Before I get to the question of Yoga, I must share some personal explanation as to why I even wanted to try Yoga. This desire led to my quest on whether or not it's really okay for a Christian to participate, even though I know it's beneficial health wise.
I suffer from a number of ailments, but lately my health has spiraled downward with great velocity. I'm a nurse but unable to work due to back issues that my 23 years of nursing caused. I'm not sure why my back is so bad, since I followed strict body mechanics, but I have come to believe it's genetic.
I also have an apparent genetic heart problem. I have PVC's and some are so bad, that it nearly killed me. Now that means that I am very limited on pain medications I can take. This is not to say that I don't take many medications. I do. I take far many than I would wish, but they are designed for 3 of my ailments and my heart, one of them, requires five different medications alone.
All that said, exercise is always a problem. I am either in severe pain, because I am restricted on pain medications or my heart begins to race.
For this reason, finding the right exercise has been difficult. I'm now 50 and if I want to live to see 60, something simply has to give. Diet isn't enough!
To listen to the mainstream media (MSM), Yoga is a perfect solution. Naturally, the MSM is the last person to trust when they say anything. Raise your hand if you ever even believe them? You won't see my hand! That's for certain.
As with anything I decide to do, I research it myself. I'm not talking about reading some blog of a person who claims to be an expert. "I've done (insert whatever it is your researching) for X number of years and so I know what I'm talking about." Really? How exactly do we know? I've read tons of blogs, for example, speaking triumphantly about how good a raw diet is for dogs. Well, my daughter works for a veterinarian and being the nurse that I am, I read actual studies done. A lot of those dogs, despite looking healthy, aren't. They have shorter lives and often suffer from organ failure in mid-life. Not towards the end as one would expect.
I do not take what anyone says as the final word, unless I have opposing opinions and facts to back them up. I am intelligent enough to decide for myself, after that. I would say, sadly, that a large number of Americans are more weak minded than that. I do not mean that as an insult. It is just that they do tend to believe what they read. I mean, listen to liberals. They sound totally insane when they speak. They preach religious tolerance but then insult Christians in a very hostile tone. I can't tell you how many times I've made a comment about that then I'm told how I should be more tolerant with liberals because Jesus demands it. I turn around and remind them that they know nothing of Christianity. I tell them to Google "the fall of man". Just because I'm Christian, doesn't make me perfect. No one can be as good as Jesus.
The point is that I am a steadfast Christian. My faith is like platinum and cannot be destroyed. I am a sinner and always will be, but I recognize that and His forgiveness rescues me. I am not even a blip in the grand scheme of things, but He loves me and that's what matters. I do not have to be great.
Now, I told you all of that to tell you this.
After hearing all this praise, and I don't mean Chrisitan praise, I did some research on Yoga studies and health. There is evidence that health improves by its use. Still, despite the Yogaites claims that there is really no Eastern influence, I have read about its mind, body and spirit and in fact, there is. However, I had to remember for myself, that there are other anti-Christian influences that I experience every day. Has that even swayed me? No.
I then decided it was time, after having read the basics of Yoga and its oneness stance, to read Christian views. Truly the experts from reputable sources. The first of which I read an article from Today's Christian Woman titled, "The Truth About Yoga" by Holly Vincente Robaina. It's not so much an article about the truth, as it is one woman's experience about Yoga. That's a big difference, to me anyway. The woman it's about is the founder of PraiseMoves, a Christian alternative to Yoga, which sounded interesting. However, reading the article made it much less interesting for me.
In a short overview, the founder, Laurette Willis was raise by a Yoga instructor who called herself a Christian who eventually began a New Age lifestyle that Willis says destroyed her life. She broke away, became a born-again Christian and an aerobics instructor. She eventually designed PraiseMoves so that Christians could enjoy a more Christian like atmosphere with Yoga benefits.
It sounds great, but then it went on about her story. I began to hear something that made me question her account. I'm sure it's true for her, but I have a psych nurse background. What I was hearing was a mother who was not a Christian at all. Her faith seemed to be thin from the beginning. Those types are very easily influenced by other experiences, trying to search for something themselves. For this reason, she did not raise Willis with the love that Willis needed, since she was too busy searching for meaning in her life.
I think, and I'm not expert (remember my warning on experts, this here is simply an opinion and not fact, by any means), Willis is projecting her mother's failure onto Yoga. For this reason, her motives are called into question. I fully understand that she truly feels this way, but her hate for Yoga is unsubstantiated, in my personal opinion.
I then moved on to another article which comes from Christianity Today titled "Yes to Yoga" by Agnieszka Tennant. Here she writes of her own personal experience. In a nutshell, she expresses that when the subject of Eastern belief was used, she used God instead. At least, that is the impression I got from reading her article and that made a lot of sense to me. God is an all powerful being and the oneness that Hindus practice is equal to that of Christian's oneness with God and instead of using their example, use a Christian example.
It was an interesting point, for sure.
However, I saw that Robaina wrote a response to Tennant's article and curious, I read it. It is posted at PraiseMoves.com. She points out almost exactly my belief in the seduction of Yoga for weak minded people. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that Willis' mother suffered from that very fate.
Oh and there's one more thing. Remember that MSM trust thing I mentioned above. It may interest you to know that Tennant no longer works for Christianity Today. I'm not sure what she is presently doing in her life, but she wrote an article for Huffington Post. It looks to be only one and is not related to faith nor politics at all. Still, I see HP as an enemy and would never want to get paid but such a thing.
To me, this is in line with what Robaina asks in the article, "How can I support a practice that is targeting the young and the weak?" Huffington Post is doing the exact same. It appears that Tennant is not worried about that kind of thing.
Many Christians will likely be swayed by that and then may call Tennant's view into question. I feel she shouldn't have written for HP but she did and that's that. At least her article there was neutral, not that I agree with her acceptance of a paycheck from them, but we must live after all.
Flipping the coin however, Robaina mentions her past experience with New Age, which also tilts the scale on why she wants to avoid Yoga. She was a weak minded person and that's the answer to her question.
In the end, I am seeing arguments between Christians about this whole practice. That makes Yoga look evil since it appears to be dividing Christians, at least, it's understandable if one sees it that way.
In the end, the decision to follow one, over the other, is a personal one. The problem here is that in the end, Yoga can be looked upon as a test of true faith. Even Jesus went through such a thing and we all know His result. We all are tested daily on our faith. Do we resist temptation? Often, we do not.
For those of us who know very well, our faith is solid, I see no reason to avoid Yoga. For those who doubt Yoga or won't feel comfortable, then PraiseMoves is an excellent alternative. The end decision is something you must feel comfortable with. I suggest reading the articles yourself and making your own opinion.
For me, I will read about it and then move on from there. I will come back and share my experience but only when I am able to do that. As you have learned, I have medical issues and though I've not posted here in sometime, I am ready now to begin posting again, so long as I don't have any medical setbacks again.
Please share your feelings in the comments but please do so respectfully as always. I will not tolerate non-Christians coming to insult us. Freedom of speech is a right I staunchly support, but this is my journal and I won't have someone writing in it to insult others. Go write in your own.
I pray the way King Solomon prayed. Only for wisdom and the right direction. I do not ask God for selfish grants. Before Yoga, pray for wisdom and strength against outside influences.
My prayers for you, dear reader, are the same.
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