Yoga

By: Bahram Khozairy

Yoga is one of the most accepted, cherished and sought out phenomenon or “obsession” in the western culture and society. I say obsession, because it is found not just in a class, gym or a health fitness session, but in almost every affair, quite abundantly and obsessively.

Yoga is everywhere. It is very difficult to get away from noticing it on some billboard, advertisement, promotional marketing pitch or even regular department store. It is primarily targeted toward females, women and girls; from the youngest to the most adult women. It is in the workplace, in the concepts of sales, in the marketplace, in the professional networks of careers and jobs, in the martial arts schools and even in the ice-cream stores and pet shops! There is even an international day of yoga that is observed throughout the entire globe.

Its name, its philosophies and its affect in general masses is absolutely unavoidable. It is a multi-million dollar industry that continues to grow its influence and power in the world.

Sad to say, yoga is not just loved and cherished by the secular society, but also by many Christians alike. Yes, Christians and even some churches have come to be drawn, mingled and conned into its sphere of influence.

Thus, the influence of yoga is extremely high, and it is advancing its penetration in the western hemisphere and lifestyles by the day.

When searching on the internet by just typing the 4-letter yoga, in less than 1 second, the results come back shy of 2 billion in numbers (1,890,000,000). This explains a lot about its worldwide influence.

In this article, we will attempt to analyze and make sense of the whats, whys & hows of yoga, namely:

1. What is the root & core message of yoga and its physical poses?

2. Why is yoga so accepted and popular by the masses, especially by females?

3. How should we as Christians view and deal with yoga?

Introduction

The Root

Surface nature of yoga

True face of yoga

Ø Core philosophy of yoga

Reincarnation

Meditation

Chanting

Breathing

Salvation

Ø Greeting in yoga

Ø Poses and dangers of yoga

Conclusion

Further Study

- The Root

The term YOGA is derived from the Sanskrit, from the root “Yuji”, which means “to join” or “to unite”. Panini, a 6^th century BCE Sanskrit grammarian, confirms this definition and adds “to Yoke or to Union” to its translation, in addition to possibly “to concentrate”.

Ultimately the term yoga translates to ‘Oneness’.

The practitioner is called “Yogi” and the practice is called “Yoga”.

Yoga’s origin is from the ancient India dating back to about 6^th century BCE and is referenced in the ancient Hindu sacred canonical Vedas texts, such as Upanishads and Rigveda.

Ancient Vedic tradition of Hinduism depicts yoga as a combination of Physical, Mental and Spiritual ascetic and Sramana movements.

“Sramana” a Sanskrit term meaning, the person who exerts themselves for some higher religious purpose by performing acts of deletion, abstention or asceticism.

Yoga has several branches that are practiced within Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, all of which take their ultimate root in ancient India and Hindu religion.

Regardless of its branches and variations, we can safely conclude that yoga is ultimately one of the major branches of Hinduism and Hindu practice and philosophy originating from India.

There are many types of yoga, such as: Sutra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Sahaja Yoga.

Hatha yoga takes its root from Tantra. Tantra is an ancient and modern Indian physical and spiritual set of practices that focuses on the human sensuality and pleasure. Tantra sex lessons and naked yoga are quite common in the west and are taught and fused in as part of the Hatha yoga routines. One can easily recognize that Hatha/Tantra is unashamedly the pornographic side of yoga/Hinduism.

Ironically, but not surprising that the subject of sex and yoga and the Hatha/Tantra yoga are some of the most sought out and bestselling materials, including books, articles, videos as well as group and private lessons offered in the western society.

Yoga mystics and gurus from India successfully exported yoga to the western hemisphere, particularly the United States around the late 19^th to early 20^th century.

Swami Vivekananda (Jan 12, 1863-July 4, 1902), the founder of the Vendetta society was one of the more successful mystical guru, that not only popularized and revived, but pressed yoga to the west, by visiting America several times, lecturing in major US universities and preaching his new age philosophies and ideologies and eventually opening up branches in various locations such as New York and Pasadena of Southern California.

Other prominent yoga gurus and mystical missionaries include:

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (November 18, 1888 – February 28, 1989) – considered father of modern yoga. Krishnamacharya is widely regarded as one of the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century and is credited with the revival of Hatha yoga.

Sivananda Saraswati (or Swami Sivananda) (8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent yoga and Vendanta.

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (14 December 1918 – 20 August 2014), better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, was the founder of the style of yoga known as “Iyengar yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world.

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Desikachar, who just turned 78 (appropriately on June 21, International Yoga Day) is the son and student of T. Krishnamacharya, often referred to as the father of modern yoga.

K. Pattabhi Jois (26 July 1915 – 18 May 2009) was an Indian yoga teacher and Sanskrit scholar who developed and popularized the Vinyāsa style of yoga referred to as Ashtanga yoga.

Image result for Eugenie V. Peterson yoga in hollywood

Eugenie V. Peterson (Russian: Евгения Васильевна Петерсон; May 12, 1899 – April 25, 2002), known as Indra Devi, was a yoga teacher who was an early disciple of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.

"I think that if we do not encourage women, the great Indian traditions will die because the men are not following the Vedic rules and regulations. They are all becoming business people."

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, 1938

Indra Diva, known as the first lady of yoga, was responsible for popularizing yoga in the US, particularly in Hollywood, California. She made disciples from many of the Hollywood celebrities such as Merlyn Monroe. It should be noted that Hollywood is a haven for yoga’s progress as it influences the global masses thru its pervasive media machine.

