What do you guys think about Yoga? Is it truly Satanic or is it harmless?

Presbyterian Continuist

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I've joined a Yoga class to get my health credit for school. I need the credit to graduate HS. I've only had one class so far and right on that first day we did the child's pose, tried to stimulate our third eye and we "opened our minds" it was pretty alarming to me because I'm going to be stuck doing this for the next couple months and probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

So, do you find yoga satanic as well? Do you think it's nothing? Discuss!
Each Yoga position is a form of worship to the pagan god. But then, Paul says that the pagan gods are nothing, and if just doing the positions and you are not doing it as worship to a god, and your conscience is clear about it, then it is not sin for you. But if your conscience worries you that what you could be doing might be a type of pagan worship, then you might be sinning against your conscience, which is sin for you.

One thing though, Paul said that although an action might not be sin for you, if a weaker brother or sister does it against their conscience because of your freedom of conscience, then you could be causing that brother or sister to sin against their conscience. Paul's attitude was that if he did something, although quite lawful for him, that wounds a weaker brother's conscience, he would refrain from doing it.
 
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miggles

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I've joined a Yoga class to get my health credit for school. I need the credit to graduate HS. I've only had one class so far and right on that first day we did the child's pose, tried to stimulate our third eye and we "opened our minds" it was pretty alarming to me because I'm going to be stuck doing this for the next couple months and probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

So, do you find yoga satanic as well? Do you think it's nothing? Discuss!
i wouldn't do it.
 
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i wouldn't do it.
Nor would I, knowing how Yoga originated. It would be sin for me, because my conscience would be telling me about the positions being of pagan worship. I would want to abstain from the mere appearance of evil.

In fact, most Yoga classes are run by unconverted New Age people who are usually involved in other occult practices.
 
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Chris V++

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I remember reading somewhere that the poses themselves are prayers to hindu gods but I don't have a source and don't know if that statement is true. It has been said Christians have hijacked and repurposed pagan practices in the past. I have heard of Christian churches conducting yoga classes rebranded as 'PraiseMoves.' I guess if you want to get technical about it the garden variety push up has a yoga equivalent as does probably most isometric exercises.
 
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Cis.jd

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I've joined a Yoga class to get my health credit for school. I need the credit to graduate HS. I've only had one class so far and right on that first day we did the child's pose, tried to stimulate our third eye and we "opened our minds" it was pretty alarming to me because I'm going to be stuck doing this for the next couple months and probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

So, do you find yoga satanic as well? Do you think it's nothing? Discuss!

It's a very healthy activity and I highly recommend this form of exercise for others. Christians believe in such old-outdated superstitions on it, and it's likely a literal/fundamental interpretation of scripture is their only form of knowledge of anything.

The common yoga we have is harmless. One can make a case of Yoga back in whatever time, but even that lacks evidence.
 
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saved24

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I've joined a Yoga class to get my health credit for school. I need the credit to graduate HS. I've only had one class so far and right on that first day we did the child's pose, tried to stimulate our third eye and we "opened our minds" it was pretty alarming to me because I'm going to be stuck doing this for the next couple months and probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

So, do you find yoga satanic as well? Do you think it's nothing? Discuss!
You feel alarmed because the Holy Spirit is telling you it's wrong. He is giving you discernment. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Praying for you. God bless.
 
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Yoga positions are not “born out of ways to form Pagan worship.” That’s Jack Chick, not reality.

Most originate from a Danish exercise philosophy for gymnasts and are outlined in the book “Primitive Gymnastics.” The idea was that gymnasts would learn about the movement of their muscles through slow, deliberate stretching motions. Through that slow movement, they could self-identify muscle weakness and strength, areas that needed training, and what moves could be strung together to achieve maximum bodily performance. It was so effective, it spread like wildfire to even the US where the YMCA added it as a core means of exercise and movement. It also gave way to out modern ideas of sports medicine.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yogajournal.com/.amp/yoga-101/yoga-s-greater-truth

The movements to help connect you with your religious power resemble some yoga moves, but the practice is called Asana. Unless this teacher has their students holding single poses for an hour or more at a time, designating commands of work, silence, or fasting in order to obtain spiritual clarity, it’s highly, highly, highly unlikely that is the form of yoga being done at this school.
 
