Shpout Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Hello! long time no post on here! I have a question/discussion.... A good friend of mine is a yoga instructor and she tells me that she feels closest to God while doing yoga. Now as a cradle Catholic I have heard all my life that yoga is bad. I personally would like to know a bit more... why is it bad? how is it bad? and how does it contradict our faith? It is so popular and rampant that I would like to hear what you guys think. I feel a bit torn, the exercises seem pretty 'cool' and like a good workout. Also breathing deeply has proven to be healthy and good for you... I did hear an argument that yoga become the "worship of one's self/energy", if so then I can see how that would be bad.... but isnt there also some truth about everyone having "energy"? also what's the deal with chakras? help me out please? I am confused! Thanks guys and God bless Pop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selah Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 You're gonna get a lot of different answers. Personally, I see no problem with any of it at all. It's exercise, and good healthy exercise at that. If you feel uncomfortable with "chakras" and what not, avoid that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shpout Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 [quote name='Selah' date='30 August 2009 - 03:00 PM' timestamp='1251662433' post='1958434'] You're gonna get a lot of different answers. Personally, I see no problem with any of it at all. It's exercise, and good healthy exercise at that. If you feel uncomfortable with "chakras" and what not, avoid that. [/quote] true... so what do Catholics think about chakras, do you know? is there some kind of truth to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selah Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 (edited) Chakras are mainly a Hindu concept, so a Catholic would not believe in them. Catholics believe that humans simply have a "soul". That is the energy. Now, I suppose one could say that the chakras are "pieces" of the soul, but that's syncrentic, and is usually frowned upon. Edited August 30, 2009 by Selah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 People that are against yoga will tell you that many yoga positions are actually positions of hindu prayer, which (even though the intent is not there) reflect a hindu spirituality. In addition a lot of people see yoga to be 'self focussed' instead of God focussed meditation, which is at best useless and at worst rather wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txdinghysailor Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 yoga is only good when you're doing it on a highline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossCuT Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Im taking a Yoga class this semester for school and yeah...Im not sure what the deal is too. I dont know alot about it, but I believe that if you get REALLY deep into yoga (and get serious with it too) you do alot of meditation that focuses on the self. You find your balance or center or something by drawing your focus centrally to yourself. But I am sure there are easy ways to avoid that if youre Catholic. Simply focus on God during the meditation I guess instead of on yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='CrossCuT' date='31 August 2009 - 06:48 PM' timestamp='1251740889' post='1958883'] Im taking a Yoga class this semester for school and yeah...Im not sure what the deal is too. I dont know alot about it, but I believe that if you get REALLY deep into yoga (and get serious with it too) you do alot of meditation that focuses on the self. You find your balance or center or something by drawing your focus centrally to yourself. But I am sure there are easy ways to avoid that if youre Catholic. Simply focus on God during the meditation I guess instead of on yourself. [/quote] The one and only yoga class I attended did focus some on the meditation and focusing on the self a lot, so that made me uncomfortable. The instructor was really New Age-y. I like doing Pilates, which I think has some similar positions (I could be wrong), but focuses on the exercise part of things. Edited August 31, 2009 by Archaeology cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightofChrist Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Yoga is Hindu/Buddhist [i]prayer[/i] to the self-god, and other idol gods. The dangers of yoga are many, but three important ones are the New Age Movement, Modernism and Relativism. Hopefully most Christians can see the New Age connections with yoga, but then again many do not, some by choice. But the problem with most Christians who practice Hinduism via the ritual of yoga is they employ the use of modernism and relativism. The thought that it's "no big deal" or "I'm not praying it's just exercise." Yoga is Hindu/Buddhist [i]prayer[/i] to the self-god, and other idol gods, because that is what it was crafted to be of many hundreds of years. It would be like going to Mass just for the experience, just to feel nice. Just because a person may believe those things about the Mass does not change the Mass. Believing the Mass is not a prayer does not make that true, the same is true for yoga, like it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 [quote name='KnightofChrist' date='31 August 2009 - 12:05 PM' timestamp='1251741919' post='1958892'] Yoga is Hindu/Buddhist [i]prayer[/i] to the self-god, and other idol gods. The dangers of yoga are many, but three important ones are the New Age Movement, Modernism and Relativism. Hopefully most Christians can see the New Age connections with yoga, but then again many do not, some by choice. But the problem with most Christians who practice Hinduism via the ritual of yoga is they employ the use of modernism and relativism. The thought that it's "no big deal" or "I'm not praying it's just exercise." Yoga is Hindu/Buddhist [i]prayer[/i] to the self-god, and other idol gods, because that is what it was crafted to be of many hundreds of years. It would be like going to Mass just for the experience, just to feel nice. Just because a person may believe those things about the Mass does not change the Mass. Believing the Mass is not a prayer does not make that true, the same is true for yoga, like it or not. [/quote] The problem with that argument is that so many things, both secular and now Christian rituals, were originally pagan in nature. If you are going to insist that the action itself is harmful due to its pagan nature, then you better be willing to reject all the formally pagan things you do on a daily basis, from shaking hands to decorating a Christmas tree at Christmas. It's the intent that counts, not the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 The Godless heathen is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 [quote name='fidei defensor' date='31 August 2009 - 12:36 PM' timestamp='1251743781' post='1958911'] It's the intent that counts, not the action. [/quote] Both count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 In this case, we're discussing the stretches and whatnot--normal human actions which do not have theological meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 [quote name='Apotheoun' date='31 August 2009 - 12:46 PM' timestamp='1251744384' post='1958918'] Both count. [/quote] In general, I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightofChrist Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 [quote name='fidei defensor' date='31 August 2009 - 02:36 PM' timestamp='1251743781' post='1958911'] The problem with that argument is that so many things, both secular and now Christian rituals, were originally pagan in nature. If you are going to insist that the action itself is harmful due to its pagan nature, then you better be willing to reject all the formally pagan things you do on a daily basis, from shaking hands to decorating a Christmas tree at Christmas. It's the intent that counts, not the action. [/quote] [quote] Aloysius Posted 04 May 2008 - 11:49 PM the problem is the Cult of the Body and the self-centeredness of the Yoga philosophy's attempt to better oneself... meditative physical postures which are focused within oneself can be damaging to your mindset and ought to be treated with due caution if nothing else; the ridiculing of a skeptical approach to Yoga is not appropriate here IMHO the way the ridiculing of an opposition to Christmas Trees might be... it's a ritualistic succession of physical postures which focus within to the self. if one is not careful, it can affect one's cultural outlook in a way that self-centers you. [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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