1960s psychedelic movement, coupled with their brain disorienting and disarming hallucinatory inducing drugs and the progressive hippies’ trance, gave rise to the yoga’s stardom and propelled it into the mind and soul of the western culture. Sex, drugs and music (not just rock & roll, but hippie music such as Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, among many) along with yoga were the trademarks of 1960s counter-culture hippies.

What better way for yoga to penetrate its occultic and seductive Hindu New Age philosophies than via incapacitated drugged mind. Both yoga and hippie alliance were synonymous during 60s era; yoga with its physical and sensual movements and poses and hippies with their quest for their godless liberal and anti-authoritative ethos equipped with hypnotic seducing drugs.

Hippie movements and their influence in the west, gave a free and unexamined pass to yoga’s penetration into the society.

The west has not only not recovered from that initial invasion, but has drenched and sunk itself far too deep into it. The capitalism in the west has veneered yoga with mass commercialism and seemingly innocent secular sales pitch.

And yet, underneath, yoga is and always will be what it was developed to be; Hindu philosophy, Hindu teaching and occultic practices.

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- Surface Nature of Yoga

Why does yoga have such love, adoration and veneration by its followers and devotees in this day and age? And what is it about yoga that attracts the people, particularly the female crowd?

To objectively answer these questions, we must understand and analyze yoga’s subtle and coercive nature.

At the surface, yoga seems to have such humble temperament, as it always comes forward with a message of health and physical exercise for its sales pitch. It comes across as a stress reliever and a health savior, which fits the demand of a high stress, high tension modern lifestyle and society.

Yoga has evolved from its initial and primary (and I emphasize primary) Hindu and new age message that was raw and upfront. It has now adapted to our 21^st century progressive lifestyle with a different startup sales tone.

On the top, in the beginning and in the front, it doesn’t come forth with a heavy new age message of Hinduism, with all its mystical Indian philosophies. If it did, it would have repelled most of its audience right up front and would not gain such attraction and adherence early on.

Satan has certainly done yoga a favor by camouflaging its true nature and painting it with merely a set of health exercise to the public!

As the modern age of technology advances, yoga and other new age philosophies advance with it. Now, yoga offers stress relief from the hard-daily routine of machine life. It stresses on the elevation of individualism and self, first and foremost for the female crowd. It gives a prestigious status to its fans by focusing on the inner self as opposed to other healthy exercises, such as aerobics.

It, along with other new age self-help ideologies and philosophies, directs its initial offering and sales persuasion on the individuality of its followers and devotees.

This approach will surely get the attention of any secular culture, particularly the western culture, with its never-ending crave for:

· Betterment of self

· Elevating self

· Relying on self

· Searching for truth within self

· Loving self

Yoga fits perfect in our current age of technology, where worldly people are always looking to self-identity and self-glorify. They look at venues to relief the depress-full, anxiety-filled stress of daily life by a quiet, humble and soul numbing mechanism. Consequently, yoga would be the answer for such quest and thirst.

And why female devotees more than male? I would cite the following non-inclusive reasons:

· Female love to make their body look better and more attractive

· Female seek harmony and peace from the daily stressful lifestyle

· Female are more attracted to the soft bodily motions and practices as opposed to the rougher and harder exercise and training routine, such as hard styles of martial arts or hard work out in the gym

· Female find female friends quicker in a low-tone quieter sessions and settings

· Home working mothers look for something to do as a break from daily childcaring home chores

· Female tend to be more adaptive to the yoga poses, due to their body being more flexible. Female in general have a softer muscle and bone structure, thus can endure the vigorous Hindu postures of yoga, such as sitting cross legged in a lotus position.

· Some would say that yoga is too feminine for male gender, due to its many poses, particularly the Tantra yoga with its abundant of sensual postures. Even the yoga clothes are more geared toward female masses, due to their feminine nature. But then again, with a rapid feminization of the western culture, this issue is vanishing fast and becoming obsolete!

· Females are also more emotional and perhaps more susceptible to subtle spiritual & physical suggestions (1 Timothy 2:14) that comes through various methods.

Regardless of the reasons, it is a known fact that yoga is targeted primarily and foremost toward female of all ages, and many of the modern yoga teachers and gurus are now woman of various ages.

In summary we can safely say that on the surface, yoga appears to disguise its full message and true nature, which lies underneath its so-called innocent disposition. It has turned into a physical, mental and emotional health liberator for its devotees and fans and seldom if ever at first reveals its real spiritual and dark nature.

But is yoga only an innocent physical set of stretches that are packaged with harmless and innocuous somatic poses? We will answer this in the next section.

Colossians 2:20-23

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (emphasis added)

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

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- True Face of Yoga

In order to grasp the real message of yoga, we must focus our attention on two aspects of yoga and analyze them under the spectacle of Biblical revelation:

1. Core philosophy of yoga as it is laid out and preached by yoga mystical gurus.

2. Significance of various poses of yoga along with their dangers.

Core Philosophy of Yoga

Yoga, as we mentioned in the previous sections is not just physical. In fact, the true message of yoga is purely spiritual.

“There is no physical yoga and spiritual yoga. If it is exclusively physical, it is not yoga. The Essence of yoga is to reach oneness with God.” Pattabhi Jois

It is a known historical fact, that yoga was formulated as a religion and mouthpiece of Hinduism, since Hinduism gave birth to yoga.

And anyone familiar with the teachings and tenets of Hinduism can understand what yoga really is.

