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Why a Christian ALTERNATIVE to Yoga?

Laurette Willis, Founder of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry Published on 06 March, 2012
Why a Christian ALTERNATIVE to Yoga?
by Laurette Willis, Founder of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry

As a child growing up on Long Island, I was quick to entertain, singing “Hello Dolly!” I was also quick to follow my mother into the practice of yoga. We both thought it was “only exercise.”

http://praisemoves.com/

Yoga–and now there’s even so-called “Christian yoga.” It’s everywhere. In ads for everything from IT to ice cream, meditative supermodels sit cross-legged in the Hindu Lotus position, contemplating “nirvana.” There are yoga videos for pregnant mothers, senior citizens, toddlers and babies – even yoga for you and your dog! You can work out with yoga straps, blocks, bolsters and balls.

The well-dressed yoga practitioner can wear her loose-fitting yoga togs, carry her yoga mat in her matching yoga tote and dress her daughter in Sesame Street yoga pants (featuring Elmo!). Since yoga is everywhere, it must be okay. Or is it?

Those who think yoga is little more than a series of stress-relieving stretching exercises may be surprised to learn about true foundation of the multi-billion dollar yoga craze in North America.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, yoga (coming from an east Indian Sanskrit word which means “union with god” or “to yoke”) is “a mystic and ascetic Hindu discipline for achieving union with the supreme spirit through meditation, prescribed postures, controlled breathing, etc.

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines yoga this way: “Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation.

Yoga in the Mainstream

Over the last several decades yoga has been embraced by the mainstream of society – and even the church. We find yoga classes offered at YWCAs, church fellowship halls, and even elementary schools.

There are an estimated 15-20 million people practicing yoga in the U.S., and estimates of 50,000 to 100,000 yoga instructors offering classes at 20,000+ locations.

As a child growing up on Long Island, I became involved with yoga at the age of seven when my mother and I began watching a daily yoga exercise program on television. For the next 22 years I was heavily involved with yoga, metaphysics and the New Age movement until I came to the end of myself and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ in 1987.

I call yoga “the missionary arm of Hinduism and the New Age movement.” We don’t often think of other religions having missionaries, but the philosophy and practice of yoga have been primary tools of Hindu “missionaries” to America since “Indian priest and mystic” Swami Vivekananda introduced yoga to the West at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda “Indian priest and mystic” who first introduced yoga to the West at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Called “Hinduism’s greatest modern missionary” by Swami Palani in Hinduism Today.

Interestingly, Swami Vivekananda is attributed with the idea of combining the theory of “evolution of the soul” with his teachings of Hinduism. Instead of working out one’s “karma” by becoming a grasshopper, ant or human in progressive lives, he taught an “evolution of the soul” whereby the individual continues in an evolutionary process to “manifest the god within.”

Apparently he understood that Americans wouldn’t buy into the traditional Hindu belief in reincarnation. Not many westerners could imagine they would ever come back as a lower form of life. A higher form of life perhaps, but certainly not a lower one. Have you noticed how many people – even Christians – believe in reincarnation? One can just keep coming back until they get it right. Sadly, this false teaching leads people away from the necessity for a Savior. And if we progressively get better with each life, why aren’t we all living in Blissville now?

Some consider this Hindu belief a theory to be embraced. Interestingly, definitions of “theory” in Webster’s include, “a speculative plan, conjecture or guess.” Do you remember when evolution used to be called the “theory of evolution?” It’s seldom called a “theory” any longer outside of Christian circles. Promote a theory long enough and it becomes the truth? “Not hardly,” as my country cousins would say. But I digress…

Another Hindu missionary welcomed into elite circles was Paramhansa Yogananda who started the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles.

Yogananda cleverly chose to demonstrate that yoga was completely compatible with Christianity. Wearing a cross, he came to America in the 1920s with the Hindu religious text, the Bhagavad Gita, in one hand and the Bible in the other. He reasoned that yoga was the binding force that could connect all religions.

Personal Experience

From experience I can say that yoga is a dangerous practice for the Christian and leads seekers away from God rather than to Him. You may say, “Well, I’m not doing any of the meditation stuff. I’m just following the exercises.” It is impossible, however, to separate the subtleties of yoga the technique from yoga the religion. I know because I taught and practiced hatha yoga for years. Hatha yoga is the most popular yoga style available on store-bought videos and in most gyms. For an eye-opening account of the background and meaning of “hatha yoga,” please see my notes at the bottom of this page.

Perhaps you have sensed uneasiness while doing yoga (what some call a “check in your spirit”), but you ignored that quiet nudge. I urge you to pay attention to it. Jesus Himself said, “…the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice” (John 10:4).


