Is Yoga healthy for Christians?
First, let me say that stretching exercises are healthy. But stretching is not Yoga.
It is okay to bend your body into impossible positions if you are simply doing it for health reasons, but most who are taking advanced Yoga classes are being exposed to an entire philosophy rooted in eastern religion and spiritualism.
Second, people have been doing stretching exercises since Adam and Eve, but not everyone has the goal of creating an energy flow throughout the body that results in mystical powers leading to increased strength and sensory ability. These breathing exercises and stretch positions are mind altering techniques designed to achieve a Zen like state of peace and calm and are a form of transcendental meditation that leaves a person suggestable to the spirit world. This is a red flag.
Most beginner “Yoga” classes are nothing more than a marketing ploy for a low impact exercise classes that make you stretch muscle groups that you never knew you had. But many of these classes can be feeder groups into more advanced classes that encourage a new age philosophy rooted in eastern traditions that is a far cry from what it means to be a Christian.
Let me again stress that stretching is not “Yoga” and is perfectly healthy. Attending a stretch class may be a good way to improve your overall health and meet some new people. However, be cautious of the meditative and breathing techniques that are designed to put your mind into an altered state of reality making it easier for the devil get a foothold into your thought process. Be especially aware of the advanced classes that slowly indoctrinate you into eastern mysticism and new age spiritualism that is a clear violation of the word of God.
Stephen Beagles (2022)