In short, a yoga practitioner and student (yogi) are really learning Hinduism and adhering and adapting to its occultic spirit, only this time via different method. The method by which one is learning Hinduism is not going to a traditional Hindu temple, but is going to a 21^st century modern-day temple, called yoga gym or yoga class!

The fundamentals of Hinduism are all taught within yoga (at least in classical literatures and definitions of yoga), which would include:

·       Reincarnation

·       Karma

·       Maya

·       Nirvana

·       Chanting (OM)

·       Practice of emptying the mind

·       New Age meditation

·       New Age breathing practices

·       Self Realization

·       And ultimately Oneness with the universal energy and awakening the Kundalini spirit

This oneness is based on one’s own acknowledgement that self is ultimately the one that possess all knowledge.

As Bruce Lee used to declare his new age maxim,

“All knowledge ultimately means Self-knowledge.”

It culminates into accepting and believing that self is a god; another word, self is god and god is self. Yoga preaches the gospel of looking within self to find the ultimate reality as opposed to looking outside self to the only objective and absolute Creator, in whom all truth exists and from whom all truth is expressed, the God of the Bible.

“But using it [yoga] for physical practice is no good, of no use - just a lot of sweating, pushing, and heavy breathing for nothing. The spiritual aspect, which is beyond the physical is the purpose of yoga. When the nervous system is purified, when your mind rests in the atman [the Self], then you can experience the true greatness of yoga.” - Pattabhi Jois

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“The essence of yoga is to reach oneness with God.”

Pattabhi Jois

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“In this system, yoga is the union of the self and the Lord”.

Kuandinya’s Pancarthabhasya on Pasupatasutra, 4^th century CE

To recap, the definition of god in yoga is a self-god. It is not the absolute and objective Triune God of the Bible, but self, as one of millions of subjective deities!

And to reaffirm, the ultimate purpose of yoga is oneness; that is oneness or union with the universe; the universe, which according to yoga exists within self, which is awaken thru Kundalini spirit.

External physical layers, which are the postures and moves of yoga, are merely symbols of the paths of the Hindu gods that one is to assume in order to reach within and acknowledge that one is ultimately the master and god of his or her own soul.

Other yoga doctrines are illustrated as such:

“Maya is the illusion that the world is as it is perceived via the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. It is the apparent reality of the material world. The term is closely related to avidya, the difference being that avidya is individual and maya is universal.

In yoga, maya refers to the world and all of its distractions. It is through yogic meditation that the individual moves beyond maya to enlightenment and truth.

” yoga scitta vrittinirodhah

Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind

-Yoga Sutras 1.2

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“By the word ‘yoga’ is meant nirvana, the condition of Shiva”

Linga Purana, 1th-10^th century CE

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“According to his deeds, the embodied self assumes successively various forms in various conditions.”

Shvetashvatara Upanishad

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“Reincarnation teaches that life continues after so-called death. The body does not last, but the soul lasts forever…Unless material desires are cast off before death, the soul must return to another body in the earthy moving picture house in order to work out the desires born there.”

Karma & Reeincarnation by Paramhansa Yogananda

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“…the fire of yoga burns all Karmas”

Kundalini Yoga, by Sri Swami Sivananda

A brief excerpt from Dr. Laurette Willis, the founder of PriaseMoves Fitness Ministry and the creator of the Biblical and neuroscience-based Personal Transformation Program (PTP), which used to be heavily involved in Hatha yoga and the new age movement for twenty two years is note worthy to consider at this juncture:

“From experience I can say that yoga is a dangerous practice for Christian and leads seekers away from God rather than to Him. You may say, “Well, I’m not doing any of the mediation stuff. I’m just following the exercises.” It is impossible, however to separate the subtleties of yoga the technique from yoga the religion. I know because I taught and practiced hatha yoga for years…Your yoga teacher may bow to her class saying, “Namaste” (“I bow to the divine in you.”). Postures have names such as Savasana (The Corps Pose) and Bhujangasana (the Cobra or Snake Pose). References are made to chakras or “power centers” in the body, such as the “third eye.” The relaxation and visualization session at the end of yoga classes is skillfully designed to “empty the mind” and can open up to harmful spiritual influences.”…Yoga’s breathing techniques (pranayama) may seem stress-relieving, yet they can be an open door to the psychic realm-inhaling and exhaling certain “energies” for the purpose of relaxation and cleansing. (Paul refers to Satan as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2, and I doubt the air to which he is referring is oxygen, but rather the psychic arena some call “the second heaven” which is certainly not a playground).”

The Kingdom of the Occult, Walter Martin, page 318- 319, quoting Laurette, Willis, “Why a Christian ALTERNATIVE TO Yoga?” http://www.praisemoves.com/ChristianAlternative.htm

Meditation, in the context of yoga; continuously uttering the sound (OMM) as Mantra, along with Breathing Exercises are integral part of Hinduism, which again yoga preaches, promotes and champions.

New Age form of relaxation is a door way to emphasize and enforce the practicing of Emptying the Mind is all parts of yoga classes.

Mantra (Sanskrit: मन्त्र, mantra), is a repeated sound or utterance used commonly in Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern New Age cults, such as Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. However, its origin can be traced back to Vedic in India about 3000 years ago. Integrated with mediation, chanting the sound “AUM or OM” is at the core of yoga practices and meditation. The sound AUM ( ) is basically the representation of the Hindu god Brahman.

One yoga teacher explains the Mantra, OM (AUM) in her article, this way:

“Aum actually consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent syllable.

