Yogadevotion

by Jason Robertson

The yoga teacher sits in a lotus position atop a polished wooden platform. Behind her, verdant woods are visible through panoramic windows. Gentle music tinkles from overhead speakers. Two dozen students in spandex outfits, most of them women, settle onto purple and blue mats to begin the class with ujjayi, a breathing exercise. Their instructor, Cindy Senarighi, recommends today’s mantra. “‘Yahweh’ is a great breath prayer,” she says. “The Jesus Prayer also works. Now lift your arms in praise to the Lord.” The platform is an altar, the tinkly tune is praise music, and the practice is Christian yoga. Senarighi’s class, called Yogadevotion and taught in the main chapel of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minn., is part of a fast-growing movement that seeks to retool the 5,000-year-old practice of yoga to fit Christ’s teachings.(Time online, 8/25/05)

Phil Johnson, a resounding voice of biblical clarity in a confused generation of doubters and dunces, explains the connection between “Christian Yoga” and the postmodernism within the emergent movement: “As a matter of fact, I think such a low view of Scripture is as much a staple in the Emergent culture as it is at CNN. It’s just that with all the Emergents’ fondness for double-talk, ambiguity, and equivocation, one doesn’t usually get to hear it expressed with such straightforward transparency.”

VIDEO: JOHN MACARTHUR VS DOUG PRAGITT ON SUBJECT OF YOGA

The video above was first viewed by me on Todd Pruitt’s blog.
Transcript of show is provided by Pulpit.

Shawn Anthony says with fresh conviction: “I became a “Friend of Emergent” a few months back, with a serious caveat: If they began to look more and more like Unitarian Universalism I would check out. Well, I’m so far checked out of “Emergent” today. I’ll be canceling my small, yearly donation straight away. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does lead to a whole life. It is enough. Does this mean I cannot share authentic relationships with people of other faiths, Hindus, or people who practice yoga? No. Hardly. Do I respect people from other faiths? Absolutely! Will I go out of my way to serve them? You bet. Would I sacrifice for them? Yes. Jesus did. Will I dilute my faith and theirs in the process? No.”

Now, in my humble but accurate opinion, I would agree with Dr. Mac that it is one thing to exercise but something quite different to practice a pagan form of worship. Yoga DOES NOT have the corner on the market in stretching techniques or meditation. So, why in the world would a Christian practice “Yoga” when they could just stretch or exercise. That would be like saying, “I want to be a good husband so I am going become a Mormon.” Or “I only want to eat Hebrew hotdogs so I am going to become a Jew.” Besides, let the Hindus have Yoga, we’ve got Chuck Norris.