Overview

This is a lifestyle that I have not participated in heavily, myself. However, I have researched it from afar. The issue here is that Yoga is not just “stretching”.

To be clear: there is nothing wrong with stretching and exercise!

Yoga is, in addition to stretching and exercise, a physical way to worship. Each sound (e.g. “Ooom”), hand movement, and body pose has direct meaning. Not only does it have meaning, these are active methods to communicate with the spirit world – using our bodies. We know that the Bible acknowledges the spirit world, but we are not to interact with it:

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.” –Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV)

With that said, this is good video that breaks down the details of Yoga, from a Christian perspective. This YouTuber Shameen Miller, converted from the New Age movement to Christianity, so she has a unique perspective on this topic, since she lived it. This is a very interesting breakdown of why Yoga is a pagan religion and directly opposed to Christianity.