What do the Saints think of Yoga?

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kvanlaan

Puritan Board Doctor
This morning, I came in from chores and was sitting here thinking of some Christian friends of mine and others who take 'hot yoga' (doing yoga in a room that's 40C so you sweat buckets and can stretch further), among other kinds of yoga. As it is a Hindu religious practise, I can't see why Christians would want to partake in it. However, it would seem that the type my friends participate in is divorced (for the most part) from sacred Hindu texts, though I believe the whole 'flow of energy' nonsense is still there. I am not sure how to approach it with these friends, though I think it will likely fall under 'Christian liberty' to them. Opinions? Suggestions? Well-meant criticisms of my position?
 
I think it is possible to "do yoga" meaning the exercises without imbibing any philosophy, just the same as many practice Karate without the philosophical component..... or wrestling or any number of countless other sports without pagan Greek thought-forms behind it.
 
I agree with Dr. Mohler, but I also recently have heard of some good and godly brethren who "do yoga" without all the other garbage- which, as Dr. Mohler (as well as some Hindu experts on yoga) say, isn't actually yoga. I think it depends on what people mean by yoga.

Interesting point about Karate, Perg
 
MarieP:

The accepted definition of Yoga is one that allows for the exercise without the garbage. Dr. Mohler can try to limit the definition, and he is right about the origins, but the present usage of the term "yoga" already allows what I advocate, good physical exercise without the garbage (listen to Dr. Mohler sermons while you stretch perhaps).

I see no one in an uproar about the days of the week despite an obvious Norse pagan taint (Wodin's Day, Freya's Day, etc).
 
Can Everyone Benefit from Yoga? - Hinduism Today Magazine

"Conclusion: It is naive to take yoga as a physical system of exercise devoid of its philosophical, spiritual and cultural underpinnings. This profound spiritual discipline is ineluctably rooted in Hindu scripture. It is a path of religious practice on all levels, and its goal is enlightenment, Self Realization. It may not be an advisable practice for followers of religions in which unitive mysticism is unacceptable, as stated by the religious leaders of such faiths. Those who are affiliated with liberal religions and those with no formal religious ties can definitely benefit from the practice of yoga, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. However, a caution to all who follow the path of yoga: be prepared to become gradually more and more aware of the unity of all that exists!"
 
The Hindus may say that it cannot be divorced from its origins, but it certainly can when only done as a stretching/flexibility regimen. I took at a local gym for a while--nothing mystical about it, just a dozen women rounding out our exercise schedule just like we took step and circuit classes. I guarantee you few in the room save the instructor and me (and maybe not her!) knew the origins or cared since it wasn't part of the class. No "Clear your mind, empty it of thoughts" nonsense, for example.
 
I think it is possible to "do yoga" meaning the exercises without imbibing any philosophy, just the same as many practice Karate without the philosophical component..... or wrestling or any number of countless other sports without pagan Greek thought-forms behind it.

Be selective about teachers and classes and if all else fails, do what a JW I knew did: walk out when they start chanting. :)
 
MarieP:

The accepted definition of Yoga is one that allows for the exercise without the garbage. Dr. Mohler can try to limit the definition, and he is right about the origins, but the present usage of the term "yoga" already allows what I advocate, good physical exercise without the garbage (listen to Dr. Mohler sermons while you stretch perhaps).

I see no one in an uproar about the days of the week despite an obvious Norse pagan taint (Wodin's Day, Freya's Day, etc).

Either you say that just stretching is not yoga or you have to give a new term to "real" yoga. You can't have two different things called by the same term without confusion. Language is supposed to reflect reality not what we wish was the case.

CT
 
Hermonta:

Yoga is the common term to designate a system of stretching and exercises. People commonly use the term to refer to the exercise only without any philosophy attached to it. It is common and accepted. Most vocabulary has a semantic range, and some words have a wider semantic range than others.

My broader use of the term yoga is perfectly cromulent.
 
Either you say that just stretching is not yoga or you have to give a new term to "real" yoga. You can't have two different things called by the same term without confusion. Language is supposed to reflect reality not what we wish was the case.

CT

Nonetheless, language is never without some ambiguity. You can call both ostrich and fish eggs "eggs". That reflects reality; we're not saying they're the same exact thing, we're saying they're similar or in the same class of things.
 
Pergitude, your attempt at cromulence is discombobulated by your own protubrent efforts at it. If there are named poses involved in your exercise class that correspond to documented yoga poses, then it is yoga yoga (read: verdomde orthodox yoga). If it is just stretching, then it is 'yoga' (air quotes must be used to describe it).

Pergy's been eating too many taro root donuts. That's why he's looking so cromulent these days.
 
Ha ha, Pergitude...that's a new one...... what happened to Pergalicious? I like Pergatory myself...or The Perginator.


I prefer Eastern Orthodox Yoga myself over yoga yoga (verdomde orthodox yoga...whatever verdomde means)... but some of the poses would be hard with the long beards and canes and flowing robes.

Also, after ascending up the stairs on his knees in the Vatican to do penance, Luther could have used some gentle yoga to ease his poor aches and pains. But after a few years of stout ale, the downward dog got increasiongly harder for the reformer as he put on poundage in the cromulencity of his older age.

If Geneva knew about yoga back in the day, Calvin could have adopted the TULIP position instead of the Lotus position of his eastern counter-parts.
 
I think it depends on what people mean by yoga.

Me too. I would prefer if Christians would stay away from it altogether, but when a family member tells me she's doing yoga and she just means she's stretching...well, I'll pick my battles. Not going to gripe about stretching.
 
I prefer Eastern Orthodox Yoga myself over yoga yoga (verdomde orthodox yoga...whatever verdomde means)... but some of the poses would be hard with the long beards and canes and flowing robes.

That sounds like some kind of action movie featuring Buddhist monks or something. =)
 
Pergitude: Pergy with attitude
Pergatorium: place to purge when you overdose on Pergy
verdomde: damned or damnable
 
It makes it less offensive because it is in another language (but that's just weaseling out of it). Basically, the meaning is that one is heathen yoga and one is stretching.
 
It makes it less offensive because it is in another language (but that's just weaseling out of it). Basically, the meaning is that one is heathen yoga and one is stretching.

So, I shouldn't use it as a synonym for "displeasing" or "annoying"? :)
 
This saint doesn't think that you can separate the yoga from the philosophy. Feel free to disagree.
 
Either you say that just stretching is not yoga or you have to give a new term to "real" yoga. You can't have two different things called by the same term without confusion. Language is supposed to reflect reality not what we wish was the case.

CT

Nonetheless, language is never without some ambiguity. You can call both ostrich and fish eggs "eggs". That reflects reality; we're not saying they're the same exact thing, we're saying they're similar or in the same class of things.

At some point you are going to have to add some sort of qualifier. Real vs. Fake, American vs. Hindu, etc. Also if it is simply stretching why does one still want to call it Yoga?

---------- Post added at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:46 PM ----------

This saint doesn't think that you can separate the yoga from the philosophy. Feel free to disagree.

What if one doesn't even know the philosophy?

The effects of various activities do not require one to be cognizant of them to be effectual.

CT
 
cromulent

Okay, that's the second use in 24 hours on here of a fairly obscure word--what gives? :gpl:

I noticed that too and ended up having to google its etymology because it is not in my 1928 Webster's or even in my "modern" 1977 Webster's.

Turns out it is a neologism created for the Simpson's TV show circa 1996. Just one more confirmation of my cultural illiteracy. All I know about the Simpson's I learned from Wikipedia . . . .
 
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