Can anyone who has the holy spirit tell me what it says about yoga?
Can people who have the holy spirit in them please tell me what the holy spirit says/guides -if anything-about yoga?-not just yoga in the sense of just a physical exercise but also the spiritual side of it.
Id appreciate detailed answers if possible please not just "its bad because its from another religion" for example
All answers appreciated
mary
Wow, two answers, word for word cut and pasted from another site. And steeped in ignorance.
Christians for more than a thousand years have participated in monastic ‘meditation,’ so the ‘spiritual’ side of yoga isn’t as ‘evil’ as small-minded Christians think it may be.
Is sitting prayerfully by a river anti-Christian because people of other faiths do it? Or because polytheists may think the woods and water may contain gods?
Paul says you can do what other religions do, if you’re doing it for the right reason.
And how can doing yoga because you want to be healthier physically and spiritually be wrong?
Yoga is good.
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For many Christians in the West who don’t understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise, and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.
The word "yoga" means "union," and the goal is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of "God." This "God" is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called "pantheism," the belief that everything is God, and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.
Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with less obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.
The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? I don’t believe so. Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).
Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8, NLT).
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What is the Christian view of yoga? Is yoga just a stretching routine, or are there spiritual aspects to it?
For many Christians in the West who don’t understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise, and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.
The word "yoga" means "union," and the goal is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of "God." This "God" is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called "pantheism," the belief that everything is God, and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.
Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with less obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.
The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? I don’t believe so. Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).
Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8, NLT).
Got Questions org
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Umm…the holy spirit isn’t real. Yoga is just an exercise. It’s not magical. If you want to do it, do it.
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I truly do not know what the holy spirit would say about yoga. So, here is my opinion. I see yoga as physical activity that is good for the body and relaxing for the mind and body. In my mind, the holy spirit has alot of other business to attend to during the day besides yoga. The Bible instructs us to care for our bodies–this is a method of that. I also feel that any activity that is good for the relaxation of mind (stress reduction) could only serve to improve and enhance any spiritual practices.
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Even the physical exercise part of yoga is an integral part of Eastern Mysticism and Hinduism.
What the yoga practicioner does is mess with false gods and false religion.
"I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have any gods before me."
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Wow, two answers, word for word cut and pasted from another site. And steeped in ignorance.
Christians for more than a thousand years have participated in monastic ‘meditation,’ so the ‘spiritual’ side of yoga isn’t as ‘evil’ as small-minded Christians think it may be.
Is sitting prayerfully by a river anti-Christian because people of other faiths do it? Or because polytheists may think the woods and water may contain gods?
Paul says you can do what other religions do, if you’re doing it for the right reason.
And how can doing yoga because you want to be healthier physically and spiritually be wrong?
References :
The Holy Spirit will help you get closer to the Father in Heaven.
Yoga may lead you to other gods. My God is a jealous God. He gave His son, Jesus, to die for my sins. I praise God. Who do you praise?
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Gee,where did those cut and paste talking points come from?
It starts off right and then it goes into flawed propaganda- mode. I’ve been a "reborn Christian" so I guess that means that the "holy spirit" is in me. I’ve also studied and taught yoga and yoga philosophy and had experiences akin to reborn experiences in the context of yoga and Hinduism and Buddhism–so I guess I’m qualified to speak on this subject.
Yoga techically is not Hinduism. It is one of the spiritual philosophical systems of India. It is also an umbrella term for lots of practices having to do with self-integration, physical hygiene, and also devotional practices.
Part of Hatha yoga (now there are a million names for variations of physical hatha yoga) is about physical hygiene and exercise. This is highly beneficial in and of itself and there are many different styles to choose from today in the modern world.
Classical yoga philosophy is theistic (believes in God) and has nothing to do with physical exercise. The goal of life is to "realize" God. This goes deeper than "believing" or "having faith." It is realizing the difference between what God is, what the self is, and what the world is and figuring out how to live more in God and less in the world.
Tantric yogic philosophy and disciplines are different from Classic Yoga philosophy and have to do with physical and meditional practices to activate something called Kundalini–which is actually the Tantric equivalent of the "Holy Spirit" even though Christians HATE to hear that. Knowing nothing of it, they are not in a position to comment, but they do anyway.
The Bhagavad Gita, is a famous scripture that is part of the Vedanta philosophy (Orthodox Hinduism) and speaks of 3 yogas (having nothing to do with exercise). Karma yoga (union/devotion to God through selfless work), Bhakti yoga (union/devotion to God through devotion to an idea of God) and Jnana yoga (union with God through acquiring wisdom, knowledge, and direct experience). A fourth was later added–Raja yoga, which is the yoga of meditation and refers to the practices of Classical Yoga (ie, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).
Some forms of Hinduism are pantheistic but not all. The more correct term is panentheistc anyway. Some forms of Hinduism believe that God and creation are separate and that one creates the other; some forms believe that everything exists as independent beings within God, and some believe that God is the only real thing and everything is a manifestation of God. It’s A LOT more complicated than the propaganda tract, but I’ll leave you with these notes for now.
In short, you can practice physical yoga for health and well-being and also even adapt eastern meditation practices to Christian devotionalism and contemplativism. It is doable. Nothing bad is happening. email me if you –the asker–want more info. (Wannabe preachers will be blocked and reported for harassement.)
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