The first syllable is A, pronounced as a prolonged "awe." The sound starts at the back of your throat and you stretch it out. You will start feeling your solar plexus and chest vibrating.

The second syllable is U, pronounced as a prolonged “oo,” with the sound gradually rolling forward along your upper palate. You'll feel your throat vibrate.

The third syllable is M, pronounced as a prolonged “mmmm” with your front teeth gently touching. You will now start to feel the top of your throat vibrate.

The last syllable is the deep silence of the Infinite. As intelligence rises from the deep silence, you have to merge your chant from the ‘M’ to the deep silence.

Symbolically the three letters embody the divine energy (Shakti) and it’s 3 main characteristics: (1) creation, (2) preservation and (3) liberation.

As such AUM is the basic sound of the universe; so by chanting it we are symbolically and physically tuning in to that sound and acknowledging our connection to all other living beings, nature and the universe.

All in all, beginning and/or ending your yoga practicing with AUM helps to connects us to our practice in a deeper way than just with physical postures.”

Sam Saunders, “OM: What Is It & Why Do We Chant It?

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7565/om-what-is-it-why-do-we-chant-it.html

Reincarnation is the Hindu and Buddhist teaching that upon death, a person based on their karma (the law of so-called cause and affect), will assume or reincarnate into another human body. This cycle continues until one has purged all his/her wrong actions in the body and according to yoga gurus, one that masters yoga, can escape this so-called cycles of reincarnation:

“…the fire of yoga burns all Karmas”

Kundalini Yoga, by Sri Swami Sivananda

Maya (Sanskrit: “magic” or “illusion”) in yoga, which is classic Hinduism, is described in the Encyclopedia Britannica as:

“a fundamental concept in Hindu philosophy, notably in the Advaita (Nondualist) school of Vedanta. Maya originally denoted the magic power with which a god can make human beings believe in what turns out to be an illusion. By extension, it later came to mean the powerful force that creates the cosmic illusion that the phenomenal world is real. For the Nondualists, maya is thus that cosmic force that presents the infinite brahman (the supreme being) as the finite phenomenal world. Maya is reflected on the individual level by human ignorance (ajnana) of the real nature of the self, which is mistaken for the empirical ego but which is in reality identical with brahman.”

Thus, Maya is the belief in the illusory world.

In Hinduism, Nirvana (Sanskrit: “becoming extinguished” or “blowing out”) is the highest state of bliss.

And Shiva (Sanskrit: “Auspicious One”) in Hinduisms is one of the major deities, along with Brahma and Vishnu.

Shiva is also considered as “destroyer” and Adiyogi Shiva is a god of yoga. According to Sadhguru, Adiyogi, Shiva is the one who created and introduced yoga to mankind.

“Asanas are not meant for physical fitness, but for conquering the elements, energy, and so on. So, how to balance the energy in the body, how to control the five elements, how to balance the various aspect of the mind without mixing them all together, and how to be able to perceive the difference between the gunas, and to experience that there is something behind them, operating in the world of man - that is what asanas are for. The process is slow and painstaking, but a steady inquiry facilitates a growing awareness.” - Iyengar

We can go on presenting quote after quote, doctrine after doctrine about what the founders, gurus and promoters of yoga pronouncing and defining yoga to be. It is sufficient to see that yoga’s teachings and philosophy are purely Hinduism, occultic and new age in their entirety.

Christian Response

In order to shed some light in the midst of all this heavy darkness, we must turn our attention to the Holy Bible, where we find answers to new age & occultic teachings of yoga.

Bible reveals the nature of One absolute God to be transcendent and personal. God of the Bible is not within-self but outside self (transcendent), who has revealed Himself in the Persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God of the Bible is objective and is the Creator of all things.

He is Personal and absolute Deity and not an in-personal and subjective deity.

From Genesis to Revelation, one message that emerges constantly is that the Lord God has created mankind for the purpose of having a personal relationship with mankind. That shows the separation between the God the Creator and human beings the creation. They are not ONE, but separate.

Creation by logical definition cannot be Creator and vise versa. It is a logical fallacy to pronounce the oneness of Creation with the Creator. Bible flatly and forcefully rejects the heretical doctrine of Monism (Greek: μόνος, oneness or singleness).

So, what does the Bible say about the self, divinity, God, ultimate reality, paradise or bliss, paths to God, reincarnation, life after death, nirvana, karma, Maya and sin? Is Christianity compatible with the teachings and tenets of yoga?

God

God is the Creator of mankind:

Genesis 1:27

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

There are no other gods, but the God of the Biblical revelation:

Isaiah 43:10-11

“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no savior besides Me.”

Psalm 86:10

“For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.”

James 2:19

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder”.

1 Chronicles 17:20

^“O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

God has revealed Himself in the Person of The Father:

1 Peter 1:2a

“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”

God has revealed Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ The Son:

Hebrews 1:8

But of the Son He says,

"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.”

God has revealed Himself in the Person of The Holy Spirit:

Acts 5:3-4

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

And yet, God has revealed that He is ONE in Essence:

Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

Thus, God of the Creation is Triune. God is not within-self or part of self, but is transcendent & apart from self:

Acts 17:24

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;”

Psalm 97:9

“For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.”

John 8:23

“And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.”

Psalm 113:5-6

“Who is like the Lord our God,
Who is enthroned on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?”