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Unofficial Reverand Alex

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It interests me why yoga is seen to be so controversial; it reminds me of the controversy I light up with Black Sabbath lyrics. Even though the songs themselves often contain very powerful Christian messages (notable examples include Children of the Grave, Lord of This World, and After Forever), the packaging is scary, and some Christians can't see past that. Yoga is very beneficial for health, both mental and physical, and yet sees much more criticism than man's prideful inventions of factory-made pills that attempt do the same thing at a much higher cost.

probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

I remember reading somewhere that the poses themselves are prayers to hindu gods
Even if yoga did have roots in pagan worship, does that make anything that used to be pagan into idolatry? Nearly every piece of Creation has been worshipped by pagans; should lighting fires should be considered idolatry? If not doing things that the pagans considered to be worship is our priority, we should avoid going to rivers, building statues, or a myriad of other actions. But we understand that these things can be useful, even if they were misused at some point. We can have an appreciation for fire without giving it worship, just as we can have an appreciation for stretching & healing the body God gave us without being worried that we're worshiping ancient Asian gods that most of us have probably never even heard of.

It is definitely not harmless.

It seems even in the best of 'circumstances' to be putting trust in some other entity or method instead of in God,
and whatever is not by/of/ faith according to Scripture is sinful.

There's a host of Biblical sites online showing this from many Scriptures.
Not called yoga though.

If the goal is PEACE (that cannot be shaken nor taken), then the Bible says clearly,

"he whose mind is stayed upon Christ, is kept in perfect peace" Perfectly in total Harmony with all Scripture, all of God's Plan and all of God's Purpose, with no shadow and no iniquity.

(i.e. also, blessed (happy and joyful and peaceful) is he who meditates on God's Word consistently/ daily/ frequently)
Your dedication to doing things in line with God's commands is admirable; even though I disagree with your interpretation of Scripture, I would like to commend your dedication to God's word.

Is this putting trust in something besides God? Or appreciating how He has made us, and techniques that help our body & mind? I would like to know your thoughts on the use of medicine, if you believe that yoga is putting trust in something that's not God. If anything, yoga is closer to the Creation god gave us, when cough drops & headache pills are less natural.

Same goes for peace; I have found great peace from a number of mental relaxation techniques, yoga & mindfulness meditations included, and I see no way that God is excluded from these things, unless we choose to make yoga into a rejection of Him (which seems odd; why not just thank Him?).

Yahweh looks not at the external, but at the heart/ spirit, remember ?
This is key. Thank God for the chance to stretch, heal, and relax; He didn't have to make the body in such a way that moving slowly can help us feel less stressed & accelerate physical healing! I actually got into yoga as a way of recovering from mild muscle damage from tennis & stress over losing my girlfriend. It's not something I've done very much, but I know it helps a lot; just resting quietly in God's peace is a wonderful thing to do, and yoga unites body & mind (both created by God) in a serene stability when we move in relaxing ways.

May God continue to bless us all!:pray:
 
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Sketcher

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Yoga is something that I'm unsure about. I am going to be wary about anything that is tied to Eastern religion. However, if it's bastardized to the point that it no longer is of any spiritual value in the minds of Yoga proponents, that might be OK. I don't want the stress reduction or the inner peace or the enlightenment. If DDPY is far enough away from that, I might give it a try.
 
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Halbhh

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I've joined a Yoga class to get my health credit for school. I need the credit to graduate HS. I've only had one class so far and right on that first day we did the child's pose, tried to stimulate our third eye and we "opened our minds" it was pretty alarming to me because I'm going to be stuck doing this for the next couple months and probably committing idolatry with those yoga poses.

So, do you find yoga satanic as well? Do you think it's nothing? Discuss!
physical stretches and flowery rhetoric usually, but if someone is trying to get you to breathe deeper, it often works.

