Table of Contents:

Introduction

How can yoga be spiritual? You may ask; why can’t someone just practice yoga only for stretching and exercise, and nothing more?

What about meditation?

So, what does the Bible say that is opposite to “clearing your mind” or “emptying your mind”?

Can we really be “gods”?

How do we find our purpose? Can we really look within ourselves to find purpose? To find God?

Conclusion

In this article we will discuss the practice of yoga and answer some of the common questions that are often asked by Christians and nonChristians alike in regard to yoga and such practices that often go hand-in-hand with yoga, such as meditation.

It’s important to emphasize and understand that exercise and stretching are indeed very beneficial to the body, and they should be incorporated into everyone’s daily life, but sadly, yoga is deceiving in that along with stretching and exercise, there is an anti-Christian (demonic) spiritual connection that is attached. Though it may seem innocent and beneficial on the outside, it’s impossible to do yoga without this spiritual connection. This is what we will get to discuss in this article today. 

So what am I talking about? How can yoga be spiritual? You may ask; why can’t someone just practice yoga only for stretching and exercise, and nothing more?

As you may have heard others say before, we must always look to the roots or the foundation of a teaching. Why was it created? What is the purpose? And do the teachings go contrary to God’s Word? When we look to the teachings of yoga, we find that yoga is Hinduism at its core; you cannot separate the two. Each pose (called asanas) within yoga are specifically designed to pay homage to the many pagan deities or gods within Hinduism. Even each saying and ohm used throughout a yoga session is contrary to Christian beliefs.

Take the warrior pose for example, a pose even most non-yoga participants have heard of and know. When taking a little deeper look and doing some research into the foundation of the warrior pose, we find there is indeed a spiritual connection and intentional purpose within yoga to incorporate this three-part pose.

“..The pose Warrior I represents the Hero arriving at the ceremony with two swords in his hand. Warrior II represents the Hero focusing on his target and Warrior III represents the killing of Daksha with the two swords.” https://www.balancegarden.co.uk/blog/warrior-poses?format=amp

While many do call such a story a myth, many believe it to be history. Virabhadrasana or warrior poses I, II and III represent the three different stages in which the killing of Daksha happened by lord Shiva (one of the most feared Hindu deities, known as the “destroyer”).

One yoga instructor states, “We can interpret the myth of Virabhadra as a story about the inner work of the yogi. The power we gain in yoga is meant to bolster us in doing battle with the limiting tendencies in our minds.” https://www.yogapedia.com/the-triumph-of-love-the-significance-of-the-warrior-poses/2/8337

Keep in mind, she is speaking about this same “power” that lord Shiva was given to KILL his father-in-law! This is grievous. Even if no one desires to use the “power” to actually kill someone, this is an evil example that goes directly against God’s 6th commandment to not kill or even have hate towards someone in your heart. And this is a demonic power they as yogi’s (one who is proficient in yoga) teach and hope to gain through yoga and such poses to overcome or “battle with the limiting tendencies in our minds.”

Outside of those that start yoga simply for physical benefits, not understanding the roots underneath yoga, many often times begin yoga sincerely wanting to overcome or work through genuine limitations or struggles they may be dealing with, whether that is healing from a past or current bad experience or trauma, an anger issue, anxiety, fear, etc; whatever it may be, I can understand. For whether we realize it at the time or not, we all are seeking to be whole and that leads us to look for something that we believe may help us to achieve that goal, and yoga is often one of those activities that many seek as a way of healing, escape, etc, when in reality as we will talk about later this type of activity has a false light and is an activity that Satan uses to get His foot in the door to someone’s life.

Keep in mind this pose and myth is just one of many well-known and incorporated poses and stories of the false Hindu gods that yoga participants desire to emulate; even if they may not realize it. 

Even within the meaning of Yoga, we see its Hindu roots; for according to the medical dictionary, “Yoga means yoke or union” and that it “is a method joining the individual with the divine, universal spirit or cosmic consciousness.” Which in Hindu philosophy that “divine or universal spirit” is Brahman, the Hindu god. Yoga means to yoke specifically with Brahman or to be one with the Hindu god Brahman.

“The term yoga comes from a Sanskrit (sacred language in Hinduism) word which means yoke or union. Traditionally, yoga is a method joining the indivi-dual self  with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness. Physical and mental exercises are designed to help achieve this goal, also call self-transcendence or enlightenment…” https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/yoga

While some may truly only teach yoga or participate in yoga for physical benefits unaware of the teachings that go hand in hand with yoga (just as I did); many can attest to yoga, soon after, becoming more than just a physical activity that they enjoy partaking in.

