Should Christians practice yoga? Shouldn't everyone?

This is an interesting and problematic discussion. Most important, I think, is the problem of definitions. I'm not always sure what people mean when they use the word "yoga." There are Hindu and Buddhist yogic practices. There are significant differences between the objectives of the two.

There are, as well, meditation practices in the US, many of which seem to have little to do with either Buddhism or Hinduism per se. Except for breathing exercises, they do not involve the body very much at all. Most common among American meditation practices seem to be derivatives of Tibetan Buddhism, I think. These have been "marketed" as stress reduction, clearer thinking techniques, for which, if done consistently and coherently, seem to work to some extent.

I think Sukla's points are well taken. However, clarity in terminology might be helpful in alleviating some of his concerns. I doubt very much that many Americans are familiar with what yoga really means in a Hindu context.

A comprehensive essay on history, cultural contexts, and adaptations would be a good start toward eliminating fuzzy thinking and offense. The introduction of more thoughtful, accurate terminology to distinguish among common American practices should follow.

In America, Yoga is popular primarily among women, who are also primarily the ones who merge modern sensibilities with old religions like Wicca or Native American shamanism. Like Pamela Taylor's interpretation of Islam: "Hey, you can find passages in the Quran that justify modern morals, too!"

Some of these are largely harmless fusions; but it's also women who keep the astrologers, palm readers and trance channelers in business, and that's both a waste of their time and money, and a threat to the ability to use rational thought.

Yoga?

Once upon a recent time, the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia decided to have a fatwa on yoga, determining that it is too much a Hindu spiritual practice, and allegedly detrimental to the spiritual well-being and faith of Muslim practioners, presumably in chanting "om, om, om" and such.

Naturally, the public reacted in equal parts with anger, confusion and merriment -including a list circulated via SMS and the Net, of possible future fatwas from the Council, which, among others, stated Muslims are forbidden to think during daytime.

This put the unsage ones of the National Fatwa Council in a spot to explain, elaborate on their reasonings on the yoga fatwa. Even the Iranians were perplexed and amused by the yoga fatwa when news of it reach them.

Tai chi is more popular among Malaysian Muslims anyway. Its origins in the Buddhist temples of China perhaps may make Muslim practioners of tai chi convert to Buddhism and such.

And so, a fatwa is a fatwa, people considered it, and either continue or don't on yoga after the fatwa. One retort from a member of the National Fatwa Council - "Do pilates". Another response by a chief minister of a state from a very conservative Islamic political party - "If Muslims want to meditate and think deep like Gandhi, let them".

Some folks have too much time on their hands on yoga and meditations.

Jihadist,

I remember the yoga fatwa, which was well noted in Pakistan, where, among my friends it was greeted with, "Can you believe it." The Irish blasphemy law was acknowledged there with a combination of amusement/satire (posted all over the web/pity/disbelief, etc.
The Irish, of course, had the same response.

Has the fatwa been repealed?

Oh, God no. It's not American. As soon as we can get rid of these heathen Muslims and the gays, we need to get to work on Hindus who are bringing there creeping non-christian yoga practices into the school books of Texas, too, and maybe liberals, and bed-wetters, and Latinos, and Democrats, and, and, and then anyone else different from True Christian Americans.

One nation, under god with liberty and justice for Glenn Beck Christians. Amen.

Jihadist,

I remember the yoga fatwa, which was well noted in Pakistan, where, among my friends it was greeted with, "Can you believe it." The Irish blasphemy law was acknowledged there with a combination of amusement/satire (posted all over the web/pity/disbelief, etc.

The Irish, of course, had the same response.

Has the fatwa been repealed?

Posted by: FarnazMansouri2

*******************************************

The laughing stock of the Muslim world on that yoga fatwa.

There is a difference between mufti(s) and kadi(s). The decision, judgement of kadis (judges) of the Syariah courts are enforceable, and can be appealed. Muftis and/or a national fatwa council can and do come out with fatwas.

You do well know a fatwa is a religious opinion for voluntary compliance or otherwise. It's not repealed, nor is it enforced. It is out there so to speak.

There were counter fatwas by some states' grand muftis on that yoga fatwa - it is permissible for Muslims to do yoga as long as Hindu prayers are not part of it.

The National Fatwa Council, it seems, would rather not be reminded of their yoga fatwa.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Is Yoga Hindu? YES.
Is Yoga good for you physically, mentally, & spiritually? YES.
Can anyone, Hindu or non-Hindu, enjoy/utilize Yoga? YES.
Do Hindus believe in tolerance & pluralism? YES.

Do Hindus believe in proselytizing and converting? NO.
Do Hindus have a founder or prophet like all other religions? NO.

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

The problem is: 2 religions are supremacist. They not only believe their god & prophet is better, but they have an urge to convert everyone else by hook or crook. This also makes them insecure.

Why does this non-spiritual need to claim superiority for themselves and to proclaim the inferiority of others (kafirs, infidels, etc..) exist in these 2 "religions"?

Islam and Christianity have developed a strange expansionist, aggressive, empire-building mentality. And this is the source of all this conflict and consternation. Maybe the culture of the Roman Empire was absorbed into Christianity, and Islam is an equal and opposite reaction. Maybe. Either way, empire building is not very spiritual.

THE ANSWER:
Leave others alone.
Use whatever path works for you to evolve spiritually, whether it's Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, New Ageism, Hinduism,...

Leave others alone. Be grateful. Be peaceful.

In the bible belt of America, it isn't yoga (something that is physically good for you), but football that is most akin to a spiritual exercise. But unlike yoga that teaches individual self control and inner peace, football teaches violence, self destruction in the name of toughness and win at all costs.

"Buddhists remain detached from the issue."

Not all Buddhists are detached from any issue. It seems to me that the yoga issue illustrates a fundamental problem for a person of any faith. In order to take up a spiritual practice that requires action, a person must have faith that they have found the correct path, or at least the best path for them for spiritual fulfillment and happiness. At the same time, if they wish to share that path with others or engage in dialog about faith matters with people of other persuasions, one must set aside any insistence on doctrinal purity.

So we all must find the line between the tension of certainty of our own position and tolerance of others.

"...the yoga issue illustrates a fundamental problem for a person of any faith."

Posted by: edbyronadams

No, only for those closed minded people of a "faith" that looks the other way while their clergy molests little boys.

Hindus ride bicycles, too. Is it a fundamental problem for your "faith" if you do it, too?

Jesus please protect the rest of us from your "doctrinal purity"

To all the Christians, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, etc., out there:
You are free to practice our YOGA all you want, without fearing the stealth Hindu religious proselytizing lurking in the shadows. First, there is no conversion needed. According to our Hindu principles, everyone of you is our brother or sister, and you can practice anything you want. No problem for us. Just, please don’t kill each other (or us) for your share of the God (Gods?).

YOGA is the generous contribution to mankind from our Hindu ancestors, just like the Numbers, Ayurveda, Surgery, Music, Arts, and a whole host of other pieces of science, astrology, medicine, architecture, law, etc.

