Biblical advice on "yoga"?

[God saves]

Staff: may I request for this thread to be moved to Christian Only Teens Common Area?

So basically I have to do "yoga" at school, and have 6 or 7 lessons left, though now I try to consider the class as just "stretching" class. I was aware of the spiritual roots of yoga (through my own research) before I started the course, and some of the information I found disturbed me.

Personally I fail to see anything blatantly wrong with many of the physical postures practised in the class (though a few of them have made me feel uneasy).

Some of the things about the class that make me the most uncomfortable include the gesture and greeting "namaste" at the end which I have mostly refrained from, and prayer positions in the class (not practised in every class) - even if I was not aware of the spiritual roots of yoga, I think this would have made me feel uneasy.

I do wonder if yoga even in its purely physical form can lead to dulled spiritual awareness, because I feeI have somewhat sensed this, although my sense may be wrong

My concerns and personal thoughts about this are:

-Romans 14:1 "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." - I am not sure if this applies to the physical aspects of yoga. However, I do not think the fact that it is wrong to partake in the spiritual aspect of yoga as taught in pantheism is a "doubtful disputation", so I believe this would not apply to anything that definitely goes against God.
-1 Corinthians 10:21: "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." Hypothetically I might argue that while I am physically bowing down to an image or statue of a false "god" in my heart I am worshipping the one and true living God, but I believe to make such an argument in order to justify physically bowing down to idols would not make sense and would be obviously wrong.
-Colossians 3:17: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. - so everything, including this class, must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus for the glory of God.
-I believe that the enemy is more subtle than we realise
-I also feel that the fact Jesus Christ our Lord died for our sins and was raised from the dead, and has won the war over the enemy by His death and resurrection, definitely doesn't mean we should do anything that is against God and may give an appearance of evil

So I am asking for others' perspectives from a Christian point of view.

 

[Zoii]

Yoga is an incredibly valuable practice. It improves flexibility, proprioception, and balance. It improves meditation and general wellbeing. I thoroughly recommend it regardless of your age group.

 

[Joy]

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[Ada Lovelace]

Staff: may I request for this thread to be moved to Christian Only Teens Common Area?

So basically I have to do "yoga" at school, and have 6 or 7 lessons left, though now I try to consider the class as just "stretching" class. I was aware of the spiritual roots of yoga (through my own research) before I started the course, and some of the information I found disturbed me.

Personally I fail to see anything blatantly wrong with many of the physical postures practised in the class (though a few of them have made me feel uneasy).

Some of the things about the class that make me the most uncomfortable include the gesture and greeting "namaste" at the end which I have mostly refrained from, and prayer positions in the class (not practised in every class) - even if I was not aware of the spiritual roots of yoga, I think this would have made me feel uneasy.

I do wonder if yoga even in its purely physical form can lead to dulled spiritual awareness, because I feeI have somewhat sensed this, although my sense may be wrong

My concerns and personal thoughts about this are:

-Romans 14:1 "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." - I am not sure if this applies to the physical aspects of yoga. However, I do not think the fact that it is wrong to partake in the spiritual aspect of yoga as taught in pantheism is a "doubtful disputation", so I believe this would not apply to anything that definitely goes against God.
-1 Corinthians 10:21: "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." Hypothetically I might argue that while I am physically bowing down to an image or statue of a false "god" in my heart I am worshipping the one and true living God, but I believe to make such an argument in order to justify physically bowing down to idols would not make sense and would be obviously wrong.
-Colossians 3:17: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. - so everything, including this class, must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus for the glory of God.
-I believe that the enemy is more subtle than we realise
-I also feel that the fact Jesus Christ our Lord died for our sins and was raised from the dead, and has won the war over the enemy by His death and resurrection, definitely doesn't mean we should do anything that is against God and may give an appearance of evil

So I am asking for others' perspectives from a Christian point of view.

As with many of the dilemmas we encounter in our spiritual journeys,I think we have to carefully examine the impact it has on us as individuals, because there's often the potential of deriving benefit, or being harmed. It has to do with context and our own hearts.

Some sincerely believe yoga is wrong for Christians, and defend that stance with scripture, while other Christians feel the precise opposite, and have Biblical reasoning for why they believe it can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually enriching. As a practicing Christian who has incorporated yoga into my daily life since early childhood, I'm definitely of the latter mindset. One thing to understand is that what we colloquially refer to as "yoga" often is not actually yoga; it's only asana (the physical postures) and pranayama (the breathing exercises). It's not incorrect to view what you're taking now as "stretching class" since it's a class involving stretching, strength training, and breathing exercises. Classes that labeled Hatha, basic, or power are almost always focused on the physical practice.