The yoga mudra (hand gesture or “gateway”) for Namaste (“I bow to the divine in you”), is a Hindu gesture that pre-dates Christianity. The Bible speaks of praying with uplifted hands or “hands spread up toward heaven” (1 Kings 8: 22 and 54; 1 Chronicles 6:13)

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Psalm 145:1

Your yoga teacher may bow to her class saying, “Namaste” (“I bow to the divine in you.”). Poses have names such as Savasana (the Corpse Pose) and Bhujangasana (the Cobra or Snake Pose). References are made to chakras or “power centers” in the body, such as the “third eye.” The relaxation and visualization session at the end of yoga classes is skillfully designed to “empty the mind” and can open one up to harmful spiritual influences.

As Christians, you are instructed to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), not the emptying of your mind. Many believe that transformation process occurs as we meditate and feed on the Word of God – renewing our minds by filling them with God’s thoughts, not emptying them or filling them with the prideful thoughts of man.

For an enlightening article and brief video on what the Bible says meditation REALLY is — and the dangers inherent within “creative visualization,” “contemplative prayer” and even what some are calling “Christian meditation” — please see: http://praisemoves.com/2010/10/christian-meditation-what-is-it/

The Dangers of Yoga

(and what about Tai Chi?)

It seems the enemy has a counterfeit for almost everything the Lord offers. (NOTE: When I use the phrase “the enemy” I am not referring to a person or group of people. Rather, “the enemy” refers to satan, the devil, the enemy of your soul. We love people. We hate sin and the author of it; the one Jesus calls “the thief” in John 10:10 and “a murderer” and “the father of lies” in John 8:44.)

While mind-numbing tranquility may feel good for a time, it’s a poor substitute for the “peace which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and “the joy of the Lord (which) is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Yoga’s breathing techniques (pranayama) may seem stress-relieving, yet they can be an open door to the psychic realm – inhaling and exhaling certain “energies” for the purpose of relaxation and cleansing.

What is Pranayama?

According to one yoga website: “Pranayama forms a vital step in the path to ascendancy (i.e. liberation, freedom or salvation) through Yoga. Pranayama is derived from 2 Sanskrit words – Prana (life force) and Ayama (control). Therefore, in its broadest description, Pranayama would mean the control of the flow of life force.”

In other words, pranayama involves manipulation of so-called life-force energy, and is part of the twisted “plan of salvation” through yoga.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he refers to the enemy of our soul as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). “Air” in this instance does not mean the oxygen we breathe. Rather, Paul is referring to what some call the “second heaven” or “psychic arena.”

The first heaven is the atmosphere we can see (planets, sun, moon and stars). The third heaven is where God dwells (2 Cor. 12:2). Hence, the “second heaven” is that realm in-between, an atmosphere wherein angelic and demonic forces dwell (Daniel 10:10-13). Dabbling in this arena as if it were a playground is certainly not what we as believers are called to do.

It can be quite dangerous manipulating “life force energy.” Those who do so are moving into the realm of psychism, magic, and witchcraft—where the “god of this world” as Paul called him has “blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4).

[Be sure to read "The True Meaning of Yoga" at the end of this article by Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik, Vice Chancellor of Yoga at Vidya Gurukul (Yoga University). He outlines the true meaning and purpose of Hatha Yoga, the form of yoga taught in most gyms, fitness centers and even churches.]

What About Tai Chi?

Whenever you see the words prana (Hinduism), chi (Chinese, Tai Chi), ki (Japanese, martial arts), or mana (Hawaiian Huna religion), they are all referring to the same thing. Like yoga, Tai Chi and traditional martial arts involve similar manipulation of life force energy, thus opening the door to deceptive spiritual influences.

PraiseMoves Scripture Sequences, where we flow from one PraiseMoves posture to another as we recite verses of Scripture, may be considered “The Christian Alternative to Tai Chi!”

Chanting and Out-of-Body Travel

Both chanting and the customary relaxation period at the end of a yoga session also have an agenda that may surprise the weekend yogi. Before becoming a Christian, I remember numerous instances of “traveling outside my body” during yoga relaxation periods. I wonder who – or what – checked in when I checked out? Whether you believe such phenomena can happen or not, some medical professionals claim such experiences have led to psychosis.

(Note: While Christians cannot be “possessed” since the Holy Spirit resides in your re-created human spirit, one may be “oppressed” by demonic influences.)

Nine out of Ten Hindus agree: “Yoga is Hinduism”

Again and again we hear or read, “Yoga is just exercise,” or “Yoga is a science. It is not religion.” But what do Hindus and true yogis say?

