Is yoga compatible with Christianity?

(Fair Use)

Yoga, as it’s commonly taught in secular settings, has much more to do with bodies than it does with souls.

Although sometimes associated with worship, today’s Western stretches are more often used to combat the physical stress of everyday life.  Some even resemble athletic warm-ups. 

If you go back far enough to the roots of today’s Christian practices, some have also been associated with other religions.  Many an Easter and Christmas celebration includes elements of different traditions.

So do we throw out the baby with the bath?  If a Christian wishes to continue with stretches that have helped him or her to recharge, is that a sin?  Does it mean that he or she will soon be forsaking Jesus?

As for meditation, there are Christian traditions that include repetitive words and phrases meant to “empty the mind” of worldly concerns.  The mind, by its very nature, can never be fully emptied.  It can, however, be taught to substitute one type of thought for another.  Isn’t is then better to jump on a spiritual train of thought than on a “Long Black” worldly one? 

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/megachurch-pastor-tells-church-to-stop-going-to-yoga-because-of-its-demonic-roots/ar-BBPCPcB?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Copyright November 13, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved