For the last nine years or so I have been in love with yoga. So much that I posted photos and videos on social media of myself doing it. It's the type of exercise that always makes me feel good and strong and I really enjoy it.
It wasn't until just one week ago that I came across a video on YouTube of a young Christian woman sharing her testimony of why she made the major decision to quit yoga for good because of strong conviction. She was convicted by the Holy Spirit that yoga was a danger to her faith and her desire to honor God.. Many Christians, including myself, have rationalized that our intentions are to glorify God even when we are doing yoga poses that were originally created as forms of worship to a plethora of Hindu gods...and demons.
When I gave my life to Jesus in 2017, I continued practicing yoga with "slight" conviction. I ignored it and kept going to yoga classes with all the Om's and Namaste's and all the New Age talk of self enlightenment, etc. Really, all of this was still uncomfortable for me because I did not align with that worldview/perspective anymore. God was doing a work in me to transform my life.
Then I started doing Holy Yoga which made me feel better about doing yoga. But not long after, I went back to regular yoga with the intention to keep my heart and mind focused on honoring God, while ignoring the origins of yoga and the effects on my spiritual life.
Let's go back to the young woman I mentioned earlier. In a matter of minutes into listening to her testimony, I had a gentle, yet firm, conviction that I was to stop doing yoga. Cold turkey. And that's what I did.
It feels like a relief. It feels right and good that I not practice yoga even if my intentions are good. Ignorance is not a godly attribute, especially when it comes to practices that very obviously originate in idol/demon worship.
My hope and prayer for all of us children of God is that our hearts will be open to the convictions of the Holy Spirit to walk single-mindedly focused on God and His will for our lives. To glorify Him because He is worthy.
The woman who shared her testimony sacrificed when she abandoned yoga. She closed down her yoga studio and started her own YouTube channel, Caitlin Englebert, sharing non-yoga stretching exercises. Hallelujah! I've already been so blessed by her videos to stretch and feel healthy. Stretching is so good friends! And it's not just in yoga that we can treat our bodies to stretching.
Yes, regular stretching is different from much of yoga. It's not as "dynamic", maybe that's the word. But it is still good.
Here's the thing: As children of God, we need to be intentional and God-fearing with all we do with our minds, hearts, AND bodies.
Some forms of exercise that I can think of that are so wonderful and can absolutely honor God are:
Hiking (my fave!)
Non-yoga stretching
Swimming (also my fave!)
Sports
Running
Surfing
Rock climbing
Weight lifting
Walking
And more that I probably am not thinking of at this moment :)
I'm encouraged that God has given all of us an abundance of ways to exercise our bodies so we can be healthy to live life well and in service to God and others.
Let's be encouraged and honor God while we honor the remarkable bodies He has given us!
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