One more thing. Practice YOGA all you want, but please don’t convert it to ‘Christian YOGA’, or ‘Muslim YOGA’, or any other denominational YOGA. YOGA has been, and will always be, a part and parcel of HINDU way of life from the start. You can paint a Holstein cow brown, but she won’t produce a Jersey offspring in the normal, even though the latter is also a ‘COW’. So much for Holy Cows!
Have a good life, and enjoy YOGA.
A Hindu.

I thought you guys are a developed nation with open thought process , but these days you seems to be doing everything to break this openion .. Yoga has nothing to do with religion , its a better excercise . As such , hinduism is a way of living and not a religion . Anybody who practices this is a Hindu , othervise not .

This whole discussion is laughable. It’s something like generating a conflict between the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Would Santa be upset, if I ate some old Easter Bunny jelly beans on Christmas? As for me, my god is the Tooth Fairy. Nobody ever killed anybody because of the Tooth Fairy . . . and I don’t care if you believe in her or not!

"No, only for those closed minded people of a "faith" that looks the other way while their clergy molests little boys."

The particular branch of Buddhism that I practice has no clergy, so try again.

"Jesus please protect the rest of us from your "doctrinal purity"

Since one of the prerequisites for taking up Nichiren Buddhism is the capability for making rational choices, you have nothing to worry about.

Earlier this week, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (and On Faith panelist), set off a bit of an interfaith fuss by suggesting that Christians should not practice yoga. "Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a 'post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality."

Where exactly do you think Christ was when Shiva walked the Earth.

I would encourage Christians to understand that Hindu is the same faith. You need to understand the Trinity to understand the Godhead.

If you fail to understand yoga you will find yourselfs trapped in increasingly stressed bodies. Some people are in very poor shape insisting the East had no medical knowledge. If you fail to purify the body while stretching your gains will erase. If all you do is stretch group, and in one place, you have failed to realize the importance of space,time, weather, and location. Have a good day. Seann

"Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a 'post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality." Very erudite, but what's new? While not all Christians approve of their observance, Christianity was long ago infiltrated by "spiritual polyglot reality." Wanting some festivals in its calendar to attract pagans, Christian elders co-opted several of their celebrations, most notably Christmas. We have absolutely no idea when Jesus was born. However, to cash in on an existing party, the time of the pagan festivals celebrating the winter soltice was chosen. Think of the Christian virtues honored by this holiday, especially the unrestrained materialism. And then there is that celebration of gluttony and other excesses of the flesh, Mardi Gras, which was co-opted from the ancient Roman carnival which was another seasonal pagan celebration marking the end of witner and beginning of spring. Considering this, yoga is a problemn? Didn't Jesus say something about strainign at a motes and beams in the eye? True to their belief and recognizing their throughly un-Christian aspects, early Puritans in New Englan forbade the observance of these celebrations. But fat chance of supressing Fat Thursday.

Yes, Christians should practice Yoga.
Yoga is one of the things which can
safely be adopted by Westerners without
fears. I agree with David Waters that
the main threat to Christianity is greed,
envy, hate, which comes with multiple
disguises. Then, there is no harm in learning how to live better with adding knowledge and experience from abroad.

while it never ceases to amaze me the lengths "spiritual leaders" will go to keep their flocks bound to the leader, this argument has to be the most absurd.

that said, living in Oklahoma, i'm waiting for the day when the Southern Baptists, fundamentalists and Pentacostals et together and convince the legislature to ban yoga, calling it a danger to Oklahomans was of Christian life and a dager to society.

Don't this "spiritual leaders' have more important things to work on than yoga?

We have rampant unemployment, poverty, hunger, health issues, prejudice and a host of societal problams Christians should be working to solve. At least that's what their Bible says.

practicing yoga, which helps my bad back and make me feel great, is thei least of their worries.

Ha, ha, Glenn Beck should pounce on this one, pronto. Palin too! Real Americans don't do no heathen yoga!

The 24/7 cable news cycle continues to circle the drain of irrelevance.

Sigh . . . the question and discussion only confirm the foolishness of self-designated fundamentalist "Christians".

Refusal to practice Yoga on religious grounds is, in a word, Stupid!

I am Catholic, however, I must agree with Clearthinking1 on this topic.
I never thought of yoga as anything but calming exercise.
When was the last time there was a violent, extremist Hindi or Buddhist in the news?

Well, it may not influence your faith, but hatha yoga as practiced in the West is putting lots of cash into the pockets of orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors.

hahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhhhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahaah

hahhahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahhahahhahaha

No brethren, don't do it! Yoga is just a way for the Devil to take over your mind. Soon instead of coveting your brother's wife or planning to kill your neighbor with your assault rifle, you'll be peaceful, gentle and kind. If God had wanted peace in the world, He would have sent the world a "Prince of Peace."

Yoga falls somewhat into a gray area, since the physical movements and stretching can theoretically be practiced just as physical movements and stretching and not as a spirituality. It would normally be best for Christians not to practice it, since it continues to have meanings and associations as a Hindu spiritual/religious practice and is often "packaged" together with (for instance) pantheistic beliefs, Hindu or Buddhist meditation, "chakras", tantric sex nonsense, and of course religious indifferentism. These things truly not consistent with the Christian faith. Of related concern are practices like Reiki and Qi Gong which are basically founded on spiritual/religious beliefs at odds with Christian belief.

"Some of these are largely harmless fusions; but it's also women who keep the astrologers, palm readers and trance channelers in business, and that's both a waste of their time and money, and a threat to the ability to use rational thought"

Is it any more rational to practice ritual cannibalism in the form of bread and wine magically transformed into the body and blood of your God's ritually sacrificed avatar, in order to spiritually commune with that God? Or to engage in any of a number of sacred religious practices - keeping kosher, making pilgrimages, talking aloud or silently to a being who may or may not be there, imploring the Great Omniscience to change its mind regarding the way the world works? The most revered religion is not necessarily any more rational than the basest superstition.

I would suspect that women are more likely to engage in superstitious practices because women are less likely to have real, tangible control over their lives, and thus more likely to resort to desperate and unlikely measures to try to make things better for themselves and their family.

Yoga, unlike astrology or palm reading, actually does have real, tangible physical benefits. Why not?

ELIZDELPHI says: "It would normally be best for Christians not to practice it, since it continues to have meanings and associations as a Hindu spiritual/religious practice and is often "packaged" together with (for instance) pantheistic beliefs, Hindu or Buddhist meditation, "chakras", tantric sex nonsense, and of course religious indifferentism."

Two things: First, is Christian faith such a fragile thing that it cannot stand up to or coexist with ideas from other cultures and religions? If so, it says more about Christian lack of faith than anything else. Second: One person's religious beliefs are another person's nonsense. I've come to belive that the Bible is mostly nonsense -- a bunch of Bronze Age fairy tales. I find that the pantheistic view of God as the vast indifferent universe itself that does not need a creator to explain it is enough for me. And if one considers themselves Christian but is able to find spiritual meaning in Yoga and perhaps see a connection between that and their Christian faith, what is wrong with that? Open your mind!

