Christian Yoga??!!

[Shanti]

Why can't they just leave us be?


http://yahwehyoga.com/about/christian-yoga/
http://praisemoves.com/
http://holyyoga.net/
http://www.christianyoga.com/index.htm


You know not too long ago I had an online "discussion" with a group of christians who were opposed to practicing yoga because they felt it to be part of the Hindu religion (rightly so). I liked them better, at least they were being honest to themselves.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


IMHO if Christians practiced the yoga we find in patañjali’s yogadarśana (the yoga sutras of patañjali) the world would be a better place and we would see a difference in society, perhaps within a year or two.
The 'yoga' they are thinking is haṭha yoga and more about āsana-s then samādhi. Perhaps it is a start?

What yoga comes to mind for me ( and others here on HDF ) is:
yoga योग rooted in yuj the act of yoking , joining , attaching, harnessing. But to what? To the Supreme, to bind one back to the source, to yoke one back to anuttara ( the Supreme). Yoga is also defined as a means , expedient , device , way , manner , a method.

Hence with 'method' we get various yoga-s; here are some of the names of the major approaches:

• rāja ( some write rāj ) राज- king , sovereign , chief or best of its kind
• karma (some write karman) कर्मन्- action consisting in motion ; act, special duty, skill in action
• jñāna ज्ञान - knowing , becoming acquainted with , knowledge , (esp.) the higher knowledge of SELF, Supreme.
• bhākti or bhākta भाक्त - ' the faithful ones'
• haṭha yoga हठ - 'by force' ; ' necessarily , inevitably , by all means
• kriyā क्रिया - action; doing , performing , performance , occupation. For me this looks much like a definition for karma yoga

Vaśiṣṭa speaking to king Karaka ( of Janaka's race) - mahābhārata , śānti parva ( or parvan division or section)

When men of knowledge, conversant with the rules of yoga, become as fixed (steady) as a stake of wood, and as immovable as a mountain then they are said to be in yoga. When one does not hear , and smell, and taste, and see ; when one is not conscious of any touch; when one's mind becomes perfectly free from every purpose; when one's mind becomes perfectly free from every thought, then is one called the wise to be in perfect yoga.

praṇām

words
āsana is defined as 'sitting down' yet we know this name too as poses of the body i.e. padmāsana , bhadrāsana , vajrāsana , vīrāsana , svastikāsana, etc.

[Sahasranama]

केवलं राज-योगाय हठ-विद्योपदिश्यते || २ ||
Yogin Swâtmârâma, after saluting first his Gurû Srinâtha explains Haṭha Yoga for the attainment of Raja Yoga alone.
(hatha yoga pradipika)

It's funny, there is no such thing as Christian Yoga. It's an oxymoron. There used to be a time when orthodox Christians performed "Christian fitness" and avoided any influence from eastern spirituality like yoga and martial arts at all cost. It's the progressive Christians who practice "Christian Yoga." Yoga should be open to everyone, but there's no need to distort yoga and call it Christian. That makes as much sense as celebrating Hindu Christmas or Hindu Eastern. Christians want to use the popularity of yoga to promote their own religious beliefs, prevent Christians from "falling into" eastern spirituality by sanctifying the practice of yoga and make money out of Christian people who want to do yoga.

Many Indian gurus are to blame for this development. Yogananda Paramahansa was basically a spreading Christianity with his teachings. Swamis like Shivananda and Vivekananda promoted the worship Jesus Christ. The popular Indian yoga guru, Swami Ramadev prays not only to Ishvara when he is on television, but also to Allah and Isai. Many modern Indian gurus, in their political correctness, have done nothing to make clear that yoga is part of Hinduism, in contrast they have stimulated Christians to practice yoga in a Christian manner. Many western yoga teachers, who do practice Hinduism, have removed any spiritual or religious element from their teachings, in order not to offend the large variety of students.