Genesis 2:7

^“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

There is no god in self and self is not god, because self is a creation and depraved by nature that needs to look to God the Creator as his & her Savior:

Romans 3:10-11

^“as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;”

Romans 3:23

^“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Ephesians 2:1-3

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Psalm 51:5

^“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.”

Romans 7:18

^“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”

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Reincarnation

Regarding reincarnation, the scriptures are very clear that once we die our spirit departs and carried into either Heaven or Hades (Luke 16:19-31). The next stage after death is not reincarnation, rather it is judgment:

Hebrews 9:27

^“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”

Ecclesiastes 3:21

“Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward, and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?”

In the story about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus made it abundantly clear that no one that has passed from this mortal life can make it back to earth; not the one in heaven, nor the one in hell, nor can they cross to each other’s side. Self awaits the final judgment, where Lord will ultimately determine where man will spend the eternity, either with God or apart from God.

Matthew 25:41, 46

"Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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Meditation and Emptying the Mind

Is meditation a forbidden practice in Christianity? Absolutely Not. It is not only taught, but encouraged both in the Old and the New Testament. However, Christian meditation is exactly opposite of the Yoga meditation.

Psalm 104:34

“Let my meditation be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord.”

We can meditate with not just closed eyes, but open as well…

Psalm 119:148

“My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.”

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”(emphasis added)

The word dwell (Greek, λογίζομαι, logizomai), translates to: to reckon, to consider.

It comes from the Greek root word where English gets its word LOGIC. This by itself drives forcefully the idea that dwelling, considering or meditating requires activity in the brain, as opposed to emptying of the brain. In order for us to consider or ponder (meditate) the Biblical way, we have to think and analyze on that subject.

Emptying of the mind, will leave its position open to be possessed and occupied with malign spirits, the forces of darkness that the Scripture calls demons. Satan the prince of darkness, is always looking and seeking whom he can target, and the ones with empty mind or empty thought are prime target for his Satanic invasion.

Lord Jesus explained that the principle of emptying of the mind, will invite damned spirits to come and occupy it:

Luke 11:24-26

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

That’s why it is very important for a person that is coming out of a cult or non-Christian faiths, particularly the ones that have been demon possessed to accept and invite Christ into their hearts right away, so that God the Holy Spirit takes resident immediately and occupy their soul and mind.

A vacate mind, and empty mind is open ground for the demonic forces to occupy.

The old adage is taken from the Biblical precept; “an empty mind is the devil’s play ground”!

Thus, as Christians we mediate not with empty mind, but with minds filled with God’s teaching which comes from the ONLY word of God, the Bible, all by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Chanting “OM or AUM”

Uttering and repeating any sound as a way of mediation is affront to our God, why? Because He is a Personal God.

No person ever talks with another person using repeated vibrations. Humans communicate with each other using language. How much more should we communicate with God using language. God used language to communicate the gospel of Christ, the message of the cross and Hi method of salvation to mankind.

Invoking the sound and vibration of “AUM” in one’s brain continually is a doorway to commune and invite the universal god of Brahman, which is another form of demon into one’s soul.

Yoga gurus and teachers call it universal forces or universal energy, but the Biblical Scriptures label it as the domain of darkness, seducing spirits and doctrine of demons, which are loose on this planet ever since the fall of Lucifer from heaven (Isaiah 14:12).

1 Timothy 4:1

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,”

The word deceitful (Greek, πλάνος, planos), translates to: wandering, leading astray, a deceiver or imposter.

Meditating on God’s precepts, taking to the Lord using language that has substance and meaning is what is prescribed and described in the Bible. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we taught to just make a sound during our meditation or prayer. In fact the opposite is true. Christ taught against even repetitious words (never mind the sound, but actual composed sentences) during our prayer:

Matthew 6:7-8

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Why did Jesus teach against even repeated words during prayer? For the simple reason that our God, the Creator of all that exists is not an impersonal force or energy, but a personal God. He listens, hears and understand us in a personal way.

Since by definition, god in Hinduism, new age cults and yoga, is an impersonal force, there is therefore no relationship established when a yogi tries to communicate with his or her deity.

Satan’s clever way is to eliminate the meaningful language and macerate himself as an impersonal being in Hinduism; thus, causing an illusion to the yoga practitioners and students that by chanting a repeated sound, they become one with the universal force, which is basically Satan and his army of demons.

Mantra or chanting “AUM” which is a doorway to raise and awaken the Kundalini spirit through the spine in order to commune with Brahman, is nothing short of inviting dark spiritual forces for occupation in the yogi or practitioner.

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Breathing

I covered the section on Breathing in page 28 of my book, “San Jieh Dao, The Fundamentals”.

I briefly tied the physical breathing for health purpose to its important Biblical citations.

“Unfortunately, correct breathing has been either ignored by people in general, especially the body of Christ, or been abused by the world of the occult and kingdom of the cults. Both have erred in their view and treatment of this most important of all substances.

In the book of Genesis, Moses describes our living soul and spirit as God’s breath (Genesis 2:7). The Lord Jesus attributed the receiving of the Holy Spirit by His disciples through His (Lord’s) breath (John 20:22).

I am not going to make a big case of the biblical passages that attribute life and Holy Spirit to the breathing; however, there is definitely a vital biblical importance and relationship between life and oxygen (breathing).”

Breathing in yoga is purely for the purpose of inhaling the universal energies, which again the bible calls, demons or fallen angels. Yes, we must learn to breathe properly, but only breathing correctly in a natural, logical and physical routine for the purpose of filling our longs with God’s created oxygen, which is void of any occultic new age nuance.

