The origin of yoga

VIII 3. YOGA: CAN WE SEPARATE THE EXERCISE FROM THE PHILOSOPHY?

by Johanna Michaelsen Like Lambs to the Slaughter, pp. 93-95 posted November 17, 2006

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/yoga.htm ; http://www.fromthelighthouse.com/blog/index.php?p=366&more=1&c=1

EXTRACT: "There is a common misconception in the West that hatha-yoga, one of about ten forms of Yoga that supposedly leads to self-realization, is merely a neutral form of exercise, a soothing and effective alternative for those who abhor jogging and calisthenics ...
"[However], Hatha-yoga is 'one of the six recognized systems of orthodox Hinduism' and is at its roots religious and mystical. It is also one of the most difficult and potentially [spiritually] dangerous forms of Yoga.

"The term hatha is derived from the verb hath, which means 'to oppress.' ...What the practice of hatha-yoga is designed to do is suppress the flow of psychic energies through these channels ["symbolic, or psychic, passages on either side of the spinal column"], thereby forcing the 'serpent power' or the kundalini force to rise through the central psychic channel in the spine (the sushumna) and up through the chakras, the supposed psychic centers of human personality and power. Westerners mistakenly believe that one can practice hatha-yoga apart from the philosophical and religious beliefs that undergrid it. This is an absolutely false belief. ...

"You cannot separate the exercises from the philosophy. ... 'The movements themselves become a form of meditation.' The continued practice of the exercises will, whether you... intend it or not, eventually influence you toward an Eastern/mystical perspective. That is what it is meant to do! ...There is, by definition, no such thing as 'neutral' Yoga".
VIII 4. YOGA EXERCISES AND THE CHRISTIAN

http://www.macgregorministries.org/cult_groups/yoga.html

YOGA IS POPULAR

Yoga exercises sound so beneficial. Book shops and libraries are full of yoga books. Doctors, clergy, teachers, and professional people practice it. Yoga claims to work on the muscular, glandular, and physical nervous systems. Wonderful physical and emotional benefits are promised. Indeed, yoga is a complex subject, with many different types, but this tract will be confined to the Christian perspective. Many Christians practicing yoga have expressed indignation when its connections to Hinduism and Eastern Mystical Religions are pointed out. Some Christians even declare that when they are relaxing or practicing yoga postures, they keep their thoughts on Jesus, and are therefore protected. Both Christians and yoga teachers are heard to loudly deny that yoga is any kind of a religion, but rather a beneficial exercise. 

PRINCIPLES BEHIND YOGA EXERCISES

In truth, yoga exercises are NOT just of a physical nature. They cannot be separated from their mystical, Hinduistic purposes. Yoga teaches that there are some 72,000 invisible psychic channels, which constitute another-dimensional body. This "subtle" body is claimed to connect to the real body in seven predominant places, ranging from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The teachings of Hatha (physical) yoga teach that at the base of the spines lies coiled a great serpent power called Kundalini. A former yoga teacher for ten years, and former vice-principal of a large yoga school, now a Christian, comments

"Every posture is designed to stimulate this power to uncoil itself and rise up through the nerve centers in the spine, which are closely related to the endocrine glands, until it finally reaches the pituitary gland - the thousand petal lotus - and when this occurs after long and disciplined practice, perfect enlightenment is achieved."

A Christian need not be instructed on the significance of the original serpent, Satan the Devil! (See Revelation 12:9)

THE PURPOSE OF YOGA

The purpose of the yoga exercise is to align the "subtle" body with the real one, and thereby alter the consciousness of the practitioner in a specified way. The positioning of the body in the yoga postures opens up the practitioner to "vibrations" which teach him the "wisdom" of yoga. As a person proceeds with the physical yoga exercises, it will not be too long before he is asked to practice the "meditation" along with the postures. Often, this begins with just an urging to "empty the mind of all thought", and then progresses into real Hindu meditation. Christian meditation as taught throughout the Bible is a FILLING of the mind with the words and precepts of God, and is the exact opposite of yoga meditation.

YOGA: PHYSICAL BUT NOT SPIRITUAL?

Skeptical Christians should go to their public library and read ANY authoritative book on Hatha Yoga (physical yoga).

These various books will make it clear that physical yoga is just the first step to spiritual yoga, and its roots are solidly in Hinduism. One Christian authority on Yoga, Mother Basilea Schlink of the Darmstadt Sisters warns in a pamphlet,

"...every Yoga posture was originally designed to worship the Hindu god Krishna".

YOGA'S VIEW OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is presented by yoga as just one of many great masters like Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed. Yoga teaches that there are many ways of reaching God, all equally good. If Christians are seeking peace and relaxation in yoga, then they are seeking the world's way, not the Way of Jesus Christ. John 14:27 puts it well, quoting Jesus Christ,

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

The true peace from Jesus Christ sustains the Christian through all circumstances, not just while exercising or meditating.

