Is It Okay For Christians to do Yoga?

Every few minutes I noticed another sign for a yoga center as I wandered the narrow alleys in the sacred Hindu city I was exploring. Targeting tourists and Hindu pilgrims, these centers appealed to the worldwide popularity of yoga as both a form of exercise and a form of spiritual discipline. In none of these centers would one find a yoga that resembled the yoga of the west since nothing in this city, this country, or the Hindu religion is completely separated from the sacred. Yet when I am home, every few streets I drive in larger cities I see similar signs calling for people to attend yoga studios. In these studios, however, there will rarely be Hindu offerings made nor ancient Vedic mantras, but it is impossible to deny that even the most sanitized yoga found in the west finds its roots in the sacred yoga of the east. 

 So where should the Christian stand on the issue of yoga? I have gotten this question more than almost any other, and I avoid it like the plague. It seems as if the question is somewhat of a golden calf for some who ask it who already know which answer they want to hear and will refuse to listen to reasoning counter to their opinion. Yet when it comes to issues such as Christian freedom, redemption of non-Christian practices, and what yoga actually is we must pause and be willing to take a long, slow look at the matter at hand and question what boundaries we must put on our own freedom. We must ask the same questions that Paul asked of the church at Corinth as they sought to learn how to simultaneously be free in Christ and a slave to Christ. 

What really is “Yoga”?

The word “yoga” is an ancient word that comes from the Sanskrit word for “union” and within Hinduism has always meant far more than just the physical act of yoga that many in the west are familiar with today. The concept of “yoga” is actually found in many of Hinduism’s most important sacred texts, most notably the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna teaches the four types of yoga, “...bhakti, or devotion; jnana, or knowledge; karma, or action; and dhyana, or concentration (often referred to as raja yoga, though not all sources agree on the term) – as paths to achieve moksha, the ultimate goal according to Hindu understanding.” (1) The practice of yoga as physical exercise that has become hugely popular in the west is most similar to dhyana yoga. The ritual movements and poses that make up the “asana”, or postures, have always been a means to an end within yoga which is often to promote “union”, whether with one’s “self” or with the transcendent and unknowable god that one becomes unified with after being released from the cycle of reincarnation. The famous yoga guru K Pattabhi Jois once said, “The essence of yoga is to reach oneness with God”. At the notion that yoga could be seen as simply a form of physical exercise, Jois said, “...using it for physical practice is no good, of no use – just a lot of sweating, pushing, and heavy breathing for nothing. The spiritual aspect, which is beyond the physical, is the purpose of yoga. When the nervous system is purified, when your mind rests in the atman [the Self], then you can experience the true greatness of yoga.” The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy and education group dedicated to promoting Hinduism in the United States, strongly rejects the notion that yoga can be separated from Hinduism. The organization launched the “Take Back Yoga” campaign as a reaction to instances of yoga being stripped of its Hindu roots in favor of simply focusing on the “asana” postures that make up much of western yoga. (2)

The “Yoga Sutra”, a document from around 200 B.C.-200 A.D. that is largely responsible for shaping Hindu thought regarding yoga explains that, “Yoga is a complete suppression of the tendency of the thinking principle to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc”. In much of Hindu thought, the “thinking principle” is that which distracts one from focusing on the “atman” or self thereby keeping one ignorant to the true reality around them. The Sutra continues, “All misery arises from allowing the thinking principle to cover, or take the place of, this immutable source of bliss and knowledge…” 

The Sutra, most Hindu source material on yoga, and Hindus themselves all make the indisputable case that it is exclusively a spiritual discipline that is impossible to separate from the ancient practices found within the Hindu religion of the Indian subcontinent.

Christian Freedom & Yoga’s Redemption

Despite this long history, in the west yoga has become mostly devoid of any spiritual meaning. Now, it is one of the most popular forms of low-impact exercise, and even many Christians have sought it out not only as as a means to exercise, but to slow down, meditate, and even pray. Some Christians balk at the notion that this conversation is even worth having, instead preferring to simply refer to the concept of “Christian freedom” which would seem to indicate that followers of Christ can participate in any practice they like with no repercussions at all. Personally, I do believe there is room for Christians to utilize some of the postures and stretches found in yoga, because the notion that an entire religious group should have ownership over physical acts that serve our health and well-being is ridiculous. That being said, Christians should be thoughtful and prayerful in how they seek out this “redemption” of a practice that is anything but secular and devoid of spirituality as some have been led to believe.

Christians cannot simply redefine the term “yoga” to mean whatever they want it to mean. It is a term steeped in religious understanding and significance and it is dangerous, arrogant, and ultimately a poor witness for the Christian to assume they can blindly secularize a concept and practice that for 1/7th of the world’s population is purely religious. Adding to this concern is the growing use of yoga among the New Age, Neo-Pagan, and Occult. For a Christian to approach this topic carelessly in the name of “Christian freedom” is to neglect the true heart of Paul’s teaching on that issue in his letter to the Church at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 10, he addressed the issue of Christians participating in Pagan rituals by saying , “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.  Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” (1 Corinthians 10: 19-24)

1 Corinthians 10 is especially helpful to us in this particular conversation. Paul’s instructions here show us that we are not to approach issues of pagan ritual and practice with a freedom that leads to reckless abandonment, but instead one that leads to spirit-led care for our neighbor and concern for how our freedom impacts them. This is why an understanding of the roots of yoga is necessary for the Christian who would desire to “redeem” it. Just as the eating of meat sacrificed to idols was not inherently sinful, the poses and stretches of yoga are not sinful on their own. It is the concern for our witness that should bring about hesitation, thoughtfulness, and prayer for the Christian participating in yoga. Those calling for yoga to be a redeemable practice for Christians cannot also be the people too lazy to learn why it needs redemption in the first place. It must be redeemed because at its root it belongs to a tradition set on the idolization of false gods and the self, and yoga often stands at the center of how that tradition is practiced.

So is it permissible for the Christian to participate in the ancient Hindu practice of yoga as it has been historically understood and taught within Hinduism? No, and we must stop insisting that words like "freedom" and "grace" permit us to participate in things directly opposed to the worship of the one true God. Is it permissible for the Christian to glean from those practices what can be utilized for physical and mental well-being while outright rejecting the spiritual practices that have historically come along with it? Yes, but it should come with some Biblical considerations:

• Am I blindly following the practice of yoga in the company of those who are in fact using it for pagan spiritual practices, whether they realize it or not?
• If I continue to utilize the physical poses in yoga for physical well-being, should I consider not using Hindu terms like “yoga” so as to not confuse those around me that might be from a Hindu or Neo-Pagan persuasion?
• Am I stubbornly insisting that I am “free” to do whatever I want because of my Christian freedom with no regard to how my actions might be impacting those around me?

Like most of the questions that come up when discussing other faiths and how Christians interact with them, this question requires complex discussion and deep thought rooted exclusively in the Word of God. To approach questions like this naively assuming that our conclusions, no matter which side of the issue we end up on,  have no real consequence is to not realize that our world is more similar to Paul’s world than we realize. That the words of Paul are just as  significant for the Christian looking for physical wellbeing in the 21st century as they were for the Christian shopping in a meat market wondering what might have been sacrificed to idols in the 1st century.

1- https://www.hinduamerican.org/projects/hindu-roots-of-yoga

2- Ibid.