Yoga and Christianity, they don't mix?

I was quite flabbergasted after I read the article “Yoga can be dangerous to Christians’ faith” says Louisville’s Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler, on his blog, http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/09/20/the-subtle-body-should-christians-practice-yoga/ I want to respectfully discuss his concern about Yoga and its ‘effects’ on Christianity.

“ Syman describes yoga as a varied practice, but she makes clear that yoga cannot be fully extricated from its spiritual roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. She is also straightforward in explaining the role of sexual energy in virtually all forms of yoga and of ritualized sex in some yoga traditions” Mohler was quoted in his blog. He then stressed on how he was concerned about how yoga practices include physical and spiritual exercises, in the goal to connect with the Divine as well as wellness. He responded, “Believers are called to meditate upon the Word of God — an external Word that comes to us by divine revelation — not to meditate by means of incomprehensible syllables.”

Now I have to wonder about that….. After all… praying, meditation and connecting with the Divine can be richly varied in Christianity as well as Buddhism, Islam, Hindu, Paganism, and other religions that could fill up more pages than I could, but you get my meaning. Shall we see what I mean by that?

In process of praying-meditation…. Candles are used in yoga to help focus and become aware of the divine, and so do many religions.


Woman lighting candles at a church in Tbilis, Georgia


Jewish woman says the blessing upon lighting the sabbath candles (2)


A Muslim woman lights a candle at a shrine dedicated to the prophet Elijah (3)

Praying to get closer to the Divine, as Yoga encourages becoming aware of Divine in both physical and spiritual.


Kenyans praying (4)


Christian woman praying (5)


Muslim man praying (6)


A Kneeling Hindu Balinese Woman Prays and Gives Offerings at Sunset (7)


Pagan praying (8)



Meditating on problems/concerns. Yoga does that, to help clear the mind and process the problem… and we seek answers from the Divine, as well, don't we?


Christian meditating (9)


Woman of Sikh (10)

Tools that contribute to meditation/praying…..


Walking the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral (11)


Woman meditating- origins of labyrinths come out with 4000 years, from lands such as Egyptian, Indian, Native American, Greek and Northern Europe. (12)


Rosary beads in a Catholic Christian‘s hands- in which types of beads are used by Christians and Muslims (13)


A monk holds prayer beads in McLeod Ganj, India. (14)


Prayers Stones (15)







Scents to help us think of the Divine, as well as at yoga- after all, didn’t Jesus receive frankincense as a gift for one example?


Incense- which can be found in churches, as well as in temples and locations of prayers and residences. (16)


Praying to the Buddha (17)







We can’t go without music in prayer…and yoga


Harp music in church (18)


Signing with Deaf and Deaf/Blind in both preaching and singing in silence (19)


Drumming with shamans (20)


Choir of Southern Baptist Church Praise and Worship Center (21)

Now…. With all that we had seen, how can yoga NOT be a tool for Christians to get closer to the Divine? Meditation can be so different for each of us, but we share the common goal- to get intimate with the Divine in many names that we follow. We also can use meditation for mindfulness, wellness, holistic health and exercise.

After all, I confess to meditating while vaccuming and I do consider feeling closer to Her after the house is clean.





Resources


(1) http://kevinkoski.com/Hobbies%20and%20Interests/Bicycle%20Touring/rtw/photos.html

(2) http://religion.info/english/articles/article_470.shtml
(3) http://www.daylife.com/photo/0eoWf779ETeJg

(4) http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/01/steps-to-end-the-suffering-and-violence-in-kenya/
(5) www.joyfullyliving.blogspot.com
(6) http://islamiclearningmaterials.com/islam-prayer/
(7) http://www.digitalhit.com/posters/p/4901480
(8) http://witchywonderland.blogspot.com/2010/05/pagan-prayer.html
(9) http://www.spiritrax.com/subcategory.php?id=13
(10) http://www.sikhnet.com/news/naam-japo-meditation-prayer-and-its-purpose
(11) http://yourworldreligions.blogspot.com/2007/06/prayer-of-heart-christian-meditation.html
(12) http://naradashaktisolutions.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/labyrinths-the-upside-of-walking-around-in-circles/
(13) http://www.freshmeditation.com/blog/easy-step-meditation/rosary-meditation/
(14) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/739176/India-holy-cows-and-fine-shrines.html
(15) http://prayerfullife.com/2010/05/principle4/
(16) http://stjev.org/prayer-and-a-pint
(17) http://www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/ceremo15.htm
(18) http://transfigurations.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html
(19) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/6406132.html
(20) http://www.dreamingshaman.com/ongoing_events.htm
(21) http://www.1800gospel.com/2008/10/gospel-music-news-how-sweet-the-sound/

Mirror, Mirror, who are you?

