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Christian yoga is a way for people of faith to improve their physical and mental health while strengthening their bonds with God. It separates the benefits of yoga from ties to Hindu culture and incorporates Christian faith into the practice. Some poses are renamed or not performed, and scriptures from the Bible can be read aloud.
The physical and mental health benefits of yoga are agreed upon by many people around the world. However, some Christians worry that practicing yoga might go against their spiritual beliefs. Actually, yoga has been in practice for several years before being associated with any religion, so it is a wellness methodology and not a religious theology. As such, various groups have formed their own brand of Christian yoga to help people of faith use yoga to not only improve their bodies, but also to strengthen their bonds with God.
Christians believe that God created man in his image, which means that each person should treat their body with respect. This makes yoga the perfect opportunity for Christians to reconnect with their body, while also improving it. Christian centered yoga works as a method of preparing the body and mind for full worship and providing sacred time to allow a person to be filled with God.
While some are skeptical about potentially embracing another religion through the practice of yoga, in general Christian attitudes toward yoga have changed. Many argue that to believe that a Christian cannot enjoy yoga because of their history with another religion is to argue that Christians should not enjoy other things associated with other religions. An example would be saying that Christians should not enjoy the sun since religions have centered their faith around the sun. Instead, people who practice Christian yoga separate the benefits of the yoga act from the ties to Hindu culture and incorporate their own faith into the practice.
Those who practice Christian yoga tend to shift certain aspects of what can be called traditional yoga beyond the focus of spirituality. Many Christian yoga classes rename poses that may seem too focused on Eastern culture. To make the yoga experience more Christian-focused, some yoga teachers have created their own Christian-related poses, such as the fish and boat poses. In other cases, some postures or gestures are not performed if they seem too focused on the Hindu faith.
The practice of Christian yoga also means that other aspects of traditional yoga are left out or changed. Instead of emptying the mind of all thoughts, a person should fill his mind with thoughts of God and his teachings; praying is also acceptable. Within a classroom setting, scriptures from the Bible can be read aloud. Chanting and mantras are generally prohibited by those who teach Christian yoga.
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