Christianity, Yoga, Prayer and the Whole Darn Thing

This week the Associated Press released an article stating that a Southern Baptist leader does not believe Yoga reflects anything Christian.

Click here to read the article.  I am not interested in arguing with this article but rather raising a point of interest.

How could anything that helps authentically channel you towards the divine be unChristian? And why is it bad to use outside religious forms of meditation to help enhance our experience with the Holy? When did Christianity put parameters on prayer? When did adjusting into a downward dog become a religious, yet anti-Christian, practice?

I submit that it is not. Yoga - although not created to be a Christian, spiritual practice - can be an incredible catalyst in helping one center their heart, mind, body, and soul in order to focus more intently upon God.

Engaging in Yoga does not mean you are anti-Christian. It means you are stretching.

Yoga can be an awesome tool to help one experience silence and meditation. And if I'm not mistaken God comes to us not in the storms but rather in the stillness of the wind.

I argue that the majority of people live on the circumference of their lives. They peer outward into the world never focusing on their core selves and constantly pushing away from their center. This belief saddens me because it means the majority of us live shallow lives and avoid tapping in to our deeper, truer selves.

Christians must stop being afraid of meditation. It is an extremely helpful practice that allows all of us a chance to tap into the thin space of holiness that speaks out to us from our core, true selves.

It keeps us in touch with the Holy Spirit.

With ourselves.

And with God.

Yoga is not the only option for meditation - but it is a legitimate one.

Comments

Keith Vaughn said…
Well said my friend. Our tradition has often left a lot on the table.
October 7, 2010 at 9:04 PM
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