Yoga Studio Allegedly Using Religious Exemption to Avoid COVID-19 Closures

[Sketcher]

Leah Zaccaria, owner of HauteYoga in Queen Anne Seattle, confirmed to Newsweek that she "recently just started holding in-person classes," and insisted that her business is a "spiritual practice." The studio's website also indicates that the business is currently open, with bookings available throughout the week.

Yoga studio allegedly using religious exemption to avoid COVID-19 closures

Well, I hope that no Christians in the area were under the illusion that going to her Yoga classes wasn't taking part in non-Christian spirituality.

 

[bèlla]

Many Christians believe yoga is okay or try to create Christian versions. It’s a gateway to New Age practices.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

 

[Sketcher]

Many Christians believe yoga is okay or try to create Christian versions. It’s a gateway to New Age practices.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

To be clear, I'm OK with the physical aspect, as long as the spiritual aspect is stripped out. That clearly isn't the case at this particular studio, and honestly, I don't think it's the case at most studios or programs. I'm on the fence about DDPY because he claims that the spiritual "mumbo-jumbo" is stripped out of it, and he says "don't call it Yoga." That may or may not be true. At a Yoga studio that calls itself a Yoga studio, that's obviously not true.

 

[bèlla]

To be clear, I'm OK with the physical aspect, as long as the spiritual aspect is stripped out. That clearly isn't the case at this particular studio, and honestly, I don't think it's the case at most studios or programs.

If you’ve never practiced Hinduism you wouldn’t know. Not for certain. Pilates provides similar benefits without the spiritual undertones or connections.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

 

[iluvatar5150]

There’s a CollegeHumor video on youtube called “If Ghandi Took a Yoga Class” that’s 100% appropriate here.

I can’t link to it because of swears, but you should go find it.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Also reminds me of the Church of No Ma’am
Church of NO MA'AM

 

[Kettriken]

I've often found it odd how much animosity western Christianity has for yoga. I think we wouldn't have it were it not for a misunderstanding of how Christ spent his many hours in prayer. If only we had a record of his physical posture or stretches during his weeks in the desert.
I have no faith in the movements themselves, only in in how we connect to Christ and the Father.

 

[iluvatar5150]

I've often found it odd how much animosity western Christianity has for yoga. I think we wouldn't have it were it not for a misunderstanding of how Christ spent his many hours in prayer. If only we had a record of his physical posture or stretches during his weeks in the desert.
I have no faith in the movements themselves, only in in how we connect to Christ and the Father.

Western Christianity has a lot of juvenile fears about a lot of things.

 

[Sketcher]

I've often found it odd how much animosity western Christianity has for yoga. I think we wouldn't have it were it not for a misunderstanding of how Christ spent his many hours in prayer. If only we had a record of his physical posture or stretches during his weeks in the desert.
I have no faith in the movements themselves, only in in how we connect to Christ and the Father.

Whether Jesus was stretching when he was praying or not doesn't matter - he wouldn't have been doing Yoga. Yoga is defined enough to preclude what Jesus was doing.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Many Christians believe yoga is okay or try to create Christian versions. It’s a gateway to New Age practices.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

No it's not.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

If you’ve never practiced Hinduism you wouldn’t know. Not for certain. Pilates provides similar benefits without the spiritual undertones or connections.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

Palates uses Yoga in it's routine.

There's a difference between what most Americans do which is "Gym Yoga," and Hindu-centered Yoga.

Even in Gym Yoga, just like lifting weights or doing any other exercise, a Christian can meditate on Christ while doing the exercises.

T