I've been know to mentally subsitutite "Christ" at points in the mediation were the instructor is yammering on about whatever.

For the most part I avoid instructors who attempt to delve into philiosophy and relgion in their yoga classes.

Most of these 20-somethings are hardly literate in whatever relgion their parents practiced, if they practiced much at all. As someome who is moderately literate in Christianity I find their attempts to add half-baked spirtuality amusing to annoying.

For me it's stretching and strength. If I feel uplifted after a session it's not so different from when I feel uplifted after a long run. At which point I praise God for the body he gave me.

As for the religious aspects of yoga, they are there to be sought out or ignored as you see fit. No one can force you into believing anything or worshiping any God against your will. Personally, I tend to think polytheism and animism are more healthy than monotheism, because they don't have the "I'm-right-you-must-be-wrong" attitude, at least not as much. But I do think that yoga is not going to magically take over your mind and force you into polytheistic or pantheistic belief without your consent.

If Christianity is a worthwhile faith, it need not fear having its worshipers exposed to other faiths' beliefs and practices. If Christians must protect their faith by insulating themselves from other ideas, then the religion and the faith are weak and not worth practicing in the first place.

Too much angelic pin-dancing and self-righteousness in this 'On Faith' series overall.

Truly brethren and cistern, who careth besides the knuckle-draggers of the bible belt?

gok.eomy fot tje sa,e pf ,aum ipule ;;m;e
Whoops, I had my fingers on the wrong keys. Oh well maybe it made more sense that way.

to pjs1965: Been there, done that with pantheism, skepticism and indifferentism. I find it ultimately is all untenable, a denial of reason and denial of any ultimate truth. Seeking after Truth led me back to the Catholic faith. I discovered, to my great surprise that the Bible is brimming with truth about humanity and about God who indeed is Love, creative, self-giving Love, and with truth about the relationship between God and Man. I wish to point out that the western intellectual tradition, the western dedication to reason, came from within the Catholic Church.

As a follower of Vaishnavism which is part of Vedic Religion (aka Hinduism) and also a practitioner of Hatha Yoga, I have no doubt whatsoever that Yoga (Hatha, Iyengar, Karma etc) is a Hindu religious practice. For example, take Surya Namaskara Asana in Hatha Yoga, it literally means salutation to Sun God (Surya, Aditya etc), one cannot take this and convert it to Christ Asana or whatever. In the US, Yoga has become a big business, billion dollar industry and it is understandable that many of the pseudo-gurus put a non religious spin on the practice to gain more followers, mostly Christian. If Christians, Muslims etc have issues with being associated with Hindu practice, they should not consider practicing Yoga, it is that simple.

Who cares. I'm a male, I'm Christian, and I practice yoga.

To me, it doesn't matter where it came from; it's healthy and I enjoy it.

One thing the writer does not mention is there are different types of yoga.

The stretching exercises are at the bottom of the yoga list. This is Hartha Yoga and has to do with putting the body into asanas or positions that are native or natural to the body i.e. most relaxing and very healthful.

Other higher yogas are Kundalini which is when the Spirit Force or Energy rises up from the base of the body and flows or circulates in the body.

Raja Yoga is the highest and is absorbtive and the ultimate state can be Moksha or Liberation from motal bondage.

So I don't think some stretching execises are going to twist (pun?) too many Christians.

As for those other Yogas - well nothing could be worse than God Realization could it!

"...a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a 'post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality."

Heavens! POST-Christian? Is the fearful Baptist preacher telegraphing out loud his realization that there are spiritual enlightenment states EVEN more advanced than Christianity? You mean there might be more to the growth of a soul than simply stoning one's kids, wife and self to death when a protocol is forgotten or the kid acts "stubborn"? Say it ain't so!

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Is Yoga Hindu? YES.
Is Yoga good for you physically, mentally, & spiritually? YES.
Can anyone, Hindu or non-Hindu, enjoy/utilize Yoga? YES.
Do Hindus believe in tolerance & pluralism? YES.

Do Hindus believe in proselytizing and converting? NO.
Do Hindus have a founder or prophet like all other religions? NO.

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

The problem is: 2 religions are supremacist. They not only believe their god & prophet is better, but they have an urge to convert everyone else by hook or crook. This also makes them insecure.

Why does this non-spiritual need to claim superiority for themselves and to proclaim the inferiority of others (kafirs, infidels, etc..) exist in these 2 "religions"?

Islam and Christianity have developed a strange expansionist, aggressive, empire-building mentality. And this is the source of all this conflict and consternation. Maybe the culture of the Roman Empire was absorbed into Christianity, and Islam is an equal and opposite reaction. Maybe. Either way, empire building is not very spiritual.

THE ANSWER:
Leave others alone.
Use whatever path works for you to evolve spiritually, whether it's Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, New Ageism, Hinduism,...

Leave others alone. Be grateful. Be peaceful.

Yoga is the practice by which one can connect mind, body and soul in one. So why anybody should feel sorry with their religion. It is the practice to liberate oneself which in turn calms your body, mind and churning emotions. One can practice Yoga concentrating on his/her own God whatever they may be. The first thing is whether Yoga benefits you or not. If it benefits then you may practice if not forget it is my simple advise. Why to make issues out of nothing that can be made any time anywhere to protect one’s greed!

Whatever we can appreciate in each others' belief systems would seem an improvement.

Whether one learns to enjoy yoga from Hinduism, Sufi poetry from the Muslim world, zen Buddhist monasteries, the Catholic practice of lighting candles in prayer, or the mezuzah on the doorpost of your apartment left by the previous Jewish tenants...it would seem vastly better to find what is of interest and can be shared, than not paying the courtesy of trying to understand our neighbors in the world, letting misunderstandings and agreements fester, until we are killing each other.

Yoga is yoga, religion is religion. Yoga is merely an physical and mental practice rooted for thousand years and so are religions. They both stay together and basically not connected with each other.

when medicine,christianity and islam have no cure for ailments like arthritis, people look for alternatives like yoga,even if the way they practice it is un-hindu.
who can prevent it ?

i am deeply skeptical both about yoga's real benefits and america's budding love affair with yoga.
america's interest in yoga has little to do with religion.
yoga was a fad in america in the '60s and fell out of favor.now it is back.PBS is airing a story about yoga for arthritis. hindus are saying, yoga is our patent.why are americans making money out of it ?

americans look for instant solutions and overhype everything.when the results don't match people's unrealistic expectations america's interest in yoga will die out.

webmd on yoga:
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/yoga-finds-new-twists-in-us

To ELIZDEPHI: I am glad that you have been able to find Truth in the path that you have chosen leading back to the Catholic faith. My path has led me away from the Catholic faith I was brought up in. It is no less or more valid valid than the path you have chosen. Even when I was growing up, I could never really believe. I think the important thing is that one be spiritually faithful to themselves. To do otherwise is to lie to yourself. So I feel much better in saying honestly that the Catholic faith does not work for me, and that I have chosen a path that does. I may reject the notion of any "ultimate Truth" but I do not reject reason. In fact to the best of my ability I use reason as the cornerstone of my conclusions.

