IN-PERSON COURSES
ONLINE COURSESThis week I thought I’d take a break from writing about yoga and science and instead, muse about yoga and hell.
I live in the southeastern part of the U.S. and for the most part, yoga and Jesus get along just fine here. But occasionally, fire and brimstone erupts.
Last month a preacher of a megachurch in Missouri told his congregation that yoga postures, “were created with demonic intent, to open you up to demonic power because Hinduism is demonic.”
There is way too much wrong with that statement for a single blog post.
*Sigh*
You’d think in 2018 we’d have moved beyond this. But actually, this stuff makes headlines every few months.
Over the years I’ve had students whose families were concerned that they were studying something occult or even satanic. One morning, one student’s husband’s truck broke down on the way to teacher training. He took it as a sign from God that she was sinning.
I had to negotiate with my facial expressions when I heard that one.
By the end of the program, she told me that he admitted how good the training had been for her, how much happier she had become, and that he had begun to understand that yoga was not satanic.
This is not an uncommon story.
My own mother was initially very nervous about my yoga practice, but after a few years, she surprised me one day when she said, “I think yoga has made you a better person.”
Awwww, thanks Mom!
It’s painful to hear that someone isn’t coming to class because someone else told them that they will go to hell if they practice yoga. And having that idea implanted or reinforced by a person in a position of spiritual authority is categorically immoral.
We live in stressful times and people desperately need to regulate their nervous systems – they want to be able to live better naturally. Yoga does this better than anything else out there.
And if someone goes deeper, beyond the physiologic benefits and uses yoga to connect with and develop a relationship with their own, personal, unmediated higher power, or even if they abandon their belief system and embrace a different one (Hinduism or something else), why is this so grave? It is only problematic if you are a control freak obsessed with the shrinking size of your Sunday collection plate… or under the thumb of one.
A local Missouri yoga teacher said that her class size shrunk after this dude’s sermon.
We live in a society that is starkly isolating, psychologically dimensionless, and spiritually bereft. When someone is finding something positive through a yoga practice but then gets “warned” by their pastor – not only is it ridiculous, it’s unethical. He’s depriving his congregation of health and well being.
On my Facebook page a woman has been posting warnings to all Christians not to practice yoga.
You can see from the emojis what most people think. ?
There’s been a slew of refuting comments, but she’s been carrying that Facebook cross relentlessly for the past 5 weeks now.
There are children starving to death in Yemen, fleeing from violence in Honduras, threatened with war in the Ukraine, and the earth is in danger of becoming uninhabitable, but still some feel the priority is to set us all straight about the dangers of practicing yoga.
I’m afraid negotiations have failed and my facial expressions are winning.
Yesterday the CDC released its latest numbers on the use of yoga asanas and meditation in the U.S. 14.3 percent of the population is currently practicing yoga and 14.2 percent meditation. That’s up from 9.5% and 4.1% respectively in 2012.
So despite the sporadic, inane blow back, society in general seems to be recognizing how important these practices are.
And even if you are a vigilant Facebook crusader, you can’t stop consciousness, it will expand whether you like it or not.
Ignorance lives all around us, and so we need to work harder to share the truth!
This was the headline in our local newspaper: ‘Mom battles school board, saying yoga is against her family’s religion’
Here’s the article:
https://www.facebook.com/184906186150/posts/10158415008301151/
Thanks for sharing Joanne. It’s really a shame. There is other data showing a large and growing percentage of children are using yoga and meditation. I feel so sorry for people who are living with such narrow mindedness.
Great blog post. Kristine, I wonder, do you have any idea how much overlap there is in those numbers? Is it the same 14% who practice yoga AND meditation? My guess is that if you included all people who practice yoga or meditation, it would be at least 20% of the population, maybe even 25%.
Thanks so much Don. That’s a good question. I’m not sure. I talked to Josephine Briggs, who is the Director Emeritus of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the NIH about data from the 2012 survey. I asked her why yoga, meditation and breathing exercises were all separated in this study. She said, “Well, you can look at the data in a number of different ways.” That was a diplomatic answer right! The data showed that women are twice as likely as men to use asanas, but only 1.5 times as likely to practice meditation.So there’s something of a gender gap. And still, there’s a huge race gap with white people practices much more than Black and Hispanic. So I think your guess is correct, particularly if you add breathing practices! It’s been amazing to look at the results of these studies over the past 15 years or so and see how much it has changed. Really remarkable, heartening, and inspiring.