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Salvation

Is yoga the solution for man’s salvation? Not according to the Biblical Scriptures. The only way for salvation is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ of the Biblical revelation and not in any other method or philosophy that is introduced and taught within the kingdom of the cults and the occults:

John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Acts 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 2:38

“Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

As Hinduism is at the core of new age, so is yoga at the core of Hinduism.

C.S. Lewis, so prophetically maintained that the ultimate conflict at the end of the ages is going to be between Christianity and Hinduism.

Hinduism, because it includes all religions, philosophies and beliefs in itself; and Christianity, because it excludes all religions, philosophies and beliefs but itself!

I would also affirm that the illusion of self-satisfaction that yoga produces in the individual practitioner emanates from the spirit that works within yoga (Ephesians 2:2). That’s what is described in the Hindu doctrine of Maya.

1 Timothy 4:1

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons."

So, is deity a matter of one’s own subjective acknowledgment that self is a god or self is the master and captain of his or her own soul? Answer is a resounding NO.

We have already seen that self is a created being, depraved and is desperately in need of love and salvation of God. Self is dependent on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and without it, self will find himself or herself separated from God for all eternity.

Pronouncing the destiny of the lost vs. saved, Jesus made it clear that at the final judgment:

Matthew 25:46

"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Jesus spoke and taught more about hell than He ever did about heaven. He did it out of love for mankind.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

And we should be eternally grateful for the warning of our Lord regarding eternal punishment and judgment. Not because of what it would do to mankind, but because what we can do to avoid it. And we should avoid it at all cost.

Biblical theology vigorously & utterly opposes the message of yoga.

There is as much as differences between yoga and Christianity as there are sands on the seashores!!

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Greeting in Yoga

When a devotee signs up to learn yoga, the yoga instructor as well as the students, do utter the word “Namaste” at their greeting in the yoga class. When asking the yoga instructor, what ‘Namaste’ means, they just respond by saying, “it means greeting!” Is this word, Namaste just an innocent and polite greeting? What exactly does that word mean?

Namaste (नमस्ते, Hindi pronunciation “nəməste”) in Sanskrit and Hinduism means "I bow to the divine in you". It is expressed by a hand gesture in Anjali Mudra. The meaning of Anjali in Sanskrit is “divine offering” and Mudra is “sing or seal”.

Thus, in a yoga class (modern or otherwise), when one makes the anjali mudra hand gesture and utters the word Namaste, what one is actually doing (without knowing it most of the time) is adulating or worshiping the so-called deity of the opposite person (be it another yoga student or yoga instructor). Meaning, a person knowingly or unknowingly acknowledges that the opposite person (a mere creature) is a god and a deity!

Christian Response

This is one of the most subtle ways that Satan fools the world by the so called innocent or lowly gestures and languages. Majority of the yoga lovers and followers have no idea what they are doing; only to think that they go there for health and exercise purpose.

And yet, at the outset (as innocent and noble as their purpose is to seek health for their body), they are being subtly and cunningly forced to bow and accept the dark side of yoga.

As Christians, we only bow to the Jehovah God in the Persons of The Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, and bowing, worshipping and acknowledging any other deity other than the God of the Bible is idol worshiping at its core.

Bible is crystal clear that there is no other God but the God of the Bible. There may be so-called gods or lords, but they are just idols, because there is only one God and one Lord, that has revealed Himself in the Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We worship & bow to God the Father:

Ephesians 3:14

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father”

We worship & bow to God the Son:

Philippians 2:9-11

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We worship and bow to the God the Holy Spirit:

John 4:24

“God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Thus, we worship and bow to the Jehovah God:

Zephaniah 2:11

The Lord will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

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Poses and Dangers of Yoga

Although some yoga poses are patterned after nature and animal shapes, such as Warrior pose, Tree pose, Cat pose, Dog pose, Cobra pose, Snake pose or even Corpse pose, they all have a specific spiritual meaning and purpose. It’s beyond the scope of this treatise to cover every single posture and their spiritual meaning.

However, one common characteristic of these poses that should be noted here is that they very subtly and quietly try to alter one’s consciousness in order to induce occultic transformation. That is making the yoga practitioner, slowly through time susceptible to various occultic impulses and hypnotic suggestions.

According to an ex-witch, which used to be a yoga instructor, the purpose of yoga poses is essentially the alignment of the practitioner’ soul with the different Hindu deities. And the poses are meant to channel the Kundalini spirit through your spine, which is said to be the lifeline of the person’s body. Kundalini spirit, which is essentially a demon, is harnessed by the power of the goddess Shakti from Hinduism.

According to Rammurti S. Mishra in his book, Yoga Sutras: The textbook of Yoga Psychology,

yoga is thoroughly immersed in occultism and it is designed to awaken and energize the occultic and new age energies within the body, which would then lead to occult transformation in order to achieve specific occultic goals.

For instance, the Corpse Pose, which is usually the last pose in some of the yoga classes (so-called a cool down or relaxing pose) is meant to prepare the practitioner for death.

Or Warrior Pose takes its root meaning from a Hindu god Shiva.

Following are some of the poses and definitions, listed by crosswalk editorial:

1. Sun Salutation

This series of poses is done as a warm up or cool down in yoga. It gets the blood flowing and warms the body. The benefit of a sun salutation is to stretch the whole body and prepare you for more challenging poses if done as a warm up. As a cool down, its aim is to calm and focus you, preparing your mind to face the rest of the day.