Of course there are nuggets of truth about humanity in the Bible, but no more profound than that which can be found in other books, or within people's hearts. I have never found a satisfactory explanation of this "God is Love" notion. What exactly is Love anyway, in that sense?

hahahaa..Yoga is as Hindu as McDonalds is American. If you deny that, you are either ignorant or an a**hole IP lawyer.

Crass commercialism in the US of A is allowing Intellectual Property hawks are STEALING and branding their name on what is an age old tradition in hinduism.

All Hinduism is asking for is credit. Think of it like running your website on open-source Apache server or building a web browser with a Mozilla engine. You can use Mozilla and Apache for free but you can't claim Apache and Mozilla to be your "IP" because it's not - it's the collective wisdom of people who shared it for greater good.

It's also funny because it lays bare the insecurity of the Abrahamic "faiths" - who have contributed nothing to this world except misery and hatred and divisions (us vs them, blessed vs heathen) and resulting political bloodshed and genocides.

Go ahead and practice Yoga. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE - YOU ARE INDULGING IN A FORM OF HINDU WORSHIP/SPIRITUALITY. hahahahha....

God forbid that by practicing yoga, Christians might become more in touch with God.

I don't think anyone can say for sure where the origins of Yoga are. Yes it did originate in India but Hinduism is more of a way of life. It never calls itself a supremacist ideology like Islam or even Christianity and tried to convert people by violence or enticements/coercions.

If people have problem with Yoga belonging to a different religion, then all they have to do is not to say any prayers or words like "Namaste', "Om' etc if their instructor says those words. It is a form of exercise that every one should enjoy.

Malaysian mullahs too raised a similar objection against their flock practising Yoga.

In Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying, "Whoever is not against us is for us."

Reducing stress and pain, giving a feeling of peace and understanding doesn't exactly strike me as being contrary to what He taught.

At issue is not the words that Christ taught, but what Christ DIDN'T teach and that others are putting in His mouth.

"Buddhists remain detached from the issue."

Of course!

Only Muslims, Jews, and Christians are at or go to war to change other peoples' beliefs or to take land from others who don't share their beliefs.

I follow a practice of meditation that begins with breathing. It may be a form of meditation derived from Buddhist practice, which may be derived from the Hindu practice of Yoga. But if it makes the minister, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary feel uneasy as a Christian, he can discontinue it at any time. (And yes, I know that is not a very Hindu-like statement, nor anything approaching the peaceful sentiments of Buddhism, but honestly, some people are just too self-absorbed. We are citizens of the planet, and not just residents of the county. Please remember that and act like it. TYVM)

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary declared that. "Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a 'post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality."

I agree with Dr. Mohler and suggest that he should start issuing FATWAS like the Muslims do and start killing those who disobey or announce bounties on their heads. That is a true and tried solution and can be easily adapted for Christian context. Then, at lest two of the religions originated in the Middle East will have same practices.

Jews should wait and see before they join the sister religious gangs. Let us look forward to Dr. Mohler’s FATWAS and its success.

You can call it anything you want - Hindu Yoga, Christ Yoga, Obama Yoga, Palin Yoga, The Most Reverend & (Most Stupid) Mohler Yoga, Allah Yoga - it's ultimately not going to dim the shine on the benefits of Yoga, wherever be its origins. Desperate to keep the flock together and the funds flowing, Mohler and his kind, pop up every now and then to get some shine! Ignore these idiots and begin to breathe deeply!!

I am Indian and these are my observations about middle-class/upper-middle class educated hindus who migrated to USA as skilled professionals or earned a higher US degree. When in India, Yoga was there in a corner of people's mind, but in a distant way. Few of these people practised it, of course a lot of our parents talked about it. The approach was sometimes mixed with snake-oil "yoga cured this terminally ill person". So, imagine their disenfranchisement at discovering the American obsession with a distinct American flavor.

Its like the difference between eating Tandoori food here, and comparing it to the authentic thing back home. Sure as hell the Tandoori at an average 'Taj Palace' or 'Bombay palace' is going to make me feel uprooted. And the more Americans like that Bombay palace version of Tandoori, that feeling grows.

Bikram yoga, Anusara yoga ... Indians dont have a specific tradition to fall back on - because these versions don't exist back home. All that is available, is the profound, category defying tradition from the ages. Sometimes that can be hard to grasp and adopt, especially when separated across cultures, the noise and the dust being absent to propel oneself towards serenity.

I never setled into yoga, but I did successfully adopt Tai Chi. And now every so slowly, am realising yoga one step at a time. The books are good enough if you are the right age with the right awareness. That scenic route that I took was and is enlightening . And if you are calm enough, well almost any activity can be defined as yoga. So why the hand-wringing?

I am a very devoted Christian who attends church regularly, and have performed many functions at church for years. I've also practiced yoga regularly (though not religiously—ba dum tsch—for 25 years).

Beyond the asanas, or physical postures, I've experienced the eight-fold path of yoga: Yama, or social behavior; Niyama, inner responsibility or how you treat yourself; asanas; pranayama, or breathing practices; pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, or what more ancient Christians might have called renunciation of worldly attachments; dharana, or focusing the mind on one point (yes, that can be Christ); Dhyana, or focusing the mind without a particular point; Samdhai, or absolute bliss, or what I would call, God is Love, a very Christian tenet.

While Hindus may complain that yoga is ripped from them, I guess I would look to that classic text in the spiritual pantheon, Autobiography of a Yogi, in which the author, Paramhansa Yogananda, took his own journey from Indian secular life into yoga and then into the West as an emissary of yoga. He later went on to describe the _places_ where the yoga message and the Christian message were the same in order to build a bridge from East to West and from West to East, and couldn't we use one of those? He went on to found the Self Realization Fellowship in California and to produce a book titled, The Yoga of Jesus, and another called, The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You (2 Volume Set).

This sentence in the article surprised me, "But some Christians are concerned that practicing yoga will lead to theological confusion." I'd have to ask, "Where's the 'theology' being presented in yoga?" If it is the "theology" of meditating, then meditation is a Christian practice too. However most mainline Christian churches in America today have abandoned the practice of looking within, silencing the mind, practicing renunciation and a focus away from the material world, and have rather encouraged the opposite in the offering of "The Secret" type thinking a la Joel Osteen telling you God wants you to have that fancy new car/house/boat etc. Yes, we pray, but that is different from meditation, or stilling the roving mind.

All those who are secure in their religion should feel no fear even if one seriously studies another religion in order to gain understanding of where that religion is coming from. Not that yoga is a religion, even if it arose from a Hindu culture.

Christ said to love God above all and love your neighbor as yourself. He didn't say, "only your Christian neighbors." If we return to the master himself, and accept him as we say we do, then there should be nothing to fear.