IN CONCLUSION

Christians practicing yoga need to cease immediately, repent of it, and ask God's forgiveness. Yoga is not just exercise!
VIII 5. HYPNOSIS- CHRISTIAN OR OCCULT?*

EXTRACT: …Hypnosis is nothing new. It has been used for thousands of years by witchdoctors, spirit mediums, shamans, Hindus, Buddhists, and yogis. [click on yogis]

… Trances brought about through medical doctors are not significantly different from occultic hypnosis. In their text on hypnosis, which is used in medical schools, two well-known researchers state categorically: "The reader should not be confused by the supposed differences between hypnosis, Zen, Yoga, [click on Yoga], and other Eastern Healing methodologies [click on Eastern healing methodologies].

Although the rituals for each differ, they are fundamentally the same." *Originally adapted from Hypnosis and the Christian, Martin & Deidre Bobgan, Bethany House Publishers, 1984, 61 pages. The book was revised and reissued in 2001 as Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic [click on Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic?]
VIII 6. IS YOGA REALLY SO BAD? THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS EXERCISE SENSATION

by Sarah E. Pavlik, Today's Christian Woman, September/October 2001

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2001/005/3.50.html Sarah E. Pavlik, a freelance writer, lives in Alabama.

"Yoga has changed my life," my friend Beth gushed as she twisted her body into a gravity-defying pose. Her newfound agility impressed me. Beth continued, "Yoga's centered me; it's relieved a lot of stress. Just try one class with me."

She did seem calmer, so my curiosity was piqued. Besides, I could use the exercise. And yoga classes seemed to be popping up everywhere—the local university, my gym, even at a couple local churches. One class couldn't hurt,I reasoned. So I decided to give yoga a try.

Once in the class, I scanned the room, curious as to what type of people take yoga. The class was comprised of an unlikely bunch: hefty, construction crew-type men, white-haired grandmas, and people such as me, wearing Nikes and t-shirts. I didn't spot any lime-green hair, or a single pierced nose. Suddenly my attention was drawn to the front of the room. There she was, the instructor—a bit larger than I expected. She looked nothing like those leotard-clad yoga instructors on TV. Her wiry blonde hair blended with her wire-rimmed glasses, giving her an all-around bland appearance. She spoke softly but with intimidating authority.

"Take off your shoes and socks," she said with a whisper. Reluctantly I removed them, hoping nobody else in the room could smell my feet. She explained that we needed to be barefoot so we could sink our feet into the earth. Funny, this earth looked a lot like carpet to me. But I complied, imagining my feet squishing into the soft, fertile ground.

"Now we need to get acquainted with our breath. Americans generally breathe through their mouths and miss the benefits of breathing fully," she informed us. I forced the air in and out, trying to make friends with my breath. It felt good.

"Yoga is thousands of years old, and as of late, has been accepted by modern medicine as a remedy for back pain and stress reduction," she said between breaths. Thousands of years old? Accepted by the medical community? It must be a good thing, I rationalized as I prepared to stretch. We moved quickly into what she termed poses.

First I was a tree. Then she coaxed us into bending our limbs and planting our right foot onto our inner thigh. That wasn't all that difficult until she asked us to squat and twist our torso 90 degrees. She called it the "twisted chair." How appropriate. I looked like a pretzel in blue sweatpants. Next we began "sun salutations." With our hands raised over our heads, we quickly dropped them to our feet. Finally, we brought our entire bodies to the floor, prostrate. It was obvious this was an ancient form of sun worship. Now not only was my body contorting, my mind was too. God's first commandment to not have any other gods before him sprang to mind. I was getting uncomfortable.

After several repetitions of sun salutations, she brought us back into "mountain pose." I glanced at the clock and was shocked to see all but five minutes of the hour-long class had slipped by. It was time for the relaxation exercise. My muscles were ready, but my spirit was a bit more cautious.

I lay down on the carpeted earth. She encouraged us to shut our eyes and go to our quiet place. Being a mother of two boys, I wasn't sure if such a place existed, so I decided heaven would be my quiet place. "It's time to let go of the stresses of the world, your job, your home, your deadlines, and just be at peace," the instructor said soothingly. The twing-twang of the music seemed to blend with everyone's breathing. Then she instructed us to start squeezing the muscles in our toes, then our feet, on up our legs, abdomen, and finally our faces. What a sight we all must have been lying there, our bodies rigid and our faces forced into Jim Carrey-like contortions. "Now fall back into the earth," our instructor commanded. We repeated this bizarre exercise about three times, and then, the instructor told us to come back into our body.

It was not a happy reunion. My body ached from the wicked chair—or was is it the twisted chair? And my spirit was out of sorts. Scenes of saluting the sun and leaving my body played in my mind as I drove home.

Would I be able to stay in yoga without compromising my Christian beliefs? I wondered.