Hatha yoga is not very popular amongst Hindus. Most hatha yogis are westerners. I have visited several yoga classes and I have never seen an Indian in the class. If we want to reclaim yoga, we have to practice it. We can't outsource everything to the westerners. Hindus need to get excited about hatha yoga and look for the roots of yoga in hinduism. Both westerners and Indians are to blame for the degradation of yoga. If we leave everything in the hands of non Hindus, there's no one to stop them from defiling Hinduism by teaching classes like Christian Yoga, Tantric Sex or some new age voodoo. More hindus need to teach authentic Hindu yoga.

One thing I like about Ashtanga Yoga of Sri Pattabhi Jois, is that every class starts with some sanskrit shlokas for the guru and for patanjali. http://www.ashtangayoga.info/philoso...a-yoga-mantra/

ॐ
auṁ
OM


vande gurunam charanaravinde
sandarshita svatma sukhava bodhe |

वन्दे गुरुणां चरणारविन्दे
सन्दर्शित स्वात्म सुखाव बोधे ।
vande guruṇāṁ caraṇāravinde
sandarśita svātma sukhāva bodhe |
We meditate to the lotusfeet of our great teacher,
who uncovers our true self and awakens happiness

vande (वन्दे, vande) = (1. pers. pl of vad (वद्, vad)) praise
gurunam (गुरुणां, guruṇāṁ) = great teacher, master, guru
charana (चरणा, caraṇā) = (pl.) feet
ravinde (रविन्दे, ravinde) = Lotus
sandarshita (सन्दर्शित, sandarśita) = uncover
sv atma (स्वात्म, sv-ātma) = the own Self
sukhava (सुखाव, sukhāva) = happiness, bliss
bodhe (बोधे, bodhe) = awaken


nih shreyase jangali kayamane
sansara halahala mohashantyai ||

निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने
संसार हालाहल मोहशान्त्यै ॥
niḥ-śreyase jāṅgali-kāyamāne
saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai ||
Like a Shaman in the Jungle he brings total complete well-beeing.
He can even heal the most awful poision of conditioning and illusion.

nih (निः, niḥ) = (part.) reinforcing Partikel, very, thorough
shreyase (श्रेयसे, śreyase) = well-beeing, happiness, joy
jangali (जाङ्गलि, jāṅgali) = jungle
kayamane (कायमाने, kāyamāne) = Ojne who has knowledge about healing, who heales, a healer, shaman
jangali kayamane (जाङ्गलिकायमाने, jāṅgali-kāyamāne) = jungle shamans. In the 9. century when those verses were created the jungle shamans were the best doctors.They had huge knowledge about medicinal plants and leaves and they could heal a variety of illnesses. In India their fame exists until today.
sansara (संसार, saṁsāra) = Conditioning, wheel of cause and result
halahala (हालाहल, hālāhala) = most awful conceivable poison
moha (मोह, moha) = deceit, deception, illusion
shantyai (शान्त्यै, śāntyai) = (imperativ pass. sg. From shant (शान्त्, śānt)) ease, calm down


abahu purushakaran
shankhachakrasi dharinam |

आबाहु पुरुषाकारं
शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणम् ।
ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ
śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam |
The upper body of human shape, carrying
a mussel horn (original tone), a discus (infinity) and a sword (power of differentiation)

abahu (आबाहु, ābāhu) = upper body
purusha (पुरुष, puruṣa) = (m.) human being, man, soul
akaram (आकारम्, ākāram) = (acc. of akara (आकर, ākara)) shape, appearance, form
shhankha (श्हङ्ख, śhaṅkha) = (acc.) mussel horn. The horn symbolises the tone
ँौं that is considered to be the original tone and the basis of all that is.
chakra (चक्र, cakra) = (acc.) Wheel, Discus. The Chakra represents infinity
asi (असि, asi) = (acc.) Sword, because sword represents the power of differentiation. Not applicable here: you are (2. pers. sg.), because of the word order
dharinam (धारिणम्, dhāriṇam) = holding, carrying


sahasra shirasam shvetan
pranamami patanjalim ||

सहस्र शिरसं श्वेतं
प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥
sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ
praṇamāmi patañjalim ||
having 1000 bright heads,
I bow to Patanjali.

