God Loves Yoga

I have been asked so many times.. In so many different ways.. How does God feel about yoga? Should Christians be doing yoga?? This is a heavy question for a number of reasons. One because I can’t possible ever assume to say how God feels about yoga and two because I still feel a little ignorant about the whole Christianity/Yoga/Spirituality mishmash.. Soo… I typically say something along these lines.. The God that I know probably doesn’t mind the kind of yoga that I do. I think most of the things we do in life are driven by two things, intention and passion. If your intentions are in the right place, and your passions aligned with your own moral code, I think you are on the right path.. Yoga is a tradition that is older than anyone on the earth.. I dunno “how old” it is.. But it’s old.. The traditions of Yoga are steeped in many different Spiritual paths that tend to veer far from Christianity. I’ll say here that I can’t even begin to understand them or grasp the depths of all of the Yogic philosophies or practices, but I DO respect them. In the same way that I respect how devout a Buddhist or Hindu might practice their faith. I believe it’s possible to respect something without absorbing into your own life. I also believe that there are good things to be found in all Faiths, and there’s nothing wrong with learning from other religions.

So, that takes me back to the question.. Would Jesus approve of my yoga practice? Simply, yes, I do think he would. I am not particularly fond of the assumption that because it is yoga that it is also “wacky” or “Hindu” or “New Age.” In particular, the type of yoga that I practice, Bikram yoga, while certainly rooted in traditional Hatha Yoga philosophies is not overtly “Spiritual” in practice.. MY take on Bikram is that it’s a hot sweaty yoga class and that’s about it. We do not chant or pray.. We do not say “om” or quote anything from the Baghvad Gita.. We just work, and sweat, and work some more..

People say “Yoga belongs to the Earth..” It has also been said that Yoga is everywhere and in everyone. My personal yoga practice has taken me to some interesting places Spiritually and emotionally.. But all of them have been through the filter of my faith in Christ.. I think there’s a lot to be learned on the mat. I think there’s a lot to be learned from working hard, and doing things that scare you. I think you can achieve these results in many different ways. Athletes describe the same feeling all the time. Singers, musicians, performers, dancers, many find their “Holy Experiences” in what they do.. For me, I often find it on my mat..

It has been said that it takes 30 days to form a new habit. Well, I’ve been at this Bikram Challenge thing for 46 days.. I have done 55 classes. I have spent over 80 hours in the little hot orange room.. For many, that could be seen as a practice of devotion.. Spending so much of my time on the yoga, almost like a Spiritual experience. Well, it is.. The difference for me, is that my focus is on God.

A friend asked me recently “Do you feel like you are replacing God with Yoga?” I do not, for several reasons.. And while I am sure most of them do not make sense to others, the answer is still no.. My response was that I feel closer to God than I have in a very long time. Spending an hour and a half on a little foam mat every day – working through your fears, weaknesses, and imbalances can draw you nearer to any higher power you may call upon.. Especially when it’s 105 degrees in the room. I don’t have a good answer for HOW this works, I only know that it does. The past seven weeks have shown me more of myself that I have ever seen. More of my soul. When I go into that room, I manifest gratitude. It is after all God, who has provided the way for me to do this. It is God who created my body, and God who gives me the will and determination to go on. It is God who reminds me of His infinite love. And it is ultimately God that I thank for the positive results that I receive from my practice.

So, as I keep on this road, near the end of my challenge.. I don’t thank Shiva or anyone else. I thank God. I think he’d like that hot little room where I am often driven to tears of gratitude.. I think he’d like that I find so much peace in the heat, so much solace in the sweat. I think he would not be one bit worried about me.. In fact, I think he’d like it.. And he’d probably be pretty good at it besides.. Because God is not threatened by our journeys. I don’t think God is sitting around with a marker, X’ing off the “do’s and don’ts” of Christianity. I don’t think he hates Yoga. I believe that the pure in Heart see God. And I think there’s nothing wrong with a little hard work.

Namaste.