Christianity is on a sore note with yoga

Every yoga practice I begin with Our Father prayer. It is a Christian prayer so? Do you find anything wrong with it? I mean what is the deal between Yoga and Christianity?

Our Father, you are in heaven... and you don't see what a fuck is going on here...

"Yoga does not have a place in the lives of Christians", announced the ruling body of Greek and Serbian Orthodox Church last Wednesday. "Yoga is a fundamental pillar of the Hindu religion... it is not a 'physical exercise,'" the Holy Synod said in an official statement.

It is not uncommon for religious authorities to criticize yoga, but it is unusual for the Synod, the highest priests, to make a public statement on the yoga issue.

True, this ancient spiritual practice has ties to Hinduism and Buddhism. It is mentioned in Indian texts from 2,500 years ago and has evolved over time, says Dr. Mark Singleton, who has researched the history of yoga.

Yoga has become popular worldwide and is now a huge industry, often touted as beneficial for stress relief, mental well-being or physical strength. Yoga is being recommended in countries around the world as a way to stay fit and combat stress.

However, the Orthodox Church is not the only one opposed to yoga. Last year, a church hall in Devon, England banned a yoga class. "You could say it's rooted in Eastern spirituality and doesn't go well with Christian spirituality," said the Rev. Mark Butchers.

Back in 2010, a pastor in Seattle, America, called yoga "demonic".

And in 2008, Malaysia's leading Islamic council said yoga could corrupt Muslims, but backed off issuing a fatwa - a curse - after public backlash.

Gina Clarke from Toronto was furious when her 8-year-old daughter came home from school after doing yoga in her Grade 3 class. The Clarke is a Roman Catholic and she doesn’t give permission to her daughter to do yoga because, well, according to her, the yoga is rooted in Hinduism.

The long story short, she is now fighting and asking for an apology from Toronto School Board. The details you can read here... Mom battles school board saying yoga against her religion. I like the ending of this article.

This started in the school and could easily have ended and been resolved in the school, she said. The whole system has failed us.

I propose that we exchange the classical yoga mantra Namaste for the more biblical Amen or Shalom. We can do that, why not?

In recent years, Christianity tries to imply that yoga is not a spiritual path; yoga is a purely physical activity. It is inadvisable for lay Christians to devise a spirituality from Vinyasa.

Type “Catholic yoga” into the Google search engine and one of the first results is a news article that is summarized as “The Catholic Church’s best-known exorcist Father Cesare Truqui says yoga is a source of a demonic possession:

Father Cesare Truqui has warned that the Catholic Church has seen a recent spike in worldwide reports of people becoming possessed by demons and that the reason for the sudden uptick in the rise in popularity of pastimes such as watching Harry Potter movies and practicing Vinyasa.

Professor Giuseppe Ferrari, who has recently attended a meeting in Rome where Catholic authorities and delegates discussed how to deal with this alleged demonic possession crisis, says that the Vatican has declared that shows that “glorify wizards”, and activities such as yoga, “summon satanic spirits.

It seems to me that Catholic and Orthodox Church and Christianity as a whole cannot find the answer to the question - Is yoga about worshiping God (or Gods), or is it about engaging in advanced stretching and exercise?

At its roots, yoga is said to have originated from the ancient worship of Hindu gods, with the various poses representing unique forms of paying tribute to these entities. From this, Catholicism and Christianity have concluded that the practice is out of the question.

Then they are asked What about stretching and physical exercise that yoga offers? What about healing and improved well-being such as improved core strength, better circulation, and reduced stress? The intent of the person doing yoga, rather than yoga itself, is what defines the extent of how the practice influences a person’s being and soul.

Should you take up yoga? As a spiritual path, yoga is incompatible with Christian spirituality. But if you can separate the spiritual/meditational aspects of yoga from the body postures and breathing techniques common to yoga, then you might be able to use those postures and techniques beneficially for health. If you’re at all unsure of your ability to do so, you may well be advised to find another form of exercise.

- Michelle Arnold, The Catholic Answer

These wildly Christian critiques are problematic on any number of points. It is the elementary mistake assuming that particular bodily movements have power in and of themselves, independent of intention. Not only this is superstitious, but it indicates a lack of familiarity with the Christian understanding of metaphysics.

And, what's wrong with Hinduism? It teaches us to search for truth, it's all about finding out who we really are.