My question begins to be, Are America's theological leaders doing enough to truly understand and practice the depth of Christ's love, without fear, serving others, and questioning the false practices of certain temples (then) churches now? Or have we lost our mooring for reasons having nothing to do with yoga?

There is also another form of yoga, the Cerebro-Rectal Inversion yoga. The practitioner bends over backward until his/her head can be inserted up his or her posterior. When no one notices the difference, the practitioner has attained the exalted state of ultimate reality and godlike Truth. This form of yoga seems to be the most popular and widespread, to judge by the comments of concerned citizens on this blog.

This isn't even a remotely interesting topic. Americans have dealt with adopting exercises from abroad for over a century now. Have we imbibed East Asian religion with the martial arts? No. In fact, you now have Christian ministry penetrating various schools to such an extent that the Christian faith is following each tradition back to its source; part of the explosion in Christian believers in the free Pacific rim. The very syncreticism of East Asian religion ensures the transportability of its most desired rituals and customs.

Seriously, if you're up in a tizzy about yoga, why not jiujitsu or tai chi?

It amazes me how the Christian faith can spend so much time on trivia as opposed to a meaningful effort at making the world better. Back in the 50's when I was a kid in Kentucky, we were not allowed to dance. We were perhaps one of the few towns in the nation that did not have a prom. The Ministerial Association, dominated by the Baptist churches, had more power and influence than the city government or the school administration. We were told that dancing was a sin (it had something to do with Salome dancing for the head of John The Baptist.)History is filled with stories of massacres that occurred because of some trivial dispute such as whether two fingers or three fingers should be used to make the sign of the cross. Islam was the mightiest empire on earth and the masters of enlightenment such as math and science in the ninth century while western civilization wondered around in the Dark Ages--much because of the backwardness of the Christian religion at that time. America seems to be headed backward to that time again, Down with yoga! Onward Christian soldiers!

This "you're highjacking my religion" article illustrates just how silly it can get in religious beliefs. No wonder more and more of us are becoming humanists, atheists and agnostics.

I read this column just to see what you "believers" are up to.
Amazing that you are all so exploitable.
Religion is a sucker's game for those who are afraid of expiring upon death and need a fantasy of heaven to get them through their night sweats--or can't break free of the bs that their folks shoved into their brains.
Wouldn't be suprised if some blood were eventually shed over your "spiritual objection" to stretching and chanting.

Dr Mohler expresses a particularly Baptist view of yoga. It also encompasses other arts such as tai chi, among Baptists who've ever heard of them. Clergy of other denominations see things differently. many study and benefit from yoga.

And if the worry is that yoga might lead to a post-Christian world, why not worry about innocent young Christians taking jobs in Wall Street money trading?

Humanity is moving toward a post-doctrinal society, in which the best elements of all the great religions are fused to various degrees on a personal level. As people begin to understand and embrace this way of life, the old religious bigotries will disappear.

The clergies have always been comprised of the most retrograde elements of society: power-hungry individuals who use doctrine to incite hatred against peoples of other faiths as a means of maintaining their power. It's no wonder that people like Mohler are afraid of a "'post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality." They'll lose their power over people's minds, to which they've become addicted.

He/She who has not practiced Yoga for some time, Dr. Mohler as example, is probably not the best expert on this topic. That Yoga practitioners in his flock might be inclined to spend some of their tithe on Yoga instruction is a risk, and perhaps that's the real issue for him. A few years into my own Yoga practice, I can see nothing but benefit on the spiritual plane (along with its contributions to my mental and physical wellness).

Advancement along the spiritual plane should probably be the objective of all religion. That a wholesome practice originating in one culture, is adapted to wholesome application in another, is one positive result of globalization. Peace.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler has made it known that Christians are as single-minded about their religion as Muslims are about theirs.

The issue is not about the benefit of yoga, it's about Christianity as a collective and any threat to it mobilizes the defenders.

We like to think of our Christian selves as loving and forgiving because these are the basic tenets of Christianity, but we are not yet at that place where we can give up our protectionism and defense of self. To do so would be so, so, Buddhist.

Truly brethren and cistern, who careth besides the knuckle-draggers of the bible belt?

POSTED BY: LAMBCANNON

Cistern? Please, please tell me you meant to be funny.

Yoga provides a way to link the mind and body. Have you ever noticed that Christianity ignores the body except to assert that it is a source of sin and must be reined in if humans are to be truly spiritual. The reason that yoga is so popular is that many people are not willing merely to look at the body as sinful. They understand that the body cannot simply be a negative entity isolated from the mind and spirit.
Once you realize this, there is no turning back.

As the great yogi bear was said to quip: I'm smarter than the average bear, so if there's a fork in the road, take it, cuz it ain't over, 'til it's over.

i've had an assana practice for 37 years. started out teaching myself from a book on hatha yoga and my personal practice eveolves constantly as my body and physical circumstances continue to change.

i've taught children, seniors, accident victims and inmates. it's an excellent way to keep the body's energy flowing evenly and smoothly while keeping one in close touch with how all body parts are operating at any given moment.

for this type of phyical practice their are many forms and many teachers. i have studied with many good ones. my current favorites are seane corn and paul greely(sp?). they both have websites which have links to many other qualified teachers as well.

that's the physical element.

also for 37 years, i've been practicing raj yoga - a toatlly spiritual practice consisting of 4 techniques that have remained constant over thousands of years. this is the anchor in my life. the practice allows me to remain in constant contact with the energy i choose to call life's essense, my true source of peace. for this practice i know of only one teacher, prem rawat. his website is - wopg.org.

Yoga means union and in the case of yoga as most Americans know it union of body and mind.

What next? Will Christians leaders be against track and field because they honor Greek gods?

It is not a matter of whether Americans or Westernes SHOULD practice this or that. Decisions if not self-motivated ot inspired will not be as beneficial.

For my own experiencce, for example, what i find relaxing and spiritually balancing is to be in the water, to swim like a fish or do the butterfly as a dolphin or seal in a uudulating, playful manner, i also think of Michael Phelps, gliding through the water. Also, winter nature walks by rivers or mountains of the Shenendoah get my yoga aligned. Why always think of borrowig from others' routine and cultur? Get some imagination, and make something up yourselves!

whether one has a physical or spiritual yoga practice, yoga has nothing at all to do with one's practice of any type of religion.

Clearthinking1 wrote:
SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
The problem is: 2 religions are supremacist. They not only believe their god & prophet is better, but they have an urge to convert everyone else by hook or crook. This also makes them insecure.

I do not agree with the term "supremacist."
It is not in error for one's religion or spiritual belief is to go out to spread the gospel of truth, if the latter is upheld to be -- it is called a mission. If not accepted by an individual thereafter, fine. But there are those persons who may benefit from being assisted to seeing the light. Christianity does not claim superiority over others' beleif; but aspires to ead the way. Yes. there are some who have perverted the meaning of Christianity and Islam to rule and expand their domains. Yes, some do proselytize,, but pleaase cease with your overly-generalized, ignorant and offensive religious statement. It would not be difficult to point out inconsistancies, contradictions and non-loving aspects of your Hindu spiritualism as well

Who is the one believing one's religion is the superior, now? This religion of kindness and harmony? Sophistry and hypocrisy rolled in one.