Take these three examples spoken about in “Yoga and the Body of Christ” by Dave Hunt, “David Pursglove, a therapist and transpersonal counselor for decades, warns that those involved in Eastern meditation can encounter “Frightening ESP and other parapsychological occurrences..out-of-body experiences…[encounters] with death and subsequent rebirth..awakening of the serpent power (Kundalini)…violent shaking and twisting…” The Brain/Mind Bulletin warns that “such experiences are common among people involved in Yoga, [Eastern] meditation….” Another expert adds his sober word of warning: I advanced in the occult sphere so fast that I soon became the youngest guru in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most advanced and powerful. Twice a week I taught you on television. Hatha-yoga sounds like a nice simple set of exercises; everyone thinks it is just gymnastics. I want to warn that it is just the beginning of a devilish trap. After I became an instructor in Hatha-yoga, my guru showed me that the only thing these exercises do is open your appetite for the occult. They are like marijuana; they usually lead you on to a drug that is worse and stronger, binding you so completely that only Christ can deliver you. Many people think that occult power is just the power of the mind. This is not true. There is a point beyond which the power of the mind ends, and the demonic power takes over.”

What about meditation?

When meditation or “dhyana” takes place during yoga, there can be certain ohms, phrases or words spoken throughout a session, but most often as I have experienced it and have found online, the biggest portion happens at the end, during the very last pose called the corpse pose or savasana. Called the corpse pose as you may assume because you lie down on your back like a corpse. Speaking about the corpse pose; “Lie down on your back with your arms and legs gently stretched out, away from the body, with your palms facing up to the sky. Try to clear your mind while breathing deeply. You might hold this pose for 5-15 minutes.”

“Yoga meditation is done without moving the body. When you do this mindful practice, you will get into position, either sitting or lying down peacefully, letting thoughts and feelings pass without judging them. You keep your eyes closed and your palms facing upward to the sky. Yoga meditation is often done in a class or with someone instructing you during the meditation..you may feel your body tingle or shake, especially if you’ve done a more vigorous style of yoga..”

“The humming or chanting of “Ommmmmm” is also commonly practiced during meditation. It is believed that “by chanting Om, we can align our frequency with that of the original universal frequency, which is essential in spiritual practice…the mind becomes aligned with the breath, which enable a person to get into an elevated state of consciousness called samadhi. The activity of attaining samadhi brings the materially absorbed mind under control, which enables a person to have one-pointed focus towards spiritual realization” (www.hinduamerican.org)

“Like the physical practice of yoga, dhyana (meditation) forms a profound connection with the universe by doing mental exercises to bring you to a higher state of consciousness. This connection happens in savasana when you are in a meditative peaceful state (Mohammad, 2019.)..”

This is why the study of the Bible is so important, because it so easily exposes the lies of Satan. Did you notice what was stated above about “letting thoughts and feelings pass without judging them”?

Without study of the Bible, the four quotes I shared from online may seem totally safe. Notice also mentioned above was “clearing of the mind” and “emptying of your mind.” These two statements along with the idea of letting our thoughts and feelings pass without judging them are ideas we will never find in the Bible. We will actually find the complete opposite.

We are called to test the spirits in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” We must test every thought and feeling that passes our minds with the Bible, for Satan does bring many thoughts and feelings through our minds daily and if we don’t have knowledge of the Holy Bible, we won’t be able to discern which thoughts are from the Lord and which are from Satan. And God says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” When we don’t have a standard of truth to compare everything we think and do to, how can we know which way is right and which way is wrong? It leads to many finding themselves involved in such new age practices like yoga, for even if they may not realize this to be the case, without having knowledge and a desire to heed what the Bible says, they are following their own heart, their own wisdom and the way that seems to be right to them. (Just as I have done myself.) Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” And this is dangerous. For they now are basing decisions based on subjective truth (decisions and options based on personal feelings, tastes, or opinions) rather than the objective truth of the Bible. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  

So, what does the Bible say that is opposite to “clearing your mind” or “emptying your mind”?

There is great danger in “emptying our mind” as meditation teaches. We are warned in Matthew 12 of what can happen when a demon leaves someone and isn’t then filled by the Holy Spirit but is left empty. Matthew 12:44-46 “When the unclean spirit (demon) is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

So, what are we to do then? God does indeed speak about meditation, but Satan has twisted that to mean something that it isn’t. Rather than chanting, saying certain phrases or “emptying our mind,” God tells us to meditate on His Word. We are to dwell on and think about Jesus, as much as we can; His death, His resurrection, and everything about Him. How He is currently interceding on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary above, how He is soon to come back and judge the earth in righteousness, how He came to earth as God in human flesh, “..was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” so we as undeserving as we are could have eternal life, how we can overcome all sin and shortcoming’s through faith in Jesus, etc. God tells us to meditate on the Law of liberty, the 10 commandments. God tells us that we are to renew or change our mind to think on things above where Christ sits, not on things of the earth. And to think on pure and holy things, esteem others better than ourselves, and rather than seeking what WE desire, we should ask, “what do you desire for me Lord?” Or “how do you want me to handle this situation, Lord?” And the list can go on, praise the Lord.