Throughout childhood to young adulthood, I had to struggle with self blame and self loathe. Any success I experienced, I doubt that it was really me; it was because the teacher, the judge, the group felt sorry for me. I tended to stay to the wall, to stay invisible and to avoid eye contact- why? To survive.
No matter how many A's I could get through schools, no matter how much recognition through fund-raisers and awareness of causes I raised, no matter how often I could meet the expectations, even beyond the unrealistic expectations, I was always considered a failure. I BELIEVED I was a failure.
It was through the fourth therapist, I was asked, "WHO are you, really?" No one had really asked me that before. I couldn't answer that. No, I was TERRIFIED to find out the truth.
I looked at the face in the mirror and wondered, "who is she?" I didn't want to say "me" because after all if I dared to say "me" or "I", I'd end up skinned raw by the scalding venom of her. It was always her, ALWAYS her, it's her clothes, her style, her opinions, her perspectives, her personality, HER. No such as Julie- it was just a clone of HER. To dare thinking different, I felt I was betraying her.
It took me a long time, almost twenty years before I realized- I didn't know who I was, if anyone asked me, I mimicked HER views, never mine since I didn't have any opinions. I then knew that to save any part of myself, I had to escape. I did so, putting a thousand and more miles between us. I felt like a newborn baby- scared witless in the new world; I wanted so badly to return back to her.
I forced myself to stay where I was. I explored with baby steps, such as going to a department store by myself and picking out a pair of sneakers was a tremendous step for me at age of 26! I had to sample a variety of food before I would realize that I like BBQ ribs so much and I dislike busset sprouts- at age of 27. How little people could imagine on how personality can develop from tasting food and trying on clothes in the beginning!
With more learning I gathered, more I realized how much I had missed; I didn't get to jump on the bed, I didn't play dress-up; I didn't have the chance to climb a tree. I never had a healthy childhood. I had to take care of her; to make her happy, I had to predict her moods and take care of her needs even before she thought of them. I ignored my own needs to take care of her need for attention and demands. Due to trying to please her, I was a people pleaser. I could not say no to anything, even to unreasonable queries. I would offer to do errands for people out of my way, just to get them to like me. I experienced a burn out, and I realized as I recovered.. No one was there for me It was a cruel awakening! At encouragement, I read "How to say no without feeling guilty" and walk the walk. I practiced saying "no" and not to experience "did I just SCREW myself up? They are angry at me! Have to do it to keep everything fine!" The world didn't end as I thought it would.
I started to be very angry, I felt she OWES me for so many things I had missed out, about thinking about herself, not me, even at age of six, ten and sixteen. I became bitter. I started to tear into people, pouring venom on people, and manipulating them; finding their weaknesses and using to get them to do what I wanted them to. A friend went, "Why are you becoming like her??!" That rattled my soul! I didn't want to be her, I wanted to be ME.
It took another ten years before I discovered myself, ironically after the hit and run where I had to learn to feed myself, to dress myself, to sit down on the toilet and to write again. I started to see the child within me, and I realized I did not want to lose her again.
After years of re-discovery, challenges, pushing beyond my own limits and dangers, I know who I am, and you know what....I like who I am, and I am not like her at all. I find joy in seeing simple things, giving of love without expecting something back, laughing and crying without worrying about being caught, and being myself. I like wolves. I love to walk labyrinths. I enjoy reading comic books. I prefer baggy jeans and sandals, barefoot if I can! I find joy in radical feminism and being outspoken about HIV/AIDS education for Deaf. I let tears fall due to natural disasters and New Orleans without being ashamed. I am me.
And her? She is my mother, I love her, but I do not have to be like her, I do not owe her anything. I AM WHO I AM.