Rush_Crush:

You need to do a reread of history. Yes, there are more examples of Western and Islamic warfare for expansionist reasons; however, do not forget and make the mistake to choose sides that Pakista, Bangladesh fought India, and were partitioned at the time for a settlement. This was a nasty struggle of culture, race and religion, OK?

As a former yoga instructor and an atheist, I find it strange that people have to put labels on the practice of yoga. I am spiritual, and you cannot practice yoga properly without also practicing yoga breathing and concentration. These practices of calming the body and mind bring heightened spiritual awareness, be it religious or, in my case, universal consciousness awareness. I always found it amazing when a new student would come into my class and express amazement that, even though they had been practicing yoga for years, no one had ever guided them in proper breathing and concentration techniques. How great that yoga crosses religious labels and spiritual dimensions. Namaste.

As if someone's opinion of who should or should not practice yoga will affect how people choose. In my opinion: (a) any spiritual practice is a very good thing and (b) my spiritual life is my business and your spiritual life is your business.

Mind your own business.

I have to chuckle to hear fundies complain about "polyglot religion" when they elevate Satan to God's arch rival, liable to whack Jehovah with a folding chair and snatch the WWF championship belt at any second.

These are people who just aren't comfortable with monotheism and practice a degenerate pagan version of Christianity which includes a huge dose of Satan worship.

Really, aren't there more important things to worry about? I started realizing how silly many christians were when an uncle told my family I should be exorcised from the satanic influence of my practicing magic. Magic TRICKS. Take a card, Satan, any card.

Buddhist practice; overcoming the four sufferings, birth, death, old age sickness; includes the Hindu practice of Yoga; observing the oneness of body and mind, all forms of meditation, either active or passive.

I also practice an active meditation process; chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo; to embrace the concept of the oneness of body and mind, person and environment, and would welcome Christians to practice Yoga, or other forms of Buddhist meditation, as these acts can only expand your understanding of life itself performed correctly.

Mars11 wrote:
"Yes. there are some who have perverted the meaning of Christianity and Islam to rule and expand their domains. Yes, some do proselytize, but..."

It is not simply that SOME do and others don't. TOO MANY are doing this. And this is a an inextricable part of the ideology of both Christianity and Islam. It's similar to Islam: we all know most MUSLIMS are good people, but violence is and has been a part of ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY from the beginning and TOO MANY are committing acts of violence and terrorism today.

For example, for the last few hundred years the Christian world as had more economic & political power than others, and the problems and disruptions they have caused in Africa, Asia, South America are enormous. When the power shifts and the cycles of history move back to Hindus or Buddhists, you won't see the same behavior as you did with Islam & Christianity.

So its not a benign desire to spread their superior Truth. In reality it has become a malignant and destructive problem for many.

The only superiority about the philosophy of Hinduism (Sanatan Daharma) is the following: Tolerance is superior to intolerance. Otherwise, Hindus believe you should practice whatever you want, any way you want, including following the teachings of Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha. That is why there is such a diversity of paths within Hinduism, no matter how unique. There was no blasphemy or heresy, and certainly no inquisitions and purges.

Leave others alone. Promote tolerance & peace. Ya' really think your Truth as stated by Jesus or Mohamed is that much better than what the Hindu or Buddhist sages came up with. They were pretty darn smart, insightful & spiritual too. I've read the Koran, the Bible, and the Vedanta and Buddhist texts. It's pretty hard to say that only one way is the superior way and best for each & every human on earth.

This need not be complicated. If something makes you calmer, less stressed, and more open to people and life around you, do it. If it doesn't, then don't. Yoga, prayer, lighting candles, reading scriptures, signing hymns-- whatever helps.

This debate is missing a crucial point. The world didn't suddenly become pluralistic in the 21st, or even the 20th century. Leaders of the first century church fiercely debated issues (circumcision, diet, etc.) related to the incorporation of non-Jews into the new Christian faith. In the end, inclusion won out. I also highly recommend the book "Primitive Christianity" by Rudolph Bultmann, which describes many core Christian practices (e.g. the eucharist) are in fact adaptations of Greek pagan rituals. In fact, Christianity is much more pagan than Jewish. In any case, it is certainly a fusion of practices from other, pre-existing faith traditions. Today's bombastic fundamentalist church leaders seem to have forgotten (or see an interest in hiding) this fact. This is how the modern day church became a stumbling block for social and spiritual progress.

Believing in the unity of all faiths, I don't see the conflict here, but Christians who want to practice a "sanctified" style of yoga should check out the book "Christian Meditation Through Yoga" by Gilbert Carlo SVD. It is excellent.

Here is some more background about Yoga that the media moguls won't or don't know. The father of Yoga is Patanjali, who btw predates all recent religions in the last 2500 years. Nowhere in his writings he says this is for Hindus or the ones who practice his works are called Hindus. In fact the original authentic name for for what we call as Hinduism today is "sanathana dharma" which roughly translates to "a way or life". The other thing about Hinduism is that it does not have a concept of converting into or out of it.

So all the anxiety about Yoga not conforming with established beliefs only exposes their own loose footing on their beliefs or anxiety that other programs might take away their followers. If the leaders and the followers are sure footed in their faiths, their is ample room for everybody to follow their faith and learn something else that might be of benefit. I know of many who are strong Christians and yet practice meditation and yoga.

BTW, after being an atheist, yoga and meditation has brought me immense health benefits in just 3 years.

Yoga is connected with pagan Asian religions and Believers in Jesus should not practice it all all.

Chinese food is sometime offered upon the altar of ancestors, similar to food offerings found in Mexico and the the American southwest on Dia de los Muertos, and Believers in Jesus, should do as he would and join the party. Love God and your neighbors.

Clearthinking1's comment from Sep. 24, 9:00 PM is the one that most speaks to this issue.

Yoga is Hindu, but it is also for everybody. There are a growing number of Hindu fundamentalists in India, but for the most part, Hinduism is not a my-way-or-the-highway sort of religion.

And as to Joe_Allen_Doty's comment above - I think the only proper response is a facepalm. It's really sad that some people use their religion to make themselves so closed-minded and ignorant - as if this gives them comfort. But what can you do?

And for the record, I've never once practiced yoga. I just don't happen to be afraid of it.

"Should we adopt, adapt or adjust the rituals and practices of other faiths for our own purposes?"

You mean the way the Middle Eastern faith of Christianity was incorporated into European paganism?

Or were you thinking more of how the Buddhism of India was incorporated across far East Asia?

Or something even more remote in time?

Religion is a package of beliefs that are tools for a culture to improve the odds of survival and the standard of living for its people. If it works, they are going to use it and all of the speeches and fist shaking will not halt or change that. It never has.

Religion is a package of beliefs that are tools for a culture to improve the odds of survival and the standard of living for its people.
Posted by: Elisa2 | September 26, 2010 3:41 PM
**************************************

An utterly simplistic, reductionist, and unprovable assertion.