In Hinduism, the Sun Salutation or “the Surya namaskar is a series of positions designed to greet Surya, the Hindu Sun God.”

2. Cobra Pose

This part of the Sun Salutation stretches the torso, as you look upward and arch your back with hands planted firmly below shoulders on the mat with toes gently resting behind.

The alternate meaning behind this pose also called Bhujangasana is the Hindu idea “the spirit-snake power (kundalini) that is activated and elevated in the body by means of yoga; also associated with Patanjali, the sage who wrote the Yoga Sutras, who is depicted as a hybrid man-snake.”

3. Warrior Poses

Warrior One, Warrior Two, and Warrior Three are poses that require balance as you stretch arms upward or out and twist the body and lunge. As with other yoga poses, this requires focus and calm breathing. These poses aim to “elongate” the body, increasing flexibility in the limbs.

These poses have an alternate meaning in Hinduism. The poses, Warrior One, Two and Three, are also known as Virabhadrasana and depict a myth that is about a bloody “family feud,” the central character being the deity Virabhadra, an incarnation of Shiva.

4. Half Spinal Twist

This Half Spinal Twist pose in yoga is more intermediate. It is a seated pose, with one leg folded, the other bent, you lean the opposite arm against the thigh and stretch the spine and torso, twisting the shoulders and focusing your gaze behind. This stretch is often a cool down in yoga when the body is already warm, to maximize this deep stretch.

Half Spinal Twist, also known as Lord of Fish or Matsyendrasana is named for the Hindu “guru and medieval co-founder of hatha yoga who learned the secrets of Tantric yoga and occult arts while in a fish’s belly.”

Again, it’s beyond the scope of this article to cover all the postures in detail. But that is not the purpose of our discussion here.

The point is that via yoga poses or gestures (as physically driven as they might be), their ultimate intent is to invite the deceiving spiritual forces into practitioner’s life.

Of course, yoga instructors and yoga marketers would never reveal such reality to the yoga students or the general public, nor are they willing to accept, admit or even give it a moment of consideration! They smear its true reality, its core philosophy with health, happiness, humility and innocence, all couched within the layer of commercial marketing.

Christian Response

Satan is extremely clever to not initially appear as a messenger of hell and destruction, but as an angel of light. He has had a long history of learning, studying and discovering the mind and characteristics of the human beings. He has mastered his craft of manipulating, lying and neutralizing people’s intellect & rational.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

Though Satan has lost the ultimate battle for the human soul to the Lord Jesus on the cross, he is still quite alive, well and active on the planet earth and has mastered his chameleon art of changing and adapting to the times and the evolution of the human thinking and culture.

C. S. Lewis in his masterpiece, Screwtape Letters, magnificently captured the malevolent ability and cunningness of the devil and his demon cohorts as to how these fallen angels ever subtly and cleverly move within human lives and daily activities in order to do their destructive bidding for capturing the mind and soul of their mortal target.

In the name of health and exercise, yoga practitioners can easily open the door of the world of occult from inside. Dr. Walter Martin always used to say that the handle to the world of the occult is inside. It’s up to us to turn the handle and open the door.

As Dr. John Weldon writes in the article, Yoga: The Occult

“Because yoga is an occult system, the physical, mental, and spiritual dangers that accompany occult practices are also found in yoga. Thus, even standard yoga books warn of the serious dangers arising from supposedly “wrong” yoga practice. But we think such hazards are conceded because yoga is an occult practice, not because its techniques are allegedly done incorrectly.”

John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Coming Darkness: Confronting Occult Deception, Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1993.

https://www.jashow.org/articles/yoga-the-occult/#cite_ref-1

Yoga poses and exercise have dire physical and spiritual consequences.

There have been numerous reports of physical injuries, as well as ailments and pains such as musculoskeletal, ribs, joints, chin, tongue, brain, nervous system, lungs and cancer, not to mention the mental and emotional insanities and depressions associated with yoga.

Some of the Kundalini symptoms and side effects can be included as:

Mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, memory problems
Severe emotional mood swings -anxiety, depression, rage, fear and dread
Sleep disturbances
Gastrointestinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome
Itching, burning, cramping, twitching of skin and body
Electrical rushes and feelings of energy moving throughout the body
Ego problems, grandiose and paranoid states
Psychic, trance states and out-of-body experiences
Sexual and hormonal difficulties
Uncontrollable vocalizations, chanting and body contortions
Ringing, rushing, and hissing sounds in ears
Paranormal activity – levitations, possession states, and spiritual assault
Inability to function effectively enough to work or care for children
Symptoms can last for years

Numerous ex-yoga instructors and devotees that have escaped the dangerous occultic world of yoga have given their testimonies that yoga is not as innocent as the society has taken it to be.

As Christians we are sternly warned to stay away from the world of the occult. The word occult (Latin occultus) basically translate to “hidden or secret things”. And according to the Biblical scriptures, that world is the domain where Satan and his demons are trafficking.

Scriptures are packed with warning against any forms of occultic practices, because we are placing other things and objects as idols between us and God. Lord is very clear in the Bible that we should not have any idol whatsoever:

Deuteronomy 4:19

^“And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-13

^“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 19:31

^“‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 20:6

^“‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”

1 Chronicles 10:13

“So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it,”

The spiritual side effects of the occult in yoga may not appear immediately or visibly for some time, but they will eventually. It will eventually find its way into the devotee’s life and affect the yogi (yoga practitioner) in one way or another.