Psalm 1:2, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Psalms 77:11 & 12, “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

Psalm 119:97, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

Matthew 22:36-38, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (38) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (39) This is the first and great commandment.”

Romans 12:1-3, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Colossians 3:1&2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Philippians 2: 3-11, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

And this can all be applied as well when analyzing such statements as, “we can align our frequency with that of the original universal frequency.” Yes, we have frequencies all around us, but Satan deceives so many to complicate the process of how we are to receive healing, peace, satisfaction, joy, or happiness in this life to name a few. When it is by simply coming to Jesus Christ in humility, confessing and repenting our sins, and by the grace and strength of Jesus Christ that healing comes.

God in His loves, give us the opportunity to choose which path we desire to take. Many simply don’t realize that what they are partaking is dangerous to their soul, and others sadly don’t want to humble themselves before God, they like being their own god and love their sin. John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Can we really be “gods”?

Anyone who understands the depths of yoga and the purpose behind it can tell you that the many positions, poses, meditation and sayings, ohms or chants within yoga were never created solely for the purpose of physical well-being. As mentioned at the beginning, there is a clear “spiritual” aspect as well. Yoga is a known spiritual practice that also happens to include physical benefits. For it was within the Hindu religion that yoga was created for people to develop the “god” that they believe is within us all.

“Most Hindus would believe that we all have a soul and that soul is a reflection of God; so that individual soul that we all possess means that our natures are inherently divine and we can know God by going inside of ourselves. For Hindus the soul is reincarnated over many lifetimes and the goal of Hindu life is to achieve liberation from the cycle of rebirth, liberation from the cycle of suffering… One way to think about this notion of our souls being inherently divine is through the Hindu greeting of namaste, which is a traditional greeting in India and it literally means the divinity within me acknowledges and salutes the divinity within you. So in this simply greeting we see a core Hindu theological belief that’s articulated…”– Transcript taken from Youtube video on Oprah Winfrey Network called, “Introduction to Hinduism”

Even the common “greeting” or what many yoga instructors say at the end of a session “Namaste” openly reveals why Christians and others should avoid yoga.

Notice, within Hinduism it is believed that humans are inherently divine, in that they believe they possess brahman (their “god” in them) and therefore they believe that it is also by “going inside of ourselves” that we can know God. Is this a Christian principle? Are we inherently divine?

Thanks be to God and the Holy Spirit helping us to understand the Bible, we can once again see the lies that Satan likes to tell. For keep in mind, that he is the father of lies. John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

This specific lie from Satan, that “man is naturally immortal” today deceives many to dismiss sin and to diminish the consequences of sin just as he was cunning to do at the beginning of creation. Genesis 3:1-5, “…And he (Satan speaking through the serpent) said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Before Adam and Eve fell to the temptations of Satan and sinned, they walked with God in perfect harmony and in the constant communion of heavenly angels. As they walked in obedience to God, they were immortal on the condition of continued obedience but when Adam and Eve sinned, death entered in and hence the fall of humanity.

The lie of natural immortality is running around the world at a more rapid pace in these last days of earth’s history, for Satan knows his time is running short. Which includes the common Christian belief that the wicked that don’t make it to Heaven, will be still living for eternity in hell, where they are not dead but rather alive, but in a state of immense pain and suffering. Which is another variation of Satan’s lie that mankind is naturally immortal. (Click HERE for more information). Just as God’s moral standard (the 10 Commandments) was present in Heaven before this earth and mankind were created, and as in the Garden of Eden, there has always been a consequence of disobeying the requirements of God; death. “God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die..” For “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) Yet in God’s great love towards us, even then God already had a plan to redeem fallen man so that we could have the hope of immortality by the sacrifice of His Son. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“…the Lamb (Jesus) slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)

How do we find our purpose? Can we really look within ourselves to find purpose? To find God?