It's true that religions change and adapt over time, often using elements from other religions. But to claim that there is the same utilitarian purpose to all religions is pure horse poop.

The long wars between Protestants and Catholics were over who provided the better standard of living? Please. Do yourself a solid and read some actual history.

Yoga is connected with pagan Asian religions and Believers in Jesus should not practice it all all.

Posted by: joe_allen_doty

...or drive Toyotas for the same reason.

Should we adopt, adapt or adjust the rituals and practices of other faiths for our own purposes?
--------------------------

Yes, absolutely. I think Hindus should adopt the Muslim requirement of giving to charity, (they do, but not as a requirement) and pray five times a day (although not in the direction of Mecca).

More Muslims on the other hand could adopt vegetarianism. The last president of India, a Muslim, was also a vegetarian. But vegetarianism seems rare among Muslims.

It is easy to understand why leaders of various religion are threatened by ecumenism - they fear losing their copyright.

But we, the public, can only benefit if we take advantage of all opportunities to better our lives, both spiritual as well as material.

In India, Jainism is a separate religion from Hinduism and theologically the distance between Jainism and Hinduism is greater than the distance between Hinduism and Islam. Both Hinduism and Islam are theistic whereas Jainism is atheistic. Jain morality does not depend on a personal God, but by the idea that the universe is ruled by moral laws, just like physical laws, but affecting the moral realm.

And yet Jain cermonies are often performed by Hindu priests. There is hardly any enmity...

There is a belief which I first heard in Vienna from an Austrian philosopher that Jesus was influenced by Buddhism.

There is a period of the life of Jesus which is unaccounted for. Where did go? what did he do?

But something else which Jesus did is more similar to Buddha than to traditional Judaism.

Jesus asked people to abandon their families and follow him. Eventually twelve did. This is quite contrary to traditional Jewish practice which emphasizes family and community.

But the Buddha, like Jesus and unlike Jewish rabbis, did ask people to leave their families and follow him if they wanted to be enlightened.

The Buddha was the founder of the practice of monasticism which was eventually adopted by other religions.

Jesus' emphasis on non-violence also has a strong precursor in Buddhism.

Christianity and Buddhism are two great religions which place a great deal of emphasis on not returning hate for hate.

Christianity is a syncretic religion which means it combines beliefs from various other faiths. There is hardly a "Christian" belief or symbol that wasn't used by some other religion first. If someone is worried about Christianity becoming a polyglot religion, that bus left the station 3,500 years ago, and the process of glomming onto other religions' practices continued for about 2000 years.

Religion, any religion, is a way of connecting this physical world, where we live our every moment, with the unseen. And all religions are true in this sense, that they are metaphores for God. Religion can be a very powerful way for us to meet God. It can have prayers and rituals that set up a space for us to encounter God.

But, as soon as we attach the "This is the only truth, and nothing else can be allowed, for there is no other truth!" then we are adding our own inflection, and have lost that part of the message that had the potential to connect us.

So my friends, yoga on! Yoga right on!

Clearthinking wrote:

For example, for the last few hundred years the Christian world as had more economic & political power than others, and the problems and disruptions they have caused in Africa, Asia, South America are enormous. When the power shifts and the cycles of history move back to Hindus or Buddhists, you won't see the same behavior as you did with Islam & Christianity.
So its not a benign desire to spread their superior Truth. In reality it has become a malignant and destructive problem for many.
The only superiority about the philosophy of Hinduism (Sanatan Daharma) is the following: Tolerance is superior to intolerance. Otherwise, Hindus believe you should practice whatever you want, any way you want, including following the teachings of Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha. That is why there is such a diversity of paths within Hinduism, no matter how unique. There was no blasphemy or heresy, and certainly no inquisitions and purges.
Leave others alone. Promote tolerance & peace. Ya' really think your Truth as stated by Jesus or Mohamed is that much better than what the Hindu or Buddhist sages came up with. They were pretty darn smart, insightful & spiritual too. I've read the Koran, the Bible, and the Vedanta and Buddhist texts. It's pretty hard to say that only one way is the superior way and best for each & every human on earth.
Posted by: clearthinking1 | September 26, 2010 2:11 PM

Your thinking is actually quite befuddled.
As would be expected, you possess a very narrow view, and with half-accurate statements. Yes, the Western and Islamic traditions have been at the center; howver, we also have made substantial contributions; even to your country of India. You only reveal that yu are not very well-educated.

I am familiar of the destructive reality in Kashmire and wars waged on the subcotinent. Hindis blowing up mosques, and of course disparaging human rights of an entire underclass. Indignifying those who are poor, of another tribe or skin color - how malignant can that be?

Concerning Sanatam Dharma, how can anyone take you seriosly, as you rip and spew vile of any other than that which you profess to be real. Your whole thesis, therfore, becomes a lie. Nothing of your rants speak of tolerence and if your honest with yourself, you'd realize this.

Herein lies the distinction:
Christianity does not assert that we are better.

We assert that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

If you and others REALLY practiced what you believe, demonstrate Hindi/Buddha tolerence, the yogi harmony and respect; especially with Muslims, there might be better communications. Maybe, former probems arose when someone started insults against another's beliefs, as you ripped Christianity. Something to think about, hmm?

Practice Yoga if it benefits you: Yoga is integral part of lifestyle. Practice it if it really benefits you. Like all life knowledge, youga is very vast. Pranayama (breathing exercise), Raja Yoga, Hata yoga........so many yogas. Research a little bit and see which is best for you and practice. You don't have to be a hindu to practice yoga. be whatever you are, practice yoga if it gives you peace, harmony, and well being.

Forget Yoga, practice TANTRA and Karma Sutra

Forget Yoga, practice TANTRA/Karma Sutra

uh .... what were we talking about?

The word Religion has replaced spiritualty.
If yoga gets you in touch with your spirtual self than why not. Im a christian mystic who welcomes anything that can calm my mind and body so that I can have that intimate relationship with Jesus and the Holy spirit. The world is to stressful we need to get back to our spirtul selves. we were made to be peaceful and spirtual not Religious.God is spirit and if we are made in his image are we not spirit? Yes for Yoga Yes for using Yoga to meditate on Jesus!!

My favorite is Kunilingi Yoga, the one with the snake rising from the bottom of the spine. Yup, that snake keeps rising ...