Thank you for a beautiful article. What a practice in patience!
Thanks Adrienne – yes, I can always use more!
Thank you for sharing this information.
So I will play the “devil’s advocate.” There are some yoga instructors that use the time in front of a class and cross the boundary into, I’d say, lots of advice giving. That is important to watch out for. I tend to stay secular, yet I am Indian, in fact Hindu, and can easily cross into yoga’s Hindu roots. And let’s be honest some of the culturally Hindu things you just can’t take out of yoga and keep it truly Yoga. The misunderstanding is that people don’t know Hinduism is more of a culture than a religion, as we know it in the West.
People turn to yoga for the same reason others turn to religion: to foster community, a sense of belonging, a release from suffering, a sanctuary for their mind, and tradition. How many times have I heard someone didn’t like going to a yoga studio because it wasn’t welcoming! Since we open up the energy body, we need a psychologically safe location to practice.
The problem, in my opinion, is how much are we buying into dividing and isolating? If our goal is to truly see each other, love each other, and share in kindness neither the preacher nor the facebook person would have anything to say. If we are compassionate with each other and different opinions, if we say “try it and see” and we speak openly and honestly, then we have actually tested out our/others’ opinions.
Thanks for talking about this 🙂 I had a lot more to say than I initially thought 🙂
I have a relative who had negative things to say when I posted an article about the schools in Baltimore providing yoga for children who where in detention a lot. Yoga helped those children so much that many of them did much better in school academics and behavior. More recently, I had a yoga student who was so upset about the article concerning the megachurch minister’s comments on yoga, that I had to post it on my webpage, even though I had decided not to bring anymore attention to it. Thank you for addressing this issue. In the end, when we all step back and look at all religions, and spiritual philosophies and beliefs, we see that we are looking for the same thing. I’m glad we are open minded, loving to all, and accepting of everyone no matter what their beliefs. That’s yoga.
Thank you for this timely (for me) subject. I have been teaching for 10 Years and am Catholic. I find my yoga and meditation practice has enhanced my faith and have no misgivings. But wow have I been blindsided by people along the way. But they are normally very closed minded people, so I stand my ground and keep teaching. When a family member recently went through a mental health crisis, the very first thing they prescribed was yoga and meditation. He as so happy that he had that tool already solidly in his tool box. He was given medicine as well but has not strayed from his practice. He can now wean off the medication. I am just so blessed by my practice and love sharing this gift with others.
A few years ago I started yoga classes at a local community Hall. All the committee ladies attended the first class or two very happily. However they were not impressed when I bought in my beautiful brass statue of Goddess Tara. Goddess of Compassion. These good Christian country ladies were offended by her presence in the class. And don’t mention Sun Salutes! Bowing to the pagan god of the sun! Never!!
I am still teaching at the Hall, those ladies don’t attend but they enjoy my rental income. And I’m always invited to the Christmas party ??
“The Self is hidden in the hearts of all, as butter lies hidden in cream. Realize the Self in the depths of meditation, the Lord of Love, supreme reality, who is the goal of all knowledge…”Why is this a bad thing? How is this out of alignment with any philosophical or religious system? It left my old Methodist preacher shaking his head…and yeah, I made him read the book. People stun me. Kaoverii, I salute your patience. I am slap OUT.
I think that’s my favorite quote from the Upanisad’s Bettie. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for bringing this issue to light! It seems to me that the FB woman was using you as a mirror to look at herself–she just doesn’t realize it yet! Blessings for you & this community! ?
Thank you Jamie. Nice to connect with you.
I think we have to be careful about making blanket statements like “We live in stressful times and people desperately need to regulate their nervous systems – they want to be able to live better naturally. Yoga does this better than anything else out there.” As a licensed psychotherapist, I know there are a number of paths to achieve a more balanced nervous system, yoga being an important one. I do find it incredible that there is a “crusade” against yoga but agree with the comments above about being careful to be welcoming and inclusive. So much of our society and culture are so deeply divided already, we all can make a difference in small but significant ways, e.g. intention, thoughts, words, etc. I have learned that people are not always open to change, but education is powerful. Love the blog and opportunity for dialogue, thank you!
Thanks for your insight Debra. Lots of love.