Coming from a very Christian background, I have been brought up to be wary of yoga, meditation, and all things similar. I was warned that adopting these practices would land me in hell, but even more so, open me up for spiritual warfare and possession, effectively ruining my life.
Confusingly enough, everyone who had tried these things themselves said nothing of these struggles, even if they no longer participated in these activities, so what gives?
Looking at yoga, mindfulness and meditation, the purported benefits are abounding! People accredit them with better mental health, increased self esteem, self-discipline, balance and flexibility. You hear people talking about better sleep and even just simply feeling better living in their skin while they’re awake.
This post will not tell you to start a yoga practice, or to avoid yoga either. The point of this is to tell you if you’re struggling with your thoughts on the subject, you’re not alone. And also, there’s no need to be afraid.
Religious hesitation
The basic religious stance I hear most about yoga is as follows, “I am Christian (or insert whatever other religion here), and yoga comes from an ancient Indian religion. It isn’t right for me to practice another religion that conflicts with my beliefs.”
If this sounds like your concern, I have a few thoughts for you. Firstly, yoga is not a belief system. There is no prerequisite for having or wanting to develop any specific spiritual views, or even having a spiritual life at all.
Yoga is not a religion
There are many different kinds of yoga, and while some do focus on more spiritual concepts, many do not. In fact, in the western world, practitioners of the truly spiritual based yoga practices are hard to come by. What I mean to say is that if you’re thinking about taking a yoga class at the YMCA but you’re against “opening your third eye”, you have nothing to worry about.
Western yoga, as many people say, is nothing more than Indian flavored gymnastics. In fact, it stems from calisthenics—regular old exercises without any spiritual, woo-woo meaning attached to them. It’s great for your body, but has nothing to do with the soul.
Ancient, religious roots?
Secondly, just because something has roots in another religion doesn’t mean it’s satanic. A couple examples are Easter, Christmas and celebrating birthdays, all of which come from pagan traditions.
Now even the most conservative Christians don’t tend to believe that their holy days are satanic, and that’s because they are looking at these things not by their roots, but rather by the experience as it currently presents itself.
Yoga is the same thing. While it’s true, yoga came from ancient spiritual traditions, the practice today is quite far removed from it. Many Christians may avoid it for fear that it may not be, but the easiest way to know is to watch a yoga class. If you do this, you will see a room full of people who are working their bodies.
Will I become possessed?
The practice of yoga is not opening yourself to evil beings or influences. Even the more spiritual branches of yoga have nothing to do with calling other beings into you, or even allowing such a thing to happen.
Yoga, on the whole, is about taking care of yourself and gently challenging your physical and emotional limits. It is a very healthy practice, and most of all, it is nothing to be afraid of.
Why was yoga invented?
So where did yoga come from actually? Well, it’s theorized that the point of yoga was for young spiritual men (like monks and priests) to be able to expend their physical energy so their brain could focus on their spiritual pursuits of praying and meditating and such.
This is basically the same idea as letting kids out for recess before they have to calm down and learn again. It’s not something malicious or sinister, really it’s just quite practical. And you don’t have to use that sharpened mental focus for spiritual pursuits either.
Benefits of yoga (other than being a demon-free activity)
An average person can also benefit from the mental focus yoga provides. It will help you focus on your to-do list, filling out taxes, your goals and anything else that needs your attention.
And of course, yoga is also great exercise. It brings you better balance, flexibility, and strength in a very well-rounded package.
Other benefits include having more energy throughout the day, including waking up in the morning as well as your afternoon slump.
A consistent yoga practice can reveal some surprising results! You will find yourself all of a sudden able to do new things with your body you never dreamed you could do, especially if you’ve never been drawn to exercise in the first place. You will become limber, and you will become strong.
Another fun benefit is increased emotional tolerance. Yoga teaches you that in the onset of distress, you need to breathe. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe deep. This will help you get through the most uncomfortable things in life.
When you adopt the practice of deep breathing in the face of discomfort, you begin having new experiences of triumph, and handling stressful times with grace. You may be impressed with your new ability to tolerate annoyance and anxiety, yet still do the things you need to do to get on with your day (and your life). You will be resilient.
So, is yoga safe?
Yoga is as safe as any other physical activity. Like other sports and workouts, it’s important to take the necessary precautions, like making sure you really are doing the poses correctly.
If you do some poses or flows carelessly, you could end up hurting yourself.
Otherwise, explore yoga if you like. There are many good benefits from it, and it’s a more gentle way to work your body.
