- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
A yoga student goes through an exercise at the Shakti Yoga centre in St. Andrew.
PART 2: Last week I sought to establish that yoga is not simply an exercise programme, nor a series of relaxation techniques but a broad highway into the Hindu religion of India. It is commonly agreed that there are about eight (to ten) main branches of yoga, each with a different emphasis, but all claiming the same long term results self-actualisation as God.
Donald K. Stewart, Contributor
RESEARCHER, GEORGE Feuerstein, goes as far as unearthing 40 different types of yoga, which he claims, represent, "the vast scope of Hindu yoga"-- something for everyone, it would appear. One of the most popular branches of yoga, 'Hatha', is often used as a bait, particularly in the Western world, to ensnare the simple and unsuspecting seeker.
Hatha yoga is marketed as, "the mastery of the physical body" or as a system of "relaxation exercises and meditation" techniques that are related to the physical control of the human body. Hatha yoga is, therefore, presented as being concerned with mainly two things; Asana (physical postures) and Pranayama (breathing exercises). But is this really the whole truth? Michael Gleghorn, another researcher, proposes that Hatha yoga is "solely and exclusively for the attainment of Raja yoga", or is regarded as "the ladder to Raja yoga". Johanna Michaelsen, well known (former) occult practitioner, points out that the purpose of Hatha yoga is to, "suppress the flow of psychic energies through these channels, thereby forcing the 'Serpent Power' or the Kundalini force to rise through the central psychic channel in the spine and up through the chakras, the supposed psychic centres of human personality and power".
DIABOLICALLY INSANE
One only has to view a documentary on Kundalini yoga to see how diabolically insane this whole practice becomes. Even teachers of Kundalini are careful to warn prospective practitioners of the potential dangers of awakening the serpent before the right time and without proper supervision, the fearful risk of being fatally bitten. Do these things sound like a harmless set of stretching exercises? Is this what you want your children to play around with? Think again.
Feuerstein describes Hatha yoga as "the unitive discipline of the force (meaning the serpent power or Kundalini -Shakti)" and further connects Kundalini yoga with Tantric yoga, in which sexual immorality becomes enshrined in glory, as both the means and ends of the yoga activities. It is from this branch of yoga that schools of Tantra, so-called sex-goddesses and even the church of Tantra have emerged.
It is also significant that Kundalini and Tantra are both linked with the vile, wicked and perverted Hindu goddess, Kali. When Bible-believing Christians foolishly enter on the yoga path, there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. One thing that is certain, however, is that if they remain drifting there for too long, they will eventually, shipwreck their own faith, with no one to blame, but themselves. Michaelsen again warns us of the lethal deceptiveness of yoga in her publication, "Like lambs to the slaughter". She insists that; "Westerners mistakenly believe that one can practice Hatha yoga apart from the philosophical and religious beliefs that undergird it. This is an absolutely false belief. You cannot separate the exercises from the philosophy."
NO SUCH THING AS NEUTRAL YOGA
Michaelsen concludes by emphatically declaring; "There is, by definition, no such thing as Neutral yoga".! I know that there are many who now practice what they affectionately call, "Christian yoga". Sincere, but misguided, people are always trying to Christianise anything that seems to provide pleasure for the body or solutions for their immediate mental, social and emotional problems. Isn't it the same that is done with other New Age and psychic phenomena?
How often have you heard good, moral, church people (even Bible believing Christians) declaring faith in the local spiritists who display supernatural healing powers and metaphysical abilities? They, like the people of Samaria (Acts 8: 9-11) and of Philippi (Acts 16:16-18), are certainly being hoodwinked and mesmerised by the deceptiveness of a crafty, manipulative devil.
YOGA NIDRA
The Shakti Yoga Centre has invited us to participate in Yoga Nidra-- but what exactly is this? They, themselves, describe it as; "the unique combination of alert awareness and deepest relaxation. It takes you to the Alpha, which releases the mystical, integrative powers of the third eye and the higher centres of your consciousness, where you learn to tap into extraordinary powers of your own intuition, inspiration, creativity, health and abundance". They, therefore, conclude that Yoga Nidra "empowers you to uncover and alter the deepest Karmic roots hidden in your subconscious".
It doesn't matter how hard we try to reinterpret these concepts, we cannot escape the glaring occult phenomena that confront us, in the name of yoga. Ram Smith, a faithful yoga devotee, lives at the Ananda headquarters in Sierra Nevada Mountains, (U.S.A.) and is an instructor for the Ananda Expanding Light Retreat. He, like many other yoga victims, has been deceived into thinking "The spiritual teachings that I practice at Ananda are based on the principles of original Christianity".
He goes on to explain, "at Ananda, we advocate the practice of Raja yoga, in order to attain soul salvation, self-realisation, or oneness with God". How does this fit with your own understanding of salvation from God's word, the Bible? Would you agree with Yogi Smith that all roads lead to the same salvation? Why not read again --Proverbs 14:12, 16:25, John 14:6 and 1 Tim. 2:3-5?
ALL IS GOD AND GOD IS ALL
Yoga is built on the same false notion as the New Age Movement, "All is God and God is all" (Pantheism). This thought could make you feel divinely special, but it is simply another satanic ploy to paralyse your conscience and fatally trap you in your sins. The Bible clearly reveals that God, the Creator, is not to be confused with his creation.
We, as human beings, were originally made in the image and likeness of God, but we are not (and never will become) God. Until the issue of sin (which is real, not imaginary) is dealt with in our own lives, we will forever be separated from a personal relationship with Almighty God (Isaiah 59:1-2, Psalm 66:18, Romans 3:9-23, 6:23).
The message of Jesus Christ is not one of condemnation, but redemption. His salvation becomes real, however, only to those who genuinely acknowledge their sinfulness and are willing, humble and desperate enough to repent. No amount of yoga can truly bring the needed freedom and peace, unless of course, life is simply a game of dandy-shandy, with no eternal consequences. What is your verdict on this matter?
The Rev. Dr. Donald K. Stewart is pastor of the Portmore Lane Covenant Community Church. He may be reached at covcomoffice@colis.com