sahasra (सहस्र, sahasra) = 1000
shirasam (शिरसं, śirasaṁ) = (akk. sg.) Head
shvetam (श्वेतं, śvetaṁ) = (akk. sg.) white, bright
pranamami (प्रणमामि, praṇamāmi) = (1. pers. sg.) I bow
patanjalim (पतञ्जलिम्, patañjalim) = (akk. sg.) to Patanjali, the Author of the Yoga-Sutra. This work is considered to be one of the most important philosophical basis’ of Ashtanga-Vinyasa-Yoga


aum

ॐ
auṁ
om

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam:

It is ironic that the mind flow of the east is creeping into the west just as we complain that Christianity is a cancer in the East.

Christian yoga is an oxymoron indeed. I believe the teachers are doing a great disservice to the students by not teaching it from a Hindu perspective. What happens when the external mind is quieted? A natural outcome is the inner mind becoming more available. The person may indeed experience insights, or temporary blissful moments. Over a longer period of time, the quieting of the mind may lead to truth, such as seeing God in all things, or insights into karma, or reincarnation.

Then what happens is that the person becomes confused. The Christian teachings don`t back these things up. Creating confusion is adharmic.

Aum Namasivaya

[sm78]

Creating confusion is adharmic.

Indeed...besides its just a retention strategy of the church machinery. Yoga (even if its only understood as physical gymnastics) is too powerful in west to ignore. Even secular yoga may ultimately lead a curious student to its spiritual source - a christian yoga minimizes such a possibility.

[Shanti]

If we want to reclaim yoga, we have to practice it. We can't outsource everything to the westerners.

Agreed. I quit teaching yoga after my first child and quit practicing all together after my second. This may be just the kick in the rear I need to get me going again.

[Shanti]

Then what happens is that the person becomes confused. The Christian teachings don`t back these things up. Creating confusion is adharmic.

Aum Namasivaya

Good point. I think when I briefly scanned through those websites I read something about meditating on jesus, or chanting the bible or something. This makes me wonder if there mind would even become quiet enough though.

[Shanti]

Yoga (even if its only understood as physical gymnastics) is too powerful in west to ignore. Even secular yoga may ultimately lead a curious student to its spiritual source - a christian yoga minimizes such a possibility.

Yes this, even when practicing purely physical yoga, the awareness of the breath is a powerful component. Taking the focus to something external (jesus/bible) negates the beauty of yoga.

[Alise]

Namaste,

I wrote to everyone of them. I must say, they won't reply, but maybe will read. I believe that since there are enough Christians who openly says that Hinduism is sooo bad & so evil & so made by devil, that they should not take something from Sanathana Dharma and not even give credit OR say that yoga predates Hinduism OR that it's secular without any religion!
What next - Christian ayurveda?

Have a nice day,
~Alice

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste,

I wrote to everyone of them. I must say, they won't reply, but maybe will read. I believe that since there are enough Christians who openly says that Hinduism is sooo bad & so evil & so made by devil, that they should not take something from Sanathana Dharma and not even give credit OR say that yoga predates Hinduism OR that it's secular without any religion!
What next - Christian ayurveda?

Have a nice day,
~Alice

Vannakkam: It is truly appreciated from here when you walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I'm really glad you put words into action. I shall follow your lead. if either of us gets a response let's share it. This is the message I sent them.

"My prayer is that you stop using a Hindu theological system and calling it your own. Yoga is Hindu. Not only that, but when someone dives deep into yoga, they will surely encounter truths that will confuse them, being contradictory to Christianity. Are you in the business of confusing people? "

Aum Namasivaya

Aum Namasivaya