefitted from yoga.

 

[Fantine]

Perhaps we should be more concerned about praying the Rosary since the use of prayer beads stems from Hindu and Buddhist tradition.

The exact origins of prayer beads remain uncertain, but their earliest use probably traces to Hindu prayers in India. Buddhism probably borrowed the concept from Hinduism. The statue of a holy Hindu man with beads dates to the 3rd century BC.

Prayer beads - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The point I am trying to make is that there are certain prayer and meditation practices that are universal. The difference is that they are practiced in the context of the religious beliefs of the people using them.

The meditative practice of Christian centering prayer has parallels to Eastern meditation, and the reason for this is that these techniques have been found to be helpful to people seeking to deepen their relationships to God--in whatever context they understood Him.

Maybe the spokesperson on this video should stop worrying about yoga and throw away his rosaries...

Or maybe he should pray his beads--first used by Hindus and Buddhists--more and mind his own business about those who practice yoga.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

I know everything I need to know about yoga. I know that after 50 years of abusing my body with a dozen or so different sports, yoga is hard.

 

[Solace Girl]

I think yoga in many parts of the US has been secularized to the point where it could be better called therapeutic stretching. It is kind of like bunnies at Easter; a bit of Pagan culture that has lost its original meaning.

 

[Galilee63]

It opens the mind to receiving satan, its evil spirits, legions and demons undoubtedly.

For one, most people are not sitting in front of Jesus' Cross, thinking about Jesus Christ our Saviour, Jesus' Last Supper, His Agony in the Garden of Olives, His Life and Sorrowful Stations of His Cross, praying to Him His Prayers provided for mankind to pray from their hearts (while focussing on Him).

This allows a field day for satan during the yoga/meditation session through his evil spirits.

As does power of the positive thinking - with people drawing seemingly positive energies to receive anything other than our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour into one's own Heart.

Ommmmm....sorry my humour.

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

 

[MikeK]

I know people whobpractice yoga moves in front of the Cross while praying to Christ, it is far from uncommon.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

It opens the mind to receiving satan, its evil spirits, legions and demons undoubtedly.

Hogwash

 

[Tallguy88]

well it is based on Hindu spirituality

so while I am not really comfortable calling it "demonic" or whatever
I would call it "un-Christian" at its core

if you just want to do stretches and exercises, there are a lot of systems that are NOT based on Hindu spirituality that you can take up

A pose is a pose, a stretch is a stretch. You're not going to commit a sin because a Hindu also does the stretch. Just find a regular gym that does it devoid of any spiritual nonsense.

My sister is a yoga instructor and she's not some kind of Hindu wannabe.

 

[bill5]

Maybe if you eat a hamburger it balances out-? After all and as a great man once said, "cheeseburgers in paradise..."

 

[concretecamper]

The mainstream Catholic is too far removed from recognizing the Spiritual battle that rages on every day. St Peter tells us that Satan is prowling around looking for souls to devoure. St Pio told us that the devils are so numerous thay if they were visible, they would block out the sun. If people don't believe this stuff anymore, how are you going to convince them that yoga is bad?