Yoga And Christianity

Christian yoga is a spiritual practice of Christians most common in Eastern and Western Countries. It is a discipline that one practices to be much closer to God.  Taking the path of Christian yoga can lead to healing of the mind and body. But perhaps even more important than that, it can lead to the discovery of what at the moment is only a potential within you.

Many of classes in the U.S teach the practice of yoga, the physical discipline that focuses on postures or asana, and employ no religious teaching at all. Other yoga teachers have training in yoga schools.

Practitioners say that Christian yoga fills a need for believers who want the health benefits of yoga but are put off by the practice’s ancient Hindu roots. With this, it brings together the wonderful physical benefits of yoga within their spiritual beliefs.

The doctrines and practices of yoga date from the period of the Upanishads. The word yoga originated from Hindus, it is a religious practice of Hinduism that through the practice of certain disciplines one may achieve liberation from the limitations of flesh, the delusions of sense, and the pitfalls of thought and thus attain union with the object of knowledge.

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Though developed in the ancient Hindu tradition, the movements of Christian yoga are so universal that they can adapt to or be adopted by any culture or spiritual path.

The yoga has been known for many years, and was practiced by some of the Early Christian during the persecution. The spirit and love that touched the Early Christian has been inherent from the men and women today. Christian yoga is about unfolding some of these wonderful possibilities each hold latent. It is about possibilities so amazing that many early Christians were willing to die in support of keeping a doorway open for other people to claim them. Go into it and are transformed by following the Christian pathway, the Christian yoga.

In the Eastern belief, Christian yoga is not an Eastern postures or breathing techniques, rather the aim is to open to an influence that can transform and heal. Eastern yoga attempts to drop the ego, the Christian path aims at transforming the personality. Christian yoga is described absolutely in the New Testament in the story of Jesus’ life as an allegory. It is a step-by-step way of transformation and the finding of a new life. As Jesus promised, this ‘heaven’, this new awareness of your life, is not far away. It is already yours if you know how to find it.

In Western, Christian yoga from its very beginning women played an important role in its practice and teachings. It is about universal processes of life, of mind and heart.

Christian yoga has garnered criticism, despite of its prevalence.

Many Christians says that Christian yoga is incompatible with Christianity, and emphasizing that it is not a religion in itself. Other says that there is no such as Christian yoga because it blends two different belief structure. Catholic priests in Mexico City instructed their parishioners not to attend Yoga classes because this practice would lead to other god’s and Eastern religion beliefs.

Though critics have charged that yoga’s ancient Hindu origins are incompatible with Christian faith, practitioners say the exercise is an ideal vehicle for spiritual reflection.

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Teaching Hatha Yoga: Religion and Western Culture

When you teach Hatha Yoga, you are asked many questions. Although public awareness of Yoga, and its teachings, has increased, many people are just discovering some of the benefits within the many styles of Yoga. Therefore, you have to be prepared for the unexpected questions that arise about the mysteries of Yoga.

Once in a while, the question of religion does come up. Many times, Yoga teachers are asked if they are a Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. To the public’s amazement, many Yoga teachers come from all of the major religions in the world. There is no single religion that all Yoga teachers participate in.

How can this be? Some Gurus preach that Yoga should be founded within a particular religion. Some Yoga teachers read the Rig Veda, Bhagavad Gita, and speak Sanskrit words, so they must be covertly teaching Hinduism, or some other religion, right? Wrong – some Yoga teachers do teach religion in their classes, and some do not.

If your Yoga teacher has the Vedas, Torah, New Testament, Holy Quran, and the Gnostic Gospels, in his or her library, what does that mean? It means that your Yoga teacher likes to read, study, and does not have a closed mind. That is all it means, unless your Yoga teacher preaches religion as part of his or her practice.

If a Yoga teacher does preach religion within Yoga classes, this should be easy enough to see and hear. In Yoga studios that reside in the Americas and Europe, this may not be what most Hatha Yoga students are seeking. Each student has the right to leave, but the public should be made aware that a Yoga studio is conducting religious classes.

Many of these potential Yoga students are not seeking religious conversion, religious instruction, and live in a culture with a strict separation of religion from government. This means that religion in the West is often compartmentalized.

For example: If a concerned doctor recommends Yoga to a patient with back problems – the patient is not being referred to a Yoga studio for religious instruction.

Therefore, if you teach a form of religious Yoga in the West, be honest about it. Most students, from western cultures, are in Hatha Yoga classes for the physical and mental aspects.

If you want to teach Yoga as spiritual health, get the proper training first, and give the public “fair warning.” Teaching good virtues is one thing, but teaching religion to your Yoga students is quite another. This is the “line in the sand” that some Yoga teachers should never forget.

The answers to spiritual enlightenment are within all religions, but it is up to Yoga students to pursue their own religion and find the answers to their spiritual health. There is no single “man made path” to spiritual health, enlightenment, or union. This is a myth that, as a species, we never seem to learn.

Throughout our history, Holy wars are always justified by both sides. Of course, the other side is always less human, less understanding, evil, and ignorant of the true path. “The world would be a better pace without the unbelievers;” is always a good battle cry.

Religion is too volatile a subject to discuss within a multi-cultural Hatha Yoga class. Therefore, if you are going to mix any religion with Yoga practice, it should be taught within a sectarian atmosphere.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

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