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Christian Yoga Article
Christian Yoga should be encouraged.
from:Christian yoga is a spiritual practice of Christians most common in Eastern and Western Countries. It is a discipline that one practices to be much closer to God. Taking the path of Christian yoga can lead to healing of the mind and body. But perhaps even more important than that, it can lead to the discovery of what at the moment is only present as a potential within any Christian individual.
Many classes in the US teach the practice of yoga, the physical discipline that focuses on postures or asana, and employ no religious teaching at all.
Practitioners say that Christian yoga fills a need for believers who want the health benefits of yoga but are uncomfortable with the practice's ancient Hindu roots. However, it brings the wonderful physical benefits of yoga within their spiritual beliefs.
The doctrines and practice of yoga can be traced to the period of the Upanishads. The word yoga originated from Hindu language, it is a religious practice of Hinduism that through the practice of certain disciplines achieves liberation from the limitations of flesh, the delusions of sense, and the pitfalls of thought and thus makes it possible for the individual to attain union with the object of knowledge.
Though developed in the ancient Hindu tradition, the movements of Christian yoga are so universal, that they can adapt to or be adopted by any culture or spiritual path.
Yoga has been known for many years, and was practiced by some of the Early Christians during the persecution. Christian yoga is about unfolding some of these wonderful possibilities each hold latent. It is about possibilities so amazing that many early Christians were willing to die in support of keeping a doorway open for other people to claim them. Go into it and be transformed by following the Christian pathway, Christian yoga.
In the Eastern belief, Christian yoga is not a series of Eastern postures or breathing techniques, rather, the aim is to open to an influence that can transform and heal. Eastern yoga attempts to bypass the ego, the Christian path aims at transforming the personality. Christian yoga is described in the New Testament in the story of Jesus' life as an allegory. It is a step-by-step way of transformation and the finding of a new life. As Jesus promised, this 'heaven', this new awareness of your life, is not far away. It is already yours if you know how to find it.
In Western Christian yoga women played an important role in its practice and teachings from its very beginning. It is about universal processes of life, of mind and heart.
Christian yoga has garnered criticism, despite of its prevalence.
Many Christians says that Christian yoga is incompatible with Christianity, and emphasizing that it is not a religion in itself. Other says that there is no such thing as Christian yoga because it blends two different belief structures. Catholic priests in Mexico City instructed their parishioners not to attend Yoga classes because this practice would lead to other gods and Eastern religion beliefs.
Though critics have charged that yoga's ancient Hindu origins are incompatible with Christian faith, practitioners say the exercise is an ideal vehicle for spiritual reflection.