TIME magazine featured a quote from Subhas Tiwari, a professor of yoga philosophy and meditation at the Hindu University of America in Orlando, Fla.:

Yoga is Hinduism,” said Professor Tiwari of the Hindu University of America. You may read the full article from the Sept. 5, 2005 issue at: “Stretching for Jesus” – TIME Magazine.

From the article in TIME:

“‘Christian yoga is an oxymoron,’ agrees Laurette Willis of Tahlequah, Okla. She says yoga led her to dabble in a rootless New Age lifestyle until she became a Christian in 1987. Willis now speaks to Christian groups against yoga, offering instead a series of poses called PraiseMoves.”

The same TIME magazine article describes the viewpoint of Pope Benedict XVI when he was Cardinal Ratzinger:

“Catholics face a more formidable skeptic. In 1989 the Vatican issued a document saying the practice of Eastern traditions like yoga ‘can degenerate into a cult of the body,’ warning Catholics against mistaking yoga’s ‘pleasing sensations’ for ‘spiritual well-being.’ It was signed by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger–now Pope Benedict XVI. In a 2003 document the Vatican further distances itself from New Age practices, including yoga.”

A staff member of an east coast Classical Yoga Academy wrote to me, “Yes, all of yoga is Hinduism. Everyone should be aware of this fact.” This staff member went on to say she didn’t appreciate my “running down of the great Hindu/Yogic religion.”

“Christian yoga” is an Oxymoron (no such thing)

People ask me, “Christian Yoga is okay, right?” Well, you tell me.

Listen to the description of this book about “Christian Yoga Metaphysics” and tell me if you can spot anything Christian about it:

The Life and the Way: The Christian Yoga Metaphysics – by A.K. Mozumdar

“A. K. Mozumdar was the founder of the Christian Yoga Society and this book outlines much of its spiritual philosophy. East and West and brought together to allow those from both spiritual backgrounds to enhance their growth and to possibly experience an all-pervading Oneness in the universe. This is an important spiritual work that is capable of transforming an individual. From reading it, one may discover a unique path to follow and achieve spiritual peace of mind.”

Uh-huh.

This “Father of Christian Yoga” lived from 1864-1953. Here’s an interesting quote from Mozumdar who obviously denies that Jesus came to earth in the flesh, as a man (a basic tenet of Christianity):

“If man thinks and acts, is not the thinker and actor God? If God is all life, then all lives are God. The creative power is the very nature of the being of the Creator; hence the creative power is God. Life is the Creator, and will never be reduced to the level of its own creation. This knowledge sets a man free.”

No, A.K., knowledge of the truth that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life sets one free. I for one am SO grateful that Jesus, the King of Glory, lowered Himself and came to earth as a man, His own creation, that He could be the perfect sacrifice for mankind.

So much for so-called “Christian Yoga.”

What did the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say about testing the spirits, whether they are of God or not?

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3).

Have you heard of “Chrislam”?

It’s supposedly Christianity mixed with the Moslem faith. Most Christians would agree that Christianity and Islam cannot be mixed. So, why are some so ready to believe one can mix Christianity with Hinduism?

ChrIslam = Islam, just as “Christian yoga” = yoga.

Christianity is a relationship, not a religion (although many have made a religion out of it). Relationship is God-made. Religion is man-made.

Note: I’ve been told the church sign photo at right is a fabrication. However, you can Google “Chrislam” and see where it is an emerging trend among those who seek to discredit the truth of God’s Word.

Read full article: “Meet the Founder of so-called ‘Christian Yoga’” HERE


Yoga postures are offerings to Hindu gods?

Did you know that yoga poses are offerings to the 330 million Hindu gods?

Can you see a twisting of Romans 12:1 here (“present your bodies a living sacrifice”)?

George P. Alexander, Ph.D., who taught World Religions at Biola University, is a friend of our family. Born in Sri Lanka, George grew up in India, the birthplace of Hinduism and yoga. He told us that yoga poses are actually offerings to the 330 million Hindu gods.

“Many Westerners who practice yoga today are unaware that the physical positions assumed in yoga symbolize a spiritual act: worshiping one of the many Hindu gods,” Dr. Alexander said. “To a Hindu, yoga is the outward physical expression of a deep spiritual belief. You cannot separate one from the other.”

Since yoga is tied so strongly to Hinduism, can there be such a thing as “Christian yoga,” or would that be an oxymoron (a contradiction in terms)? Many practicing Hindus as well as Christians agree that since yoga IS Hinduism, the two cannot be combined.

One of our PraiseMoves Instructors spent three months on a missionary trip to India several years ago. She said her group often saw people performing yoga poses in front of statues of the gods in the streets! Some brought offerings of flowers, some fruit, some themselves…

Acts 15:29 tells us to “abstain from things offered to idols.”

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