Can Christians Practice Yoga?

Did you even know the question – can Christians practice yoga? – was such a controversial topic? When our first FINS group was planning a trip to a yoga class, I was surprised when one mom refused to let her daughter participate because it was against their beliefs.

[Before we go any farther, let me state here, right from the beginning, very clearly, that I absolutely respect everyone’s right to act according to their own beliefs. (Well, assuming no one is harmed, of course). I hope that you take this information, wrestle with it for yourself and make your own decisions.]

Since then, I’ve always been very intrigued by discussions regarding yoga and religion.

To start, yoga itself is not a religion. There is not one particular creed or ritual profession of faith to define yoga. One can practice yoga without adhering to any required set of religious obligations or sacraments. While there are guiding principles that typically define yoga in general, they are not meant to take the place of your personal religious beliefs.

Yoga is most often associated with Hinduism. However, archaeological stone carvings showing yoga poses date back to over 5,000 years ago (even before Hinduism had fully evolved). Clearly, with a history of that many years, yoga has changed significantly over time.

Plus, there are over 100 different types of yoga today, which easily adds to the confusion… or the surprise!

Like when my husband and I decided to take a yoga class at a resort while on vacation several years ago. Needless to say, it was not your typical American hatha yoga class that focused on postures and poses. There was definitely chanting and lots of huffing-and-puffing-like breathing exercises involved. We couldn’t make eye contact with each other because we knew we would bust up laughing if we did. Can you even imagine!? Fortunately, we made it through the class without offending anyone, I think.

But, in all seriousness, the practice of yoga is a very personal experience. You can make it exactly what you want it to be – which is why I feel Christians can indeed practice yoga.

The word yoga itself means, “to yoke.” There is a discrepancy among definitions whether that means to connect oneself to a god, or whether it means to bring the body and mind harmoniously together. Obviously, as a Christian I would not be “yoking” myself to any god other than Jesus. And he clearly says, in Matthew 11:29,

“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.”

If you step onto your mat solely with the intention of connecting your body and mind, or even connecting with Jesus, no yoga teacher can force you anywhere else. God knows your heart. If you are genuinely focused on the health benefits of the exercise, you will not be condemned simply because the title on the schedule uses those four little letters. y.o.g.a.

Some critics say that the poses are all acts of worship to the some 330 million Hindu gods. Yet others argue that Sun Salutations are pagan rituals worshipping the sun. I have to wonder if these critics decorate Christmas trees or celebrate Easter with bunnies and eggs – both of which are rooted deeply in pagan traditions.

Romans celebrated “Saturnalius,” a festival honoring the god of agriculture by decorating trees with trinkets and candles. Sound familiar? And pagan celebrations of the spring equinox often involved Eostre, the goddess of fertility, which for obvious reasons reflected the ideas of eggs – well, and rabbits too!

[Side note: I try to be a responsible writer and fully research the topics about which I write. Interestingly enough, some of the clearest explanations of these misconceptions come from the children’s video series, “What’s In the Bible?” by Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales). We love this quirky video series, full of unique puppets, catchy songs, and yet solid Bible teaching. It’s entertaining for kids (and adults alike) as well as so informative! I always learn something new! If you’re interested in checking it out, I’d love it if you use my affiliate link. 

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There’s still more regarding criticisms of yoga and Christianity, but we’re already approaching a full length post for me. (I try to keep them short and sweet, knowing in real life, I don’t have time to just sit and leisurely read lengthy blog posts myself.) So – you’ll have to check back next time for the conclusion of my thoughts on Christians and yoga. Namaste 😉