4: Can Practicing Yoga Bring Christians Closer to Jesus?

“Practicing yoga is very similar to the food sacrifices to idols issue in 1 Cor 8-10. Just because the meat was sacrificed to idols, the weaker Christians wouldn’t eat it. But the stronger Christians (and Paul himself) had no problem with it. It’s the same issue with yoga. I don’t publicize very much that I do yoga because I know there are plenty of weaker brothers and sisters out there who would be bothered by it. That was Paul’s point (and this is why I do yoga privately, not in a public class, just in case a weaker brother and sister with limited knowledge see me and it causes them to stumble).

The main question I would have is whether it is yoga or anything else, by practicing it, does it cause your relationship with Jesus to become stronger or weaker? Obviously, if it’s the latter, that particular thing should be discontinued, no matter what it is.”

Above is an email provided by a Christian professor sharing his view on Christians practicing yoga. In the same email, he states that “physical moves in and of themselves are spiritually neutral. Just because those same moves are practiced by some Hindus in their religion in India, doesn’t make the moves in and of themselves sinful.” He believes that in the same way, we will not be worshipping other gods when we utter the name of the week as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc., as they were originally associated with the worship of gods. He also compares practicing yoga with reading secular books or watching secular shows. “I accept the positive things from it and reject what I don’t agree with. I am benefiting from the positive physical aspects of yoga but am not being affected by the weird spiritual things because the videos I’m doing are purely physical, without any weird spiritual, pagan Hindu stuff in it.” He then explains how his chiropractor has also noticed that his inflexible torso has improved significantly.

Upon finishing reading all the emails that this professor wrote, my heart was saddened for I know that he has fallen into the enemy’s snare (Swami, Vivekananda’s hidden agenda) and now being trapped by the spirit of yoga. Is he really as strong as he thinks he is as a Christian? I wonder. What about his students? Are they all “strong” Christians too?

During my interview with Pastor Blessan Cherian, I was told that Swami, Vivekananda’s hidden agenda was to infuse Hinduism into the Western world. Since 1893, many missionaries were sent from India to North America, and yoga was originally the tactic of Hindu missionary movements. Unfortunately, many people who do yoga do not understand this agenda. They thought they were just doing exercise (yoga), but technically and philosophically they were following Hindu philosophy. As a matter of fact, a lot of people in North America now believe in Karma (reincarnation), and many people think that they can come back as a tiger, a pig, or a bird in the next life. “‘What goes around comes around’ is actually a philosophy of Karma.” Pastor Cherian said. “Hinduism is advancing among Christians. Many of those who got to church are experiencing philosophic conversion, yet without knowing it.”

“There is a power that energizes us in the body and there is a power that releases out from the same body. What is that power? In Hinduism, they say that that is the power of Kundalini (the power of the coiled serpent – the enemy of God – Satan).” The practice of yoga involves awakening the Kundalini (the serpent – the mother-power ) and taking it, or guiding it, or allowing it to go through the six chakras, and to its final goal of joining her husband, Shiva.

It is therefore when someone says he has experienced healing, it is the yoga energy that gives him the healing. His healing is not from Jesus Christ. It is from the hidden power, and that energy is evil influenced by Hinduism. Likewise, I believe if this Christian Professor has experienced healing, his healing is not from our God, but the yoga god.

“I have seen strong Christians, and big pastoral preachers, who fall for yoga.” Cherian continued. “A woman who has helped organize many big Christian functions came to me after MissionFest, she told me she just can’t quit; because it is the friendship in the yoga club that she treasures.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe our body should be the temple of God and we should meditate according to the pattern of God; if we practice anything else, we will end up being a slave of that particular “spirit”. Sadly, this Christian professor seems to have built up an “addiction” to yoga, and I doubt if anyone can ask him to stop. Cherian told me that when one wants to stop, “yoga will say: No, you don’t stop. And your body will say: No, you don’t stop; because you have already built up a habit.” After the interview, I kept on pounding on his words and I realized that, sadly, this Christian professor is now being the slave of yoga, and he is doing everything to prove it.


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Ernest Wood. yoga. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin books, 1962. P 143
Ibid.
Ibid. P 165