Im totally confused...

[Believer1997]

I serve Jesus Christ. My body is riddled with several auto-immune conditions that require I exercise gently and on a regular basis. I like the stretching exercises practiced in yoga. That said - it's the only thing I like... When I meditate - I pray; for Jesus to open my heart to others; to encompass and surround my children and bring them to Jesus; to help me understand and be more tolerant and patient for those who do not believe as I. I do not chant or think about Buddha, Mickey Mouse or anything but asking Jesus to heal my sore and tired muscles and help me to keep going .... I enjoy water exercises and other less harmful joint exercises. I know the origins of yoga and I know that using the techniques help me control my pain and stretch muscles that need to be soothed. My heart and soul belong to God. No one else.

[Guest]

.... what she believed in? She said she was both a Christian and a Buddhist.... if you could be both....

The Buddha Taught - In Order To End Desire And Suffering, A Man Must Follow My Eightfold Path

The Bible Says - Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:13-15

The Buddha Taught - Life Is Pain And Desire But Nothingness Is Not, So Eternal Death Is The Very Best Hope A Fellow Can Have

The Bible Says - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

The Buddha Taught - Life Is A Wheel Of Endless Birth, Life, And Death; Rebirth, Life, And Death And So On And So On Unless One Earns Really Good Karma, Then He Gets To Be Eternally Dead (Nirvana) As His Just Wages (Reward)

The Bible Says - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Hebrews 9:27

~

In Buddha's Philosophy, There Is No Hope Except Eternal Death

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8

In God's Book, There Is Sure Hope In Jesus Christ

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Leaving One With One Choice

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36

Choose Wisely

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2

~

Believe And Be Blessed Beloved

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms 42:1

Love, Joe

[Guest]

I serve Jesus Christ. My body is riddled with several auto-immune conditions that require I exercise gently and on a regular basis. I like the stretching exercises practiced in yoga. That said - it's the only thing I like... When I meditate - I pray; for Jesus to open my heart to others; to encompass and surround my children and bring them to Jesus; to help me understand and be more tolerant and patient for those who do not believe as I. I do not chant or think about Buddha, Mickey Mouse or anything but asking Jesus to heal my sore and tired muscles and help me to keep going .... I enjoy water exercises and other less harmful joint exercises. I know the origins of yoga and I know that using the techniques help me control my pain and stretch muscles that need to be soothed. My heart and soul belong to God. No one else....

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 10:11

~

Praying~!

[JohnD]

Read Shiloh's excellent post on the Offence of the Cross. Everything that we need to be aware of is in it!

Thank you for the suggestion. My alarm bells kind of went off instantly maybe that's whats made me ask here.

That is good.

It means the Holy Spirit living in you is telling you something.

Instead of man's quest for chi, feng shui, nirvana, etc, man's true quest is Christ and learning how to listen to the Holy Spirit he sent and who lives in us.

[JohnD]

I was once under the conviction that everything to do with yoga is of the devil. This is what Christian leaders taught, and I parroted most of what they taught... then I embarked on the defense of the faith (apologetics) and discovered, much to my embarrassment, most of what they taught they parroted from those who taught them and those who taught them and somewhere down the line somebody made up a lot of what they taught from their own imagination. So I embarked on the defense of the faith from a do-my-own-homework perspective. I discovered that studying the Bible under the tutelage of its Author (the Holy Spirit see 2 Peter 1:20-21) was all I needed. And the truth came pouring out. Because God the Holy Spirit is quite anxious to get the truth out!

Yoga, like anything else (even sadly Christianity*) can be misused to prepare the mind and the body for service of demons and devils.

*this is of course either a false Christianity or Christians who are misled by the traditions of men

Chanting may not be so bad if you say things like "Jesus is the only way of salvation." "All you have to do is believe in Jesus to be saved." "Christ alone." Of course you will have the rest of your tolerant loving classmates after your head on a platter.

Back before I had learned to see for myself what is meant in scripture, my beloved and I attended a Church in Palos Verdes, Ca. Rolling Hills Covenant Church. Pastored by Dr. Gordon Kirk some years back (1986 in fact) and he did a meditative thing at the end of his sermons where the lights were turned down low and the pianist played softly as he essentially guided the church into Christian meditation. Of course the traditionalists cried "New Age tripe! Avoid it like the plague and yoga too."

As I said, ANYTHING can be misused to serve evil. So I am not saying these things cannot be. So be careful ! ! !

