Spiritual benefits of yoga for Christians

Are there spiritual benefits of yoga for Christians, or is practicing yoga spiritually unsafe for Christ-followers?

Yoga is meant to be a spiritual practice and cultivates awareness of our spiritual nature. Traditional yoga practices consisted of solely breath and meditation practices with the intention of encountering the presence of God. The popularity of the practice of yoga illustrates the underlying desire of ALL people to find connection and communion with God. One’s understanding of God will vary depending on their particular belief system and worldview. Other spiritual benefits include:

Clarity and focus of mind on eternal things
Deeper connection with oneself and others
Recognition of a higher power (God)
Sense of peace
Heightened awareness
Relinquish of control

Is yoga a sin for Christians?

Is yoga evil? Is yoga a sin? As a Christian yoga teacher, I hear these questions a lot! The truth is… Yoga is a spiritual practice that CAN help Christians to embody their faith and deepen their connection with God. Why do some believe that practicing yoga is wrong for Christians? In his article Is yoga sinful?, modern theologian and pastor John Piper reframes this question, breaking into down into two different questions:

Is there anything wrong with yoga for Christians?
Will yoga make me more Christ-like? Can God be glorified through yoga?

My response to both of these questions is “it depends.” Let me explain, I will start with the second question….

Can God be glorified through yoga?

Should Christians do yoga? Yoga helps us to be more aware of our inner-landscapes. Yoga teaches the skill of watchfulness and brings our feelings, emotions, thoughts, reactions, responses, motives, and expectations into light. As Christians, we believe that we are meant to be transformed from “glory to glory” to look more like Jesus. Yoga, as a spiritual practice, can help Christians to bring emotions and thoughts into the light of the Living Word and allow Jesus to heal broken patterns in our hearts and minds. When we actively pursue this transformation, our thoughts and attitudes become more like Christ, and we can respond to situations that arise in our lives thoughtfully and intentionally from a place of unconditional love, instead of reacting impulsively. When practiced from a Christian perspective, yoga can help in this process of sanctification, allowing Jesus to rearrange us from the inside out!

Can yoga make me more Christ-like?

Yoga is a spiritual practice with many spiritual benefits. Much like chanting, fasting, prayer, service, and the study of scripture, the discipline of yoga can be practiced within different worldviews and in varying belief systems. Scripture teaches that Christians, individually and collectively, make up the temple of God. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22 NIV

Yoga can awaken us to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Pranayama, one of the practices of yoga, involves controlling and expanding the breath, which is the source of our life. The breath-work practices of yoga can remind Christians of the spiritual “breath of Life” which God breathes into us. In this way, each breath becomes a prayer. Just as a steady breath is vital to a yoga practice, the Holy Spirit is essential to the soul of the follower of Christ!

Is yoga ok for Christians?

In my previous blog posts, we have carefully examined the tremendous physical, mental, and emotional benefits of a yoga practice. By practicing yoga, Christians can not only experience these benefits of yoga, but also connect with our body as God’s creation, which is fearfully and wonderfully made. So why do some Christians loudly claim, “There’s no way to scrub yoga clean and make it Christian” and other Christians insist, “the term Christian Yoga is an oxymoron.”

In his article, John Piper states (and I agree) that yoga and Christianity come from two “radically different worldviews”.

As a Christian who practices (and teaches) yoga, I absolutely believe these two things:

Christians can feel confident in stretching and moving their body without fear that a yoga posture will accidentally cause them to worship false gods.
Christians who practice yoga should carefully research yoga’s origins and meanings in order to understand commonalities and discern differences between yoga philosophy and Christian theology.

The truth is, most yoga teachers in our culture do not fully understand the spiritual implications of what they teach. Understanding commonalities and differences between yoga philosophy and Christian theology is vital to discerning how to avoid the spiritual dangers of syncretism, and an important step in being prepared “to give a defense for Christ” when engaging in the yoga community. My mission in Christian Yoga Studies is to help equip Christian yoga teachers and students to fully understand the practice of yoga from a Christian perspective.