The popularity of yoga has spread throughout the globe but one of the top nations that love it the most is the United States. It is not surprising how Americans love yoga. 20 percent of the yoga followers in the US, in fact, are women, and surprisingly, the other 8 percent accounts for kids who also practice it.
However, controversies have emerged as to the implication of yoga to morality and the Christian religion. Back in November 2018, a Missouri-based Christian pastor named John Lindell loudly expresses his sentiments against Christian yoga, calling it as demonic. He even questioned how the name “Christian Yoga” went about and what its basis was. Nonetheless, yoga lovers have managed to defend their stance, emphasizing how yoga helped them bring closer to God. Because of the lack of support from the pastor’s congregants, his sermon was unable to cause much of a noise.
Nonetheless, to date, controversies about Christian Yoga still exist.
The Controversies about Christian Yoga
Too many judgments have been said against Christian Yoga but most of the talks revolve around the following controversies:
Controversy #1: Yoga yokes with the Divine.
The word “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit term “Yuj” which means yoke in the English language. Many people have believed that yoga is against religion. However, some written references believed to be in Hindu texts discovered in the early times pertained to yoga as yoking with Brahman, the Divine.
Nonetheless, yoga has been growing in popularity in America since the 1970s. Despite the connotation of its philosophy and practice to religion, a lot of fitness and health enthusiasts have easily loved Yoga because of its distinct attributes to help Yogis lose weight, stay healthy, and meditate at the same time.
Controversy #2: The Spiritual and Physical Appeal of Yoga
The yoga practice entails the practice of bowing as if it is subordinating to a particular God. The thing is: Christianity, Islam, and some other religions see this as a violation of their beliefs. For instance, to Christians, bowing violates their First Commandment. But yet, a lot of Americans still are attracted to the spiritual and physical benefits of yoga. With Christians accounting a huge percentage of their population, Christian Yoga was eventually founded.
Based on a particular study about yoga in 2016, almost ¼ of Yoga practitioners first sought yoga to develop their spiritual well-being but at the same time, they were also intending to relieve stress and lose weight. Through time from practicing yoga, it became a spiritually motivated habit. Although some may see it as a form of workout, yoga is one that also touches spiritually and this makes it far different from other exercises.
Controversy #3: The Controversy against Christian Yogis
Apparently, there are also Christians who have sought yoga to address their religious issues and they would go as far as purchasing Christian Yoga DVD to better devote to yoga because their prayer lives were lacking. Quoting a certain Christian yogi, “I get much more from doing Christian yoga and meditating than from hearing a Church sermon.”
Idolatry is one of the reservations and controversies among Christians who have always wanted the benefits of yoga not just physically but also spiritually. There are those who attend Christian yoga classes and pray to Jesus Christ and performing certain breathing techniques at the same time. Others do it while listening to Christian music and sermons.
To some Christians, spiritually reconciling yoga with Christianity is quite impossible. Among Christians in the United States who have never done yoga, almost 10 percent expressed that the spirituality aspect of the practice sounds bothering to them. Some professors and pastors even consider Christian Yoga as an oxymoron. And although yoga is retagged as Christian Yoga, the name does not make it legit Christian to these people.
Controversy #4: Yoga as a Dedication to Jesus Christ – Does this make sense?
Despite the controversies against yoga, it has continued to become popular among Christians and this somehow shows that the critics of Christian yoga have lost the debate. As per the yoga lovers, if a certain practice is dedicating to Jesus, then there should not be a violation of Christianity.
Testimonials from Christian yoga practitioners state that doing yoga three to five times a week helped draw them closer to Jesus Christ. Such testimonials could not be easily refuted.
However, Christian yoga followers may notice that the practice has impacted their beliefs as the routine somehow is a mixture of Christian culture and non-Christian ones such as the chanting of “Om” which is known to be the universe’s vibrational sound.
Meanwhile, a certain psychological research has shown that Christian Yoga is just a brand extension of its parent brand – the original yoga. And with this, the benefits and positive things about Christian Yoga might encourage and promote Christianity. This should add to the list of reasons why Christian Yoga is not a bad thing.
Nonetheless, Christians who intend to enhance their relationship with Jesus Christ through practicing yoga may gravitate toward other spiritual and religious traditions. These people should be recognized more as spiritual but not religious and Christian.
Controversy #5: The Impact of Christian Yoga to Religious Beliefs
Even if it is called Christian Yoga, the fact remains that a lot of yoga routines, practices, philosophy, and postures have also been followed by other religion-branded yoga. Hence, if a person follows and performs yoga posture, it can still attract the presiding spirits despite the intentions. The controversy here lies to whether these spirits are evil or good.
In other words, Christian Yoga can still affect the religious beliefs of a yoga follower because the yoga posture affects the mind and the human body which are connected.
Ideals and teachers spreading throughout the broader yoga culture such as chakras and chanting are experiences that yoga followers can subconsciously enjoy while doing and this can be considered a bad thing.
Nonetheless, Christian yoga continues to be famous in the United States and this is not flagging to many.