Though the religion Hinduism involves yoga; all yoga is not Hinduism, and in fact there's yoga that incorporates Christian elements into the practice and views it as a form of embodying Romans 12:1-2. Hindus have objected to the yoga most Westerners practice (as do many Easterners who are not Hindus) even being called yoga, because it's evolved so much from the origins there's little resemblance. It's sort of comparable to how millions who are not Christians participate in Christmas festivities that differ dramatically in tone and intent from the original celebration of the birth of Christ. Yoga can definitely be spiritual, but there's no reason Christians cannot root it in their spirituality. The prayer postures can be viewed as prayer to God. Yoga means “yoke” or “to unite,” as in uniting the body, mind and spirit, and for me, and it's uniting my body, my mind, and my spirit with Christ. Yoga is my morning prayer and mediation ritual, and it's deepened my spirituality rather than detracting from it. I have difficulty reining in the thoughts running wild in my head at times, especially in the morning when I'm thinking about getting to school on time, about the obligations of the day. By praying while doing yoga, I'm fusing physical actions with spiritual ones, which requires concentration. I focus on what I'm doing in that moment, on giving gratitude for a new day, on praying rather than fretting about whatever stresses and pressures lie ahead. It alleviates anxiety and gives me calm assurance. My body is transformed from the state it was in after hours of slumber, stiff and drowsy, by the physicality of it. It's a way of caring for your temple, as biblical instructed. There's a multitude of studies showing the physical and psychological benefits of yoga, especially for kids and teens. I am unusually flexible and credit that to having practiced yoga routinely for most of my life. My mind is transformed and renewed.

The church I grew up attending has Christ-centered yoga classes that are also a form of fellowship. One of my favorite places in the world to practice yoga is at a gorgeous cathedral about an hour from my college. It begins with a reflection and prayer. It's a beautiful and soul rejuvenating experience for me.

I've purposefully used the words "for me" to emphasize that my fruitful experiences may not also be yours. You have to evaluate for yourself whether it's something productive for you to pursue. I'd encourage you to try approaching it differently from this point forward. Make the deliberate effort to focus on God when you're making the prayer postures. During breathing exercises I like to think to myself as I draw breath in "Lord Jesus" and as I exhale "have mercy." If after making some mental and spiritual modifications you still feel uncomfortable, then discontinue the practice altogether. If it's a class you're obligated to take, then just omit anything that unsettles your spirit and focus completely on the physical aspects.

Welcome to CF, by the way!

Edited to fix an important typo!

 

[Zoii]

I was wondering. Do any teens here practice meditation?

 

[God saves]

I was wondering. Do any teens here practice meditation?

Depends on what you mean by it as the Bible does tell us to meditate on God's word: Psalm 1:1-2: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.), if using the word in that sense to mean reading the Bible then yes.

 

[Zoii]

Depends on what you mean by it as the Bible does tell us to meditate on God's word: Psalm 1:1-2: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.), if using the word in that sense to mean reading the Bible then yes.

No I mean meditation which gets you to empty your mind - usually starts by focussing on your breathing

Often goes well with yoga practice

 

[God saves]

I don't have to take any more of the yoga lessons at school because I am already on study/exam leave (this is my last high school year).

No I mean meditation which gets you to empty your mind - usually starts by focussing on your breathing

Often goes well with yoga practice

Honestly personally I do not think "emptying your mind" is good for a Christian to do, and I would rather meditate on Scripture and think on true and lovely things (Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things); I would definitely not try to empty my mind.

 

[Zoii]

I don't have to take any more of the yoga lessons at school because I am already on study/exam leave (this is my last high school year).



Honestly personally I do not think "emptying your mind" is good for a Christian to do, I would rather meditate on Scripture and think on true and lovely things (Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things), I would definitely not try to empty my mind.

You can certainly meditate by focusing on something biblical - let's say an image of Jesus or even a verse. The exercise though is not to let your mind wander - that said - don't get stressed out if your mind does wander - inevitably it will - but just note that your mind has drifted and bring it back to your focus - eg image of Jesus or your breathing or whatever it is that you have elected to focus on.