Add Yoga to your faith toolbox
Throughout the history of yoga, many religions have used the tools of yoga. Yoga is not exclusively Hindu or Buddhist or New Age. Therefore, it is important to look at why these various religions can all use the same mode in their practices.
Yoga is designed to work with the nervous system. Pranayama, or breath practice, is a key component in yoga. The breath – learning to deepen your breath and lengthen your exhale – communicates to your body that you are safe. When your body feels safe, it then communicates to the brain and nervous system that it can shift from the sympathetic nervous system, that is often associated with the fight or flight response, to the parasympathetic nervous system, this tells your body it's safe to rest and digest. When we switch into the parasympathetic nervous system, we are able to find a physical state in which to relax and feel at peace.
For centuries, the physical component – the movements we associate with yoga today – were not part of the yoga practice. Rather, the emphasis was on the mind and how it works, how to slow the mental chatter. The aim was to connect to the divine. This is why yoga and meditation work across many religions. Firstly, because humans are designed for connection with God. Over the course of human history, we have sought many different gods, by many different means. This desire and incorrect assumptions to fulfill it is not new or exclusive to a yoga practice. Nor is the desire to attempt this in our own means and power. Secondly, secular research does not equate inaccurate research. We know that only through Jesus can we come into the presence of God, yet, how often do we find ourselves so easily distracted and disengaged because of mental chatter? We want to be still in His presence but our mind is scattered, jumping between to-do lists and responsibilities, a funny gif or story we read on social media, trying to keep up with the comparison game, trying to balance work and family and still maintain friendships. There are so many things that fill our minds and scatter our thoughts in every direction. If there is a tool to slow my thoughts and center them, I’m going to try it.
While we cannot go into a yoga class open to anything that is being taught, we can step into the system, the process that stills the mind and calms the nervous system. We can use the tool and framework that yoga provides. This is why I started a yoga business. To filter out what doesn’t work for me as a Christian, and align the practice with the truth of Scripture, and to provide others with the same safe space.
Like any other tool, yoga can be used to help or harm. Yoga is not something we should enter mindlessly or flippantly. We need to “test all things, hold fast to what is good and abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Like the Bereans “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11), we also need to be examining the things we consume to see if they align with the truth of Scripture. Just like the movies we watch, the music we listen to, the books we read, the social media and even the sermons we hear, everything needs to be filtered through the truth of Scripture. Movies are not bad, music is not bad – but they must be brought alongside Scripture to see what is true and what is not. We do not abstain from everything with a secular message, instead we learn to listen with intentionality using Scripture as our standard of truth. So, too, a yoga practice. The practice itself is not the problem – it is not a form of Hindu worship – instead, it is what we put into or take away from the practice that is the concern. We simply come to yoga, as we do everything else, with mindful intentionality.
Some practical ways to do this:
Learn to be curious and be present. Start with the physical aspect of yoga. Be curious about how you feel throughout the class. Notice what your body is telling you in each pose or transition. Notice where there is pain or discomfort and where it feels neutral or good. Notice when your body tells you to stop or back off in a pose. Your body is uniquely yours. Alignment cues are a suggestion, an invitation. Your alignment will not be identical to anyone else in the class, because your physical alignment is different. This is not about comparison or judgment. It is about learning what your body needs by listening and paying attention.
Learn to test all things. Often in a secular yoga class, and even in a Christian yoga class, there is messaging that goes beyond the physical poses. Pay attention to what is being said and compare it to what God says in Scripture. There are some things that have a kernel of truth packaged in a secular mindset. The example I often think of is the idea of a “drishti” – this is a focal point used for balancing. There is nothing wrong with this concept, in fact, as an analogy it actually works quite well because we see in Hebrews 12:1 that we are to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” When our focal point is Jesus, we can find balance and stability. But like Peter walking on water, when we take our eyes off Jesus and look instead to the tumultuous waves around us or the impossibility of what we are asked to do in obedience, then we begin to sink. As you listen, practice using the word of God as your plumbline – the standard by which one measures. This is a practice that can be taken off your yoga mat as well, to test everything you hear or see against the truth of Scripture.
Make yoga prayerful. Most teachers will begin a practice by checking-in and setting an intention. Use these brief moments to notice how you are arriving – how are you feeling physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, then surrender that to God. This is an opportunity to set your own form of intention, a moment to come before the throne of the Living God and surrender this practice, your day, your mindset, your life – whatever God is calling you to surrender in that moment. This could be as simple as “Lord, I will live my life surrendered and obedient to you” or “Lord, I need your help to live surrendered and obedient.” If a Bible verse comes to mind, allow that verse to captivate your thoughts throughout the practice. Each time the teacher provides the opportunity to “check-in,” bring your mind back to that intention of surrender or the Bible verse.