Yoga can be pretty good, depending strongly on the teacher. Or bad.

Most yoga teachers are harmless except to help you physically or make you sore.

There are some (much less common) yoga guru types that aim to have a personality cult, tho, sort of like in any profession, and try to make you imagine they are something special (or they really believe it), but tend to only be strong personalities and sometimes well centered and good at controlling their bodies.
 
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I believe God stopped me from doing Yoga for my exercises. I asked why and He showed me why. All I had to do was ask because I too thought it harmless. Not according to Him.

The question should be: what does God think of Yoga?
:yellowheart:
 
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Halbhh

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I believe God stopped me from doing Yoga for my exercises. I asked why and He showed me why. All I had to do was ask because I too thought it harmless. Not according to Him.

The question should be: what does God think of Yoga?
:yellowheart:
I like that. Different people have different strengths and different weaknesses. What would only make me bothered might be too much for another, and vise-versa for us about some other entirely different thing.

1 Timothy 4:8 For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.

I can say a nice walk in the neighborhood is simply better than yoga, and costs nothing. :)
 
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com7fy8

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Think there is also a Christian type of yoga available?
I do what I call "fake yoga". First, I need to submit to God, in prayer, then see what He has me doing for movement, strengthening, and stretching. This turns out to be in every direction for every muscle and joint. There is rotating, included, in order to get every direction of stretch and against my own resistance. And be prayerful for God's guiding.

In my case, I am 72 years old, and I do not have daily physical challenges. So, I do variety-pack stretch and strengthen and rotate activities so all my muscles and joints and bones get a gentle and humble workout. It is more for maintenance. A lot of it can be full contraction of muscles in every direction for every joint > this can cause circulation, too.

If the goal is PEACE
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

I see this means for me to do, always, exactly what God's peace has me doing. So, peace is not the goal, in a way, I think; but I obey the peace ruling me.

Having control over your thoughts
If I obey how God's peace manages my mind and heart . . . I discover how He controls.

Each Yoga position is a form of worship to the pagan god.
I do not have any positions which are supposed to make me right with God or get my mind and heart right. And I avoid doing the exact same motions and positions, every time, in order to have variety and exercising every muscle with motions and stretches and self-imposed resistance. Each time, activities can be unique, but there is recycling :)

I remember reading somewhere that the poses themselves are prayers to hindu gods but I don't have a source and don't know if that statement is true.
Therefore, we can be creative. I would say every position needs to have stretch and/or strengthening against resistance; and each joint rotating in full stretch and against resistance is much better than just holding some position.

Is this putting trust in something besides God?
I think this is a very good point. This can be asked, too, about eating food . . . driving a car . . . wearing clothes . . . breathing . . .

Same goes for peace; I have found great peace from a number of mental relaxation techniques, yoga & mindfulness meditations included, and I see no way that God is excluded from these things, unless we choose to make yoga into a rejection of Him (which seems odd; why not just thank Him?).
I would say if we are controlling our own selves to choose and do something > this is at risk of depending on our own selves, instead of God >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

God's peace is not only feeling better, or getting nasty stuff out of mind. God's peace is personal, God sharing with us while guiding us. And why go on time out from this?? :)
 
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Yoga, as with anything else is only "bad" if you place it above God. IF you feel in your conscience you shouldn't do it. Don't, no matter what anyone here says.

IF your conscience is NOT violated and you keep God first, that is what is important.

Man can justify anything, we have done so since Adam and Eve. IF the Holy Spirit guides you andyour conscience is not violated, there is no justification needed.

You do need to tread carefully though as a lot of new age garbage has slipped into many peoples Christianity today.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Yoga, as with anything else is only "bad" if you place it above God. IF you feel in your conscience you shouldn't do it. Don't, no matter what anyone here says.

IF your conscience is NOT violated and you keep God first, that is what is important.

Man can justify anything, we have done so since Adam and Eve. IF the Holy Spirit guides you andyour conscience is not violated, there is no justification needed.
Sorry, but no. This idea is like saying adultery or rape is OKAY, as long as you don't feel bad about it !
 
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