When we come to understand that there is a moral standard we are called to abide by; the perfect law of liberty (the 10 Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17). Please see: Are you a good person? It is then that we find the true state of our beings. We find that we are wretched, vile, selfish and sin loving. We see that we clearly have fallen short of the glory of God and His perfect standard. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) We abhor the good things that God desires to give us and we love doing as we want, for we seek our own pleasures, we follow our own lusts of the flesh and do everything according to what personal desires and as our feelings say.

It is then when we understand our true condition, we come to understand we need to look to something much bigger than ourselves; we see our filthiness and our desperate need of help, cleansing, forgiveness and saving from that death that we justly deserve. Yet, because of God’s many mercies towards us, by God’s love and grace, we have been provided a way in which we can get right with our Father in heaven and a way in which our debt can be cancelled and cleared. Thanks be to God, He gave His only Son, our precious Redeemer Jesus Christ to take the horrible punishment on a wooden cross for you and me and then by the power of God, defeated death and rose again from the grave on the third day. Praise the Lord!!

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

If we constantly continue to look to ourselves and within ourselves to find purpose and happiness, it’s going to be a very disappointing and consistently discouraging path…We fail often, but God..He never has and never will fail us.  Instead of serving self and looking within ourselves to find purpose, we can find true purpose by denying ourselves, surrendering our will to God’s, and looking to the Saviour of the world as our righteous and perfect example.

“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24&25) and “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He (Jesus) walked.” (1 John 2:6) And how did Jesus walk? We could write pages upon pages of the details of His perfect walk on this earth but very simply put, Jesus did the will of His Father; He walked this earth in humility and self-denial, He put others needs above His own, He loved to please His Father, He obeyed the Commandments, He healed the sick and broken hearted, He cast out demons and forgave those deemed “unforgivable”, He lived a life contrary to the pride that was found in Satan and his followers, and most importantly, though He was equal to God and had no sin, in humble obedience to His Father’s will Jesus also “became obedience unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8) “for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

His life displayed perfectly what true love and self-sacrifice is. He lived a life of humility and uplifted the perfect, holy and good 10 Commandments when He showed what obeying the 10 Commandments looked like. He died for the ungodly and for sinners, He was despised and rejected of men; even His own received Him not. He was bruised for our iniquities and nailed to the cross so that, “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12), and He “abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (2 Timothy 1:10) so that we could become kings and priests ever to reign with Him and His Father in heaven for eternity by the merits and righteousness of Christ. 

By God’s grace and us heeding His loving call to repent from our sins and put our trust in our Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christ we become born again; the Holy Spirit now lives in us, our hearts and desires are changed, our life is no longer ours, and the work of sanctification and process of perfection begins until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:6)

The 10 Commandments as promised (Jeremiah 32, Hebrews 8:10 & 10:16) are written on our hearts and minds and we by the strength and grace of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can now walk in obedience to His Law, “..the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:4) and if we are diligent to stay within the Lord’s will and obey His Commandments, nothing can separate us form the love of God (Romans 8:39). “Now unto Him (Jesus) that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 1:24), we will be found spotless, covered by the blood of the Lamb ready for when He soon returns to take His faithful saints home to “ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

That means face to face with the Saviour of the world, our faith will be turned into sight, and we will never have to suffer anymore. No more tears will be shed, no more violence, sickness, disease, no more sin, and no more of Satan and his temptations. We will be able to fly from planet to planet, explore all of God’s creation; the many worlds within the many galaxies that He has created! (Promises of Heaven)

1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”

To conclude:

This Hindu practice of yoga has only recently been brought over to the West from India and has become a common practice for many worldwide.  It’s even made its way into many churches, elementary schools, and college campuses. There are many grave dangers of partaking in such practices as yoga and meditation. And this is one way in which Satan desires to get his foot in the door of your life.

If you have or are still currently partaking in new age practices like yoga or mediation, please confess and repent (turn away) for your sins; even if you were doing it in ignorance. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts 17:30) God is so merciful and full of compassion. He desires all to come to repentance, for He doesn’t want anyone to perish in their sins.  It is the precious blood of Christ that can set anyone free, no matter how far involved someone may be in the new age and the occult. No matter how far someone may feel that they have drifted away from Christ; there is hope in Christ’s shed blood. It is only Satan that is whispering in your ear that you have sinned too much or that you have fallen too far off the path.  Only Satan wants us to diminish the sacrifice of Jesus, for His blood is sufficient for all sins; no matter how grievous. Believe His promises and give your life to Him today. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Pray, read, and study the Bible everyday; “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

For it is only by the study of the Word of God in combination with prayer and faith, that we can fight Satan’s temptations and attacks just as Jesus did in the wilderness when Satan came to tempt Him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

I pray you are blessed by what you read today. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly!

Hannah 🙂