What every Catholic needs to know about yoga...

[steve_bakr]

I thought this article was interesting:

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

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.

What you are referring to is Hatha Yoga. Primarily, the meaning of Yoga is Pathway to God. I now forget their precise names, but there is a Path in which you dedicate all your works and deeds to God (I think Karma Yoga), a Path of seeking supra-rational knowledge of God (I think Jnana Yoga), and a Path of devotion to God (I think Japa Yoga).

These Yogas are laid out in the Bhagavad-Gita and are quite readily adaptable to Christian spirituality. I don't see any connection here to demonic possession.

Basically, the attribution of Yoga to demonic possession clearly stems from ignorance, and people who do so should find something positive to do with their time.

 

[Tigg]

Good gracious! I know one thing all should know - that getting into some of those poses, difficult and you better have a companion to undo you. I never practiced yoga for the Hindu or whatever. I do admit sitting and meditating on the word Jesus and trying the centering prayer. However I find that my mind skips away to other things. Sigh. I think yoga is good exercise. And if you want to become a worshiper of Budda, then go look someone up who is and get on with it. Lol. JMO.

 

[Tigg]

.. oh for the love.

 

[Tigg]

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....

Lolololo...

 

[Root of Jesse]

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

I like to make ranch/bleu cheese salad dressing with it, myself.

 

[Root of Jesse]

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....

Ask your lovely spouse about baklava in her native Tagalog...

 

[Root of Jesse]

The truth is, there's danger in lots of things we do. Going to casinos, going to Chinese buffets, going to World Series baseball games, working too much overtime, having the latest technology, and yes, even eating yoga or baklava.

The point is that there is eastern spirituality that can be involved in doing yoga, and to be aware that it can lead you down a wrong path.

For goodness sakes, watching girls on the beach can lead you down the wrong path, but there's nothing inherently bad about it, as long as you keep your mind out of the gutter.

 

[Gwendolyn]

My psychiatrist thinks I would benefit greatly from the practice of stretching exercises and breathing exercises, which = yoga. I'm intrigued, but I wouldn't be into the spiritual aspect of it at all.

I try to go to Zumba fitness (dancing) classes when my anxiety isn't too bad. The calm stretching done to music at the end of class is really nice and it helps me a lot, because any exercise that isn't hiking sends me into panic attacks.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

The only baklava I've had was Greek. Sure wasn't Tagalog, baby! If it were, it'd probably have grasshoppers in it! LOL

Ask your lovely spouse about baklava in her native Tagalog...

 

[Root of Jesse]

The only baklava I've had was Greek. Sure wasn't Tagalog, baby! If it were, it'd probably have grasshoppers in it! LOL

If you know any Tagalog, you know what the first 5 letters means? And if you say the word as a question, it means "Are you..."

 

[bill5]

If you know any Tagalog, you know what the first 5 letters means?

Girl Scouts?

 

[ArmenianJohn]

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....

Baklava is Christian

 

[frenchdefense]

Yoga:

Low impact workout

Go for arthritic bodies

Disciplines the mind and body

Makes you more flexible and and burns a fair amount of calories.

Relaxing and mind clearing

It's not the it's unchristian, it's just American.

A ReAl AmeRiciAn would just take prescription pain meds, prescription diet meds and prescription cholesterol drugs and drink a martini every night after work

That's the Chirsto-American way.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I never said it wasn't.

Baklava is Christian

 

[Davidnic]

Lost lots of weight doing DDP Yoga (Diamond Dallas Page). It is not in any way spiritual. It is a gateway to old WCW Wrestling videos I suppose but not to demons.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I never said it wasn't.

I never said you said it wasn't

lol, I just got the impression you thought it might not be because you listed it with other "non-Christian" things...

It's all good

 

[ArmenianJohn]

On Yoga - it is definitely tied to spirituality in the Hindu religion but at the same time it incorporates physical exercises (mostly stretches really) that can be done without engaging in the spiritual aspect of Yoga. Many stretches that athletes generally do are similar to Yoga moves.

I never quite understood what the fear is of Yoga for a Christian because I believe if you have a true faith it will not be shaken by participating in the physical aspect of Yoga. I know my faith was never disturbed in the slightest by doing Yoga.

That said, I didn't last long in Yoga because I found it to be tedious and boring - but that's neither here nor there when it comes to the religion issue of it.

The lesson I took from Yoga was that it's important to incorporate more stretching into an exercise routine. I currently do some Tibetan stretches which may or may not have some spiritual aspect tied to them. To me they are just good stretching exercises.

 

[IgnatiusOfAntioch]

What every Catholic needs to know about yoga...

Yes, Fr. Mitch Pacwa has written extensively on the spiritual dangers of this and other New Age spirituality.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

What does every Catholic need to know about Yoda?

Well, wow, where to begin....

Jedi Master
Survived Palpatine's takeover of the Senate
Trained Luke in exile
Learned Qui Gon's power to return from the Force
Walks with a cain
Walks with a cain but absolutely goes butt-wild crazy fighting when needed
Green
Speaks in reverse
cute as a button
Lived on Dagobah and seemed to be ok with it
Friends with Chewbacca and his bro
Ate creepy stew
Able to lift X-Wings
Started off as a VERY cool puppet and devolved into a CGI dude, sigh....
Sometimes had it out with Qui Gon and Obi Wan
Didn't trust Anakin (rightly)
Made short and green cool again....

I'm so grateful to the OP for having a Star Wars thread. We need more in OBOB!

 

[Fish and Bread]

Lost lots of weight doing DDP Yoga (Diamond Dallas Page). It is not in any way spiritual. It is a gateway to old WCW Wrestling videos I suppose but not to demons.

I was wondering if anyone would bring this up. DDP was one of my favorite wrestlers back in the day. I've been enjoying being able to go back and rewatch some of his old matches and promos on the WWE Network.