I would like to give my objective views on this matter.
1. Actually the terms Hindu and Yoga are contradictory. There is nothing like Hindu Yoga.
Yoga can be practiced by anybody irrespective of religion to which he belons to. Yoga is a discipline, see Patanjal Yog darshan " Atha Yoganushasanam".
There is no mention of word Hindu in Veda or Upanishds or in Patanjali Yoga Sutras.
2. Generally a person gets his religion by birth.There is no religion which encopasses the whole mankind. While the Yoga is universal,any person belonging to any religion can practice it.
3. There are different traditions of Yoga, one is Indian tradition which is most popular.In addition there are Jain tradition, Buddhist tradion, Tibetan and BuddhistTibetan tradition,
Chinese and Buddhist-Chinese tradition, Japanese Buddhista trdition and so on.
But thereis nothing like American Yoga tradition. In America people have borrowed from different Yoga systems, and they have commercialised it by attaching price tags on different packages. Most of them teach Physical exercices, some include breathing exercises and a few meditation techniques also. What they mean by meditation is focus or
concentration.Actually the meaning of meditation is tatally different, see Patanjali Yog sutra
" Tadevarthmatra nirbhasam Swarupshunyamiv Samadhi" Many of the secrets of Yoga have not been revealed to public so far.
4. The meaning of Yoga is union of a man with God or Supreme Being or Union of soul with
Higher soul . It is a spiritual science. A person practicing yoga has to follow the spiritual principles of love, kindness nonviolence,truth, generosity etc. Therefore a spiritual person may not be necessarily a religious person.In other words in order to be a spiritual person it is not necessary to be a religious person. and vice versa a reigious person unless and until he follows the spiritual principles will not be a spiritual man.
I have tried to clarify certain issues which I think are necessary to understand the discussion of Dr Shukla and Dipak Chopra.
Manindra V. Vaidya, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

I am sorry that so many of my fellow Christians have attitudes that provoke others to think we Christians are all the same. There are many examples in this and other discussions, but I want to refute only one. The comment "Jesus please protect the rest of us from your doctrinal purity" contains an inherent misconception: Jesus had unequivocal condemnation for religious purists of his own tradition. Jesus cared only about the one thing he came to make real: Love. Love is the one truth of all "religions." All the rest are paths that will help us get to love if we keep our eyes on the prize. None of the paths is the only path.

Clearly, this is one issue that has generated a lot of view points. Yoga does have Hindu leanings. Yet, masters of Yoga do not propagate Hinduism at all. One can only be born a Hindu. For those who are threatened by Yoga, lets face it - in this ever shrinking world there will be inter-faith dialogue and there will be people who follow more than one faith. For example, one can be a Christian and a Hindu at the same time. Religion cannot be static and has to change with times. Multi-faith believers are emerging and they find no contradiction at all. Those who call themselves atheists are generally those who do not accept any one faith in totality while not rejecting the existence of God.Mankind and religious leaders must learn to accommodate people who do not take the 'word of God' as TRUTH and are eager to use their own common sense. There is perhaps a section of people who are more global and outward looking than our religious leaders. Many of us want to take the best from all religions. That does not make us atheists or any lesser beings.

Lastly, the fundamental question that most people ask is: does Yoga help in leading a healthier and better life? If the answer is yes, then no faith leaders should have any problem.

Manindra V. Vaidya wrote:

"A person practicing yoga has to follow the spiritual principles of love, kindness nonviolence,truth, generosity etc."

Why is that necessarily true? Why can't I practice yoga and be the meanest mofo in the valley? Why is yoga connected with the lovey-dovey school of thought that thinks human life is the most precious commodity in the universe? Why can't I stretch and breathe while believing that humans are a kind of irrational, arrogant, and dangerous ape with a superiority complex, and that the proper way to deal with one's enemies is to kill them? I wish Mr. Vaidya could elaborate on his comments and the reason, if any, that underlies them.

Mars11,

Your ad hominem attacks are incorrect, inappropriate, and unnecessary. You must be getting frustrated. The fairly obvious consensus on this blog is that Christians & Muslims afraid of Yoga are demonstrating an insecurity and small mindedness unique to Christianity and Islam as I have discussed before.

You wrote: "we also have made substantial contributions; even to your country of India. You only reveal that you are not very well-educated."
I am an American, so who exactly is the "we" and "your" in your mind? Prejudging and prejudicial statements aren't very spiritual. I'd like to welcome you to America in the year 2010.
In terms of education, I can guarantee you that I am extremely well-educated in the sciences and humanities. I'd be happy to put my curriculum vitae next to yours any day. So your ad hominem attacks are grossly misplaced. So let's move on to substance.

I have made a simple observation: Religious conflict around the world involves Christians and Muslims on one side or both sides of the conflict.

Your observation about conflict between Muslims and Hindus corroborate my thesis, so thanks for pointing out the obvious. Hindus were able to live with Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians, Jews in India for 2000+ years without conflict. Living in peace with Muslims and Christians is another story (or impossible?) when they insist on "there is no God but Allah" or "assert that Jesus is the Messiah, the only path to God."

As to your statement "I am familiar of the destructive reality in Kashmire". The grammar and spelling is not impressive (Sarah Palinesque) for someone claiming to be highly educated. I am guessing that you are not truly familiar with much about Kashmir. Do you know what was done to the Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits) in the 1990's by the Muslims? Do you know about the Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives about this issue? Do you really know about the history of Kashmir or are you just using that out of frustration?

Your anger, frustration, & ad hominem attacks are a great example of the problem with many Muslims and Christians. The loyalty is to the group, not to humans or God, like the Bishops who protected the pedophile priests. The pretense of charity is a thin veneer for an ulterior motive, which is destructive as I have previously pointed out.

Some introspection may help you. Perhaps meditation. Perhaps Yoga.

I am familiar of the destructive reality in Kashmire and wars waged on the subcotinent.

Hello everyone: Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians are all concepts in our mind. Full of concepts, our mind gets full of discussions. Let so many concepts go away and you will find Truth, which is beyond concept. I wish you a very nice week. Fabio

Religion and faith is where the confusion arises here. Religion dictates how one should be...better not practice yoga or else you might stray from religion. Faith is what you believe to be true. My faith doesn't preclude me from practicing yoga because I have no fear of losing my faith by practicing yoga.

"I've been know to mentally subsitutite "Christ" at points in the mediation were the instructor is yammering on about whatever.
For the most part I avoid instructors who attempt to delve into philiosophy and relgion in their yoga classes.
Most of these 20-somethings are hardly literate in whatever relgion their parents practiced, if they practiced much at all. As someome who is moderately literate in Christianity I find their attempts to add half-baked spirtuality amusing to annoying.
For me it's stretching and strength. If I feel uplifted after a session it's not so different from when I feel uplifted after a long run. At which point I praise God for the body he gave me.
Posted by: RedBird27 | September 25, 2010 7:15 PM "
I agree with this post. I'm a newcomer to yoga, but a lot of it is similar to what I have done in ballet, pilates, and even just stretching after aerobics. Great for strength, balance and flexibility. I use the meditation time to pray or just think on my relationship with God. I probably wouldn't participate in a class or use a video that was trying to promote the "spiritual" side of yoga. But for me as a Christian, all of life is "spiritual" and to be lived for the glory of God.

The NFL is selling yoga mats. I guess Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary doesn't think that Football and Christianity go together.

Or maybe he just doesn't think. What an idiot!

I seriously do not understand the commotion about this. I believe there are more important things to worry about (War on terrorism, economic and financial crisis,Iran, China for example) than this tiny little thing about yoga which nobody really can take serious.

Sow what?
Most Baptists aren't really Christians!