Yoga

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

As I age, I become increasingly concerned with my health and fitness. I desire to live a long and full life in addition to aging gracefully. I have been studying Yoga exercise lately to see what benefits there are from it and what precautions, I as a Christian, should take in assuring the integrity of my own spiritual journey. One cannot really argue the physical benefits of Yoga. Yoga reduces anxiety and stress and improves mental clarity. There are four major motivations to exercise in this manner: to stimulate the immune system; to reshape your body in areas of strength, flexibility and balance; to reduce stress and tension, and to improve circulation. In a physical aspect alone the benefits of Yoga are indisputable. But what about the spiritual aspect of Yoga?

The word "Yoga" means to "yoke" together and the spiritual take on that meaning to bring together the mind, body and spirit. With that in mind I am uncertain as to the purpose behind the meditation in Yoga which always tends to focus on separating mind and body. If the goal is to bring them together then what possible benefit is there in attempting to reach an "out of body" experience. Don't we want them all to come together instead? If the point of Yoga is to unite body, mind, and soul as it claims, then it goes completely against the grain of this philosophy to encourage mind and soul to leave the body. In order to accomplish this, most meditation practices encourage the "emptying" of the mind. It is my own personal view that our minds were not meant to be "emptied". We are encouraged however to bring our minds to a state of peace; to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds." As Christians we are instructed to do this by casting all our worries and cares on God, which does not involve "emptying" our minds but instead allowing God to take our anxieties on Himself instead. The spirituality involved in Yoga claims to lift our burdens. If you have ever read John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress you know that the true lifting of our burdens can never occur by our own efforts but only through God's redemption.

One of the phrases commonly expressed during Yoga sessions is "The divine light within me bows and honors the divine light within you." Do we have a divine light within us? Of course we do. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit within us which is the source of the divine light. So what is wrong with this phrase? Well... there is only one Spirit and it indwells us all. Does the same Spirit in one person worship the same Spirit in another? That doesn't make much sense, now does it?

I like the ideas behind Yoga of bringing your body into harmony with mind and soul. I think all too often we forsake our bodies and overtax our minds and souls throwing us out of proportion. The idea of finding a quiet, peaceful location to bring the three into harmony is extremely appealing in our fast-paced, hassle-filled lives. So how does a Christian not wanting to meddle in the spiritual entrapment of Yoga benefit from the physical aspect? A woman by the name of Laurette Willis who spent 22 years exploring and taking part in the New Age movement provides many insights on the pitfalls associated with "freeing" the mind. She has recently developed a Christian alternative to Yoga which she calls Praise Moves. Laurette incorporates the physical exercise of Yoga and combines it with nourishing and beneficial, God-focused meditation. Her website is www.praisemoves.com.

After much research and praying I think this is a safe way for Christians to partake in the physical benefits of Yoga while not allowing the spirituality normally associated with it to create a foothold in your life for other influences to enter. As Christians we should be concerned for our physical well-being as well as our spiritual. Our bodies are one of the areas of responsibility we have in this life and it is the part of ourselves that the world first sees. Taking care of your body can be as an effective witness to the world as your spiritual health. Our bodies, minds, and souls are our witnesses to the world and the reflection of God within us. Let us make those aspects a desirable window to the world of God's presence within us.