But yoga stretches and positions are not preparing you exclusively for the devil to take over your body... and meditation (if you are a Christian) CANNOT open your spirit to the devil or demonic possession because we are already fully indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God Almighty. And I am discovering that traditions of men go out of their way to keep us from learning how to listen to him. It is a combination of being still and knowing he is God and Bible study / verification...

1 John 4:1 (NIV)

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I would like some gifted individual who is a believer make a decent Christian meditation video. The ones I've sen are pretty bad...

[freeinnocentspirit]

I was once under the conviction that everything to do with yoga is of the devil. This is what Christian leaders taught, and I parroted most of what they taught... then I embarked on the defense of the faith (apologetics) and discovered, much to my embarrassment, most of what they taught they parroted from those who taught them and those who taught them and somewhere down the line somebody made up a lot of what they taught from their own imagination. So I embarked on the defense of the faith from a do-my-own-homework perspective. I discovered that studying the Bible under the tutelage of its Author (the Holy Spirit see 2 Peter 1:20-21) was all I needed. And the truth came pouring out. Because God the Holy Spirit is quite anxious to get the truth out!

Yoga, like anything else (even sadly Christianity*) can be misused to prepare the mind and the body for service of demons and devils.

*this is of course either a false Christianity or Christians who are misled by the traditions of men

Chanting may not be so bad if you say things like "Jesus is the only way of salvation." "All you have to do is believe in Jesus to be saved." "Christ alone." Of course you will have the rest of your tolerant loving classmates after your head on a platter.

Back before I had learned to see for myself what is meant in scripture, my beloved and I attended a Church in Palos Verdes, Ca. Rolling Hills Covenant Church. Pastored by Dr. Gordon Kirk some years back (1986 in fact) and he did a meditative thing at the end of his sermons where the lights were turned down low and the pianist played softly as he essentially guided the church into Christian meditation. Of course the traditionalists cried "New Age tripe! Avoid it like the plague and yoga too."

As I said, ANYTHING can be misused to serve evil. So I am not saying these things cannot be. So be careful ! ! !

But yoga stretches and positions are not preparing you exclusively for the devil to take over your body... and meditation (if you are a Christian) CANNOT open your spirit to the devil or demonic possession because we are already fully indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God Almighty. And I am discovering that traditions of men go out of their way to keep us from learning how to listen to him. It is a combination of being still and knowing he is God and Bible study / verification...

1 John 4:1 (NIV)

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I would like some gifted individual who is a believer make a decent Christian meditation video. The ones I've sen are pretty bad...

Hi John thanks for the post.

Firstly, I have always hated the religious aspect of this yoga group and im not the only to sit the chanting part out. My reason for sitting this element out is that I can see it as a form of prayer and my intentions of attending the class is that this form pranayama has an emphasis on breath work and it helps manage my erratic asthma problem. So my intentions of going there are purely for exercise. I am going to search for a class that does not contain any forms of chanting or religion as its not necessary to do this for a class that is clearly multi faith.

Also I think a lot of these classes can lead people to what I refer to as hippi-fication (its my new word ) where you end up exploring all forms of self help and holistic health care and just end up confused and puzzled! In my case Im very happy where I am right now with my faith and need nothing more.

Edited March 31, 2012 by freeinnocentspirit

[xero]

Im not trying to be rude but if you read the Bible you wont be confused about questions like this.

[freeinnocentspirit]

Im not trying to be rude but if you read the Bible you wont be confused about questions like this.

Well it doesnt not really matter to me as I do read the Bible and I know what I am. I was just very interested to see how this blend worked and if there were others here who had a liberal blend. For me I can do both Yoga and Tai Chi without the exercise influencing my faith I just dont want to get carried away with it all.

[Bold Believer]

If your conscience bothers you about it, cut it off. I personally believe yoga is occultic and it's not meant for believers because it comes from a foreign religion (Hinduism) which worships idols. Whatever is not of faith is sin.

[jasoncran]

so christians shouldnt do any martial art then as all martial arts are if taught that way religious in nature. that said i avoid tai chi as there no way to avoid the ki crap in that as the inner circle and outer circle and ki breathing are integral to it. also its meant to be both a meditation and also self-defense.i tried tai-chi and the sifu was a taoist and i couldnt stay with it. kung-fu was hard enough with him but tai-chi was too much.