International Yoga Day looks VERY different for me this year than it has in previous years.
On November 20th, 2022 I taught my last yoga class and shed a piece of what I had considered to be my identity as I rolled up my yoga mat for the last time.
Earlier in 2022 I began crying out to God, while deep in various new age practices, attempting to heal from illnesses that I had acquired only during the years that I had entered into all these practices. Unbeknownst to me, the deeper I got into these practices, the deeper the hold these attacks/illnesses had on my life and the more I felt I needed to turn to these practices for further “healing”.
In what seemed to be some of my darker days I had a radical encounter with Jesus (more to come on this) and received the profound healing that I sought for years in fruitless new age practices. In Jesus’ name, I was completely healed of food allergies, seasonal allergies, unexplainable body aches, a thyroid condition, skin issues, and immense healing of my heart that no doctor, new age practitioner, nor therapist could ever touch.
During this time, I realized that I no longer felt peace surrounding the practice of yoga– even though, up to that point, yoga was a major source of “peace” in my life.
So I sought the Lord for answers and was given the following revelations:
- Yoga was never intended to be a trendy exercise class, but rather a spiritual expression of the Hindu faith. The physical exercise that we refer to as yoga comprises just one “limb”, asana, of a total of 8 overarching limbs of yoga which are instrumental to the Hindu faith. The 8 limbs are a progression of “enlightenment” with the final limb being “Samadhi” meaning “a state of intense concentration – at which union with the divine (Hindu god, Brahman) is achieved”.
The word Yoga, means Union or “to yoke”.
In the Bible to be “yoked” means to be united, walking side by side. This is based upon a device, called a yoke, placed over the necks of two oxen to unite them together as they carried a heavy load.
In yoga to what, or rather to whom, are you yoking? Some sources say the ultimate source of divinity, which in Hindu is referred to as the god, Brahman (the god they believe to be their creator). Other sources indicate this union is to the universe, or to the balance of the three Hindu gods Brahma (creation), Vishnu (preservation) and Shiva (destruction). In all cases, through this physical and spiritual practice of yoga you are joining yourself to other gods.
In the Bible Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus calls us to yoke, unite, with Him alone and He will help us to carry all that is weighing us down and give us rest for our souls.
- Traditional yoga poses pay homage to Hindu gods and are used to recreate myths of their gods/goddesses
For instance, the Warrior poses recreate tales of war honoring the Hindu deity Virabhadra and correspondingly each traditional yoga pose depicts a deity worshiped in the faith. See the articles listed below for more examples.
Which left me with the following questions:
But if my faith is in God, why does it matter what I do with my body?
After discovering this all, I brought this question to the Lord:
If in my heart and mind I am not worshiping other gods, then why does it matter what I do with my body?
The answer I was given was this; if you bow down to an idol with your body but in your mind think about how much you love God- which do you think is more meaningful? Your thoughts or your deeds?
“You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” James 2:24
“You will know them by their fruits” Matthew 7:20
Faith can move mountains, it is the backbone of Christianity, and through faith nothing is impossible but faith is more than just what is in your heart and your mind – it has to overflow into your life and what you do in this world.
Further, if you are married and kissed somebody other than your spouse but were thinking about your spouse at the time- which do you think is more meaningful? Your thoughts or your deeds?
John 4:23-24 shows us that God is seeking those who worship Him in spirit and truth. The word “worship” in Greek means “to come forward to kiss”. It’s a physical and spiritual devotion that engages more of you than just a state of mind. Idolatry is spiritual adultery and Jesus desires the fullness of all we say, do, think and believe (Exo 34:14, Deut 4:24).
Which left me with the following conclusion:
You cannot worship Hindu gods with an outward expression of your body and claim to worship the Lord Almighty only in the silence of your heart.
But yoga gives me peace?
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14.27
There are two types of peace: the type the world gives, and the kind that is given by Jesus alone.
The kind of peace the world gives is temporary and fleeting. It requires you to continually partake the practice that brought you this “peace” to attain it once again once it has passed.
That kind of “peace” left me in what I now refer to as a “spiritual stupor”. Leaving yoga studios I would forget journals, water bottles, keys, wallets, etc. I affectionately called it “yoga brain” and even though I thought it was peace, it was actually spiritual sedation. I was useless in the world and to others, entranced by spirits other than the Holy Spirit.
The kind of peace given by Jesus is deep and lasting. It allows my impact in the lives of others to be greater, not less. This same peace gave Jesus the ability to rest in the midst of a raging storm, and in Philippians is referred to as “ the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” that “will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
But yoga makes my body feel good?
As a physical therapist, I feel that I’m well qualified to share with you that you can stretch, move, and bend your bodies in ways that will make you feel AMAZING that simultaneously have no ties to idol worship or other faiths/religions.
You can, in fact, strengthen AND stretch your body without yoga- and that’s great news!
So now I challenge you…
If you’re reading this, and a Christian still practicing yoga but feel unwilling to give up the practice, I challenge you to examine your own heart in this matter, and ask yourself the question- if the Lord asked you to give this up, would you?
If the answer is no, I suggest you consult Exodus 20:3-6
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020%3A2-17&version=NKJV
Reflecting back to “International Yoga Day” last year– I was broken, anxious, and creating an identity based upon fleeting external practices. This year, I am healed, made whole, filled with the peace that surpasses all understanding and deeply rooted in my true identity in Christ & I cannot imagine a better place to be.
So today…
I pray the Lord stretches you and your faith deeply,
& stirs something within you.
If you find yourself seeking for more, like I was, please reach out.
I’d love to connect <3
Additional Links:
Warrior Poses
6 sacred yoga poses
10 yoga poses that offer worship to Hindu deities