Can a Christian practice Yoga?

Yoga, which once used to be a phenomenon of Eastern religions, has become an universal lifestyle. Studies have shown that even in a predominantly Christian population like that of the U.S, about 20% of people regularly practice Yoga and other versions of it. In many schools in the U.S, practice of Yoga have become very common. Doctors also recommend them as an ‘alternative’ therapy for many illnesses like schizophrenia, heart diseases etc.

Many of the yoga practitioners claim it to be a ‘science’ just like physics or mathematics. Most of them say it is nothing religious and just an exercise. But there are New Age Movements like Transcendental Meditation etc., which claims Yoga to be a spiritual exercise.

So what exactly is Yoga? Is it just an exercise for relaxing our body or a spiritual worship of a deity? So before I talk about the Christian view of Yoga, I would like to say a few things about Yoga.

What is Yoga?

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from a Sanskrit vedic text which means, ‘to add’, ‘to join’ or ‘to attach’. According to ‘Art of Living’, Yoga is ‘a complete way of living which includes philosophy, path of devotional bliss, path of blissful action, path of mind control which is called ‘asanas’. Let me explain to you the background of Yoga in Hindu philosophy. Hinduism is a pantheistic religion according to which everyone and everything is god. In Hindu traditions, man can become god if he is able to attain the higher wisdom or ‘spirituality’ to unite with ‘Brahma’ which is the greatest manifestation of god likeness. This Brahma is not a person but just a phenomenon or power. To become a god, man has to activate his ‘chakras’ to attain highest form of life in the next incarnation. This can be done through various ‘means’ also called as ‘karma’. For example, some attain through worship of various gods in the temples also called ‘Bhakt’, some through doing social service called ‘dharma’ etc. One of the means to attain the higher spirituality is ‘Yoga’. If you do various yoga ‘asanas’ or ‘postures’, you would be more and more closer to the higher spirituality which would enable you to ‘improve’ your karma thereby attaining higher ‘god’ likeness. These postures are designed in such a way that they represent the form of worship to various Hindu gods.

Is Yoga and Christianity compatible?

Though science has shown some health benefits in doing yoga, it is still a mystery as in how those benefits happen. For example, there are proven scientific principle on how weight reduction will reduce the incidence of heart attacks. There are no such scientific principle in Yoga. With this in mind, let us see the problems of Yoga:

1) Inherent goodness of man:

Since Yoga is derived from Hindu philosophy, it is based on a worldview which believes that man is inherently ‘good’. But Bible
clearly says that men are all sinful.

"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. (Rom 3:10-11)”

From the sages of the Ganges to the celebrities in Hollywood, all human beings are sinners and all are bad people. This truth is denied in yoga.

2) Our ‘self’ is the ultimate end of the universe:

Yoga also claims that man can find answers by himself from within his mind. He is not dependent on others and he is not accountable to God. All he needs to do is to improve his spirituality. But Bible says that man has been made for the glory of God and he is absolutely dependent on God for his living.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Rev 4:11)

'In him (God) we live and move and have our being'(Act 17:28)

This is in contrast to the claims of yoga, where they teach us that we ourselves are gods. Even Satan tempted Eve saying the same thing. Listen to the words of Satan:

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:5)

So yoga involves the idolatry of self.

3) Emptying our thoughts:

Yogic meditation emphases in making our minds empty without thinking anything. This is exactly opposite to what Bible teaches. Jesus makes his disciples to think by giving questions and parables to understand the kingdom of God. Biblical meditation means to think about what God has told us through Scriptures. Listen to what Paul says on Christian meditation:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phi 4:8)

And God also warns us not to keep our mind empty which would make us even more evil and destroy our soul (Luke 11:26)

4) Asanas or ‘postures’ give peace of mind:

Yoga asanas are done to unite the mind and soul with the Brahma, which would give peace to that person who is doing it. This ‘peace’ is different from the peace which Bible promises for a Christian. For us, peace means ‘salvation’. It means that once we were enemies of God and because of the reconciliation of Christ for our sins with the Father, we have peace with God and we are now treated as children of God.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1)

Since these principles of yoga are in inherent contradiction with what Scripture teaches, a Bible believing Christian should not practice yoga. If he does so, then it means he is disobeying Christ and he is worshipping another god.

Can a Christian then do only the physical exercise part of Yoga and not get involved in Spiritual aspect of it?

Many well-known yoga gurus have clearly said that the physical and the mental part of yoga cannot be separated. There are two reasons why a Christian should not do the ‘stretching’ and physical exercise part of yoga without the spiritual part:

1) Yogic asanas and postures are based on Hindu Philosophy. These postures are designed not based on scientific reasons but based on the forms of worship of Hindu deities. So even if there is health benefits in it, it can be mostly due to demonic influence.

2) Since the theory behind these physical exercises is based on a pagan worship, Scripture forbids such actions.

"When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. (Deu 18:9)

3) Doing physical yoga alone is logically not possible. If a scientist says that he believes in Creation but he would do his biological research based on evolution, then it means he is actually not believing in creation since his actions are not in accordance to what he believes in.  A Christian should love the Lord with the renewing of mind and his faith should be shown in actions.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jam 2:17)

Thus if a person claims to be a Christian, he should not practice yoga. Yoga cannot give the peace and satisfaction which God has promised us to give through the Scriptures. Let us not walk in darkness as the unbelievers do by doing yoga but rather walk in Christ.

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
(Eph 5:8)

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