It might not necessarily lead to possession of the practitioner’s soul, but it will have its destructive work manifest in some form in the practitioner’s life.

Some may get involved with channeling, magic, levitation, paranormal activities or some form of occultic and new age lifestyle. It will affect the practitioner’s world view and will neutralize the devotee (even a Christian) with their conception and rational; implying, that it will defuse their judicious ability to make the right decisions and to perceive life sensibly.

And of course, yoga’s ultimate danger is the possession of the person’s soul. Certainly not the Christian soul, for it is impossible for Christians to become demon possessed. Christians are the property of Christ and their souls have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ.

1 Peter 1:18-19

^“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

However, that doesn’t discount the fact that the devil is always looking, seeking, searching and sniffing whom he can harass, manipulate, or ultimately devour.

1 Peter 5:8

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

In the above passage, Apostle Peter is not warning the non-believers, but rather the Christians; the very ones that our Lord Jesus Christ has purchased with His own precious blood. He is warning the Christians to watch out for the schemes of the adversary the devil (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Some believe in order to combat the dangerous spiritual side of yoga, they can decouple specific yoga poses from their teachings and attach them to Christianity, thus calling it a Christian-Yoga! But what they don’t realize is, Hinduism and Christianity are completely opposite of one another and they can never be conjoined, even the physical poses of yoga, because they were designed to depict specific spiritual messages. Christian Yoga is an oxymoron.

Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Christians is to stay away from the works and manners of this world and the efforts that Satan demonstrates in order to lure his victims. Instead, we out to be the light that exposes such dark endeavors:

Ephesians 5:11

“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;”

The term ‘expose’ (Greek ἐλέγχω) translates to convict, reprove and rebuke in order to show its guilt and error.

And finally, although we as Christians have liberty in Christ, we must be careful not to turn our liberty for opportunity to indulge in the things of the flesh:

1 Corinthians 10:23

^“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”

Galatians 5:13a, 16-17

^“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,”

^“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

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- Conclusion

Is stretching the body or training the body for health purpose or self-protection wrong? Absolutely not. It is not only not wrong but is recommended in the scripture. Our bodies are the temple of God the Holy Spirit and we are to take care of our bodies and our health. We must take our health (physically, mentally and spiritually) very seriously. It is very important to maintain a physical healthy exercise regimen in one’s daily routine.

As a lifelong martial artist, martial arts instructor and martial arts innovator, I highly recommend maintaining the physical exercises, which would include stretching and warm-ups. Normal training and stretching are essential ingredients for a healthy living, particularly in this modern machinery world we live. I covered that topic in my 2^nd book, San Jieh Dao, The Fundamentals.

However, there is a big difference between training the body and exercising our muscles and bones for the purpose of maintaining our health vs. overtaking yoga poses that have spiritual purpose and meaning in relation to their static movements.

Participating in a yoga class, following and getting involved with the world of yoga for the purpose of health, is nothing short of inviting demonic influences and spiritual disaster in one’s life.

Decoupling yoga poses from their spiritual angles, may seem to be the answer at first; however, understanding the meaning of each stand or position of yoga and why was it developed, and what its message portrays should trigger the person to think hard about that pose by itself.

Knowing what yoga stands for, where it came from and what its ultimate purpose and message is should cause anyone, particularly a true born-again Christian to avoid it at all costs.

To wrap up our discussion on yoga, I outline the following concise non-inclusive conclusion on yoga:

1.    Yoga is a physical and spiritual form of Hinduism.

2.    Yoga messages are essentially new age & Hindu philosophies.

3.    Yoga is fundamentally an occultic form of Hinduism.

4.    Yoga’s viewpoint and message is diametrically opposite of biblical theology and the message of the cross.

5.    God has sternly warned Christians to stay away from the world of the occult, which yoga is part of.

6.    Yoga classes and sessions are dangerous for practitioner, since the practitioner (unknowingly) is being cloaked within yoga’s occultic and new age spiritual sphere.

7.    Christian must absolutely stay away from yoga practices, even if they only practice just one of the yoga forms.

8.    The dangerous side effects of yoga may not appear immediately, but they will through time.

9.    There is no such thing as Christian Yoga, for that is a contradiction by definition, nature and practice.

10.                       One should find alternate forms of physical exercises that are safe & healthy spiritually and physically. There are plenty of options available.

Scriptures give a stern warning for Christians to stay away from joining or fellowshipping with the activities of darkness:

2 Corinthians 6:14b

“what fellowship has light with darkness?”

The translation for the word ‘fellowship’ (Greek κοινωνία, koinonia) drives this message home:

Partnership, Contributory Help, Sharing in, Communion, Participation.

God is always waiting and looking for any soul to repent. His arm is always open, and we see an example of those that repented from their involvement and participation with the world of the occult during the Apostle times in the New Testament. This is a great example of what one needs to do when one repents and turns to the Lord:

Acts 19:18-20

^“Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

Any Christian that is or was ever involved with yoga, should heed the warning of this message very seriously, because Lord is a jealous God that will not share His temple, with the arch-enemy of the soul, the very one that He defeated and crushed on the cross. Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit and Lord being a good Shepherd constantly watches, protects and chastises His children, if and when necessary in order to keep them sanctified (John 17:17).

- Further Study

https://www.jashow.org/articles/yoga-the-occult/#cite_ref-1

https://praisemoves.com/ChristianAlternative.htm

Khozairy, Bahram, San Jieh Dao -- The Fundamentals, (Tate Publishing & Enterprises, Mustang, OK, 2009).

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