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t’s 2011, and everything is new. Except your resolution,
which is the same as last year: Exercise more to lose
weight and relieve stress. Besides the Loop walks, the
appointment with a personal trainer, gym member-ships,
one alternative to those endless reps and steps
is yoga.
But, a Southern Baptist leader made a public call
earlier this year for Christians to avoid yoga. He said,“ The medi-tate
spiritual disciplines derived from eastern religions is not a
Christian pathway to God.” He understandably received plenty of
outcries from those who defended the ancient practice.
Looking at our beautiful cover, one can see both sides of the
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WBM january 2011
debate. Arms raised in the yoga Tree
position could be interpreted as an act
of worship. Evangelical Christians around
the world worship in a similar raised arm
stance, albeit without the raised leg.
One Christian opponent of yoga claims
that when a Christian practices yoga
they, “come out from under the Blood of
Christ” which is pretty strong. Not going
to touch that one.
But is it dangerous to me as a Christian
to be stretching my legs and searching
for better breath? Probably not. But
the prayerful part, the medative part
of Hindu yoga could cause issues for a
Christian. Not to the point that to do
yoga exercises will automatically send
one to hell.
Here’s an analogy I like that I found on
the Web:
“Just as a Christian who celebrates
Halloween does not instantly become a
pagan, but a Christian who stands in the
center of a pentagram and prays Wiccan
prayers has really stepped away from
the Christian worship as defined in the
Gospel, even if they are being grateful
for the earth God has given them.”
So, Christians might truly want to
avoid the yoga theory or belief system.
Our minds should not be directed away
from God. A part of most yoga is media-tion
and this is where the danger lies;
when one empties the mind, we need to
be very careful with what we then fill it.
Several years ago our office hired a
fabulous Christian yoga instructor, and
during the meditation/ relaxation part
she would read scripture from the Holy
Bible. We filled our relaxed conscious-ness
with the Word of God. It was a tre-mendous
experience.
Traditional yoga is a practice of the
Hindu religion. Yoga was first referenced
in the Brahmanas, a part of the Hindu
Sruti spiritual literature, in India between
900 and 500 BCE. It combines breathing
exercises, chants and postures.
Yoga not only relaxes the mind but
“brings an overall sense of well-being,”
says local yoga instructor Michelle Crittendon. “It’s deeper than
just the physical; it creates a balance in the body and also in the
individual’s life.” Crittendon is trained in Ashtanga yoga, which is
an athletic practice that synchronizes breathing with continuous
position changes, producing intense internal heat and profuse
sweating to detoxify the muscles and organs. It improves circula-tion,
flexibility and stamina.
Another popular yoga, Lyengar, is the slowest and most basic
form of yoga, which makes it suitable for the novice, the elderly
and the disabled. Iyengar involves all of the components of the
other forms, yet often uses props to ease the body into positions.
—Pat Bradford
last word
Allison bREINER pOTTER
I
HEALTH
yoga &
you