In my book ‘How to Stop Dieting and Start Living’ a have a chapter on stress and point out that breathing exercises and exercise in general are excellent ways of restoring calm, thus eliminating to some degree the temptation to overeat  - a most unhelpful way of dealing with this problem.

The question has been raised as to whether yoga is a valid way of achieving this end. There are many sincere Christians who believe that yoga is not only harmless but helpful (along with hypnotism and other mind-programming techniques) so I shall endeavour to approach this subject kindly, yet firmly!

In general health circles there is often a close association with healthy eating and yoga, as if the one automatically went with the other.  But be warned, yoga is essentially a spiritual exercise which has its roots in Hinduism.  It is for this reason that I believe it to be a dangerous practice which Christians should not be involved with at all.  Even if you say that you are only doing the exercises and not the meditation, it still allows Satan to get a foothold in your life and footholds can so easily become strongholds.  We must give no opportunity to the devil!

About 2,000 years ago, modern day yoga emerged through the Hindu Indian sage Patanjali. He was a lead advocate of the yoga tradition and stated that there are many ways to reach God, including controlling activities of the mind. Although little is known about him (and indeed some believe he is entirely mythical) some ancient Hindu texts often refer to Patañjali as an incarnation of the serpent god Ananta, and depict him as half human and half serpent.

Before writing this week’s thought I have been reading an answer to this very question given, not by a Christian from a western culture (which one might reasonably assume to be prejudiced and lacking in knowledge) but from an Indian Christian whose personal background was in Hindu mysticism which incorporated yoga, the physical exercises being a means to an end – of developing spiritual receptivity. It is written by one, Cassandrah Batya, who writes:

“When I was practicing mysticism, I was told that the position of the body is important because of spiritual points of energy on the body, also known as chakras. Some of these spiritual points were the head, mouth, chest, navel and the genital area. You had to sit with these areas open and unblocked. The hands needed to face upward and out. The physical positioning, chanting and emptying the mind was done in order to open the body up to receive greater spiritual energy. The ultimate purpose was to become as close as possible to the Supreme Being. The easiest position for achieving this state is called in yoga, The Yoga Lotus. Speaking from the experience of having once practiced this position, it does work. You are left with feelings of euphoria. At the time, I thought I was receiving spiritual energy from God. I was wrong.”

The spiritual outcome of practising yoga is that it lowers a person’s spiritual resistance so that they are more open to the mystical powers of the spiritual realm so it is both spiritually and mentally dangerous. In ministering alongside my husband we have, over the years, had cause to counsel and pray with many people who have inadvertently opened themselves up to the powers of darkness through practising Transcendental Meditation (TM) in general and yoga in particular. Some have found that their ability to comprehend spiritual truth or to worship have been significantly impaired, but when they have received releasing prayer in the name of Jesus, causing the bondage to be broken at its roots, then they have been set free.

Batya points out that the term “Christian Yoga” is an oxymoron; that it goes against the very foundation of the Gospel of Christ. Yoga is founded on the opposing belief that there is more than one way to God, though the inner self [man] rather than Christ.

The Bible says: ‘Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?’  2 Corinthians 6:14.  We need to remember that Satan is a deceiver and to that end will come to us as an angel of light.  We must not be ignorant of his devises.

If you would like to read more about this subject I suggest that you Google the name ‘Cassandrah Batya – Yoga,’ or simply the question which heads this article and you will finds a wealth of articles on the subject. God bless you.