The Yoga rules

By Paul Jerard

As Yoga has grown, outside of India, so have the many contemporary styles. Among the contemporary styles is Christian Yoga. Just mentioning the words, Christian and Yoga in the same phrase, could start a controversy, depending upon who is listening.

Some fundamentalist Christians will state that Yoga and meditation are evil. To go a bit further on this issue, they point to the traditional roots of Yoga, in India, and the connection to Hindu beliefs. They claim that the millions of Yoga practitioners in the world are being indoctrinated into the Hindu faith.

Let's look at Christian meditation. This practice began when monks read from the scriptures. In fact, many ministers, monks, brothers, and priests, continue to meditate. So, is meditation evil?

Some point to the meaning of the word Yoga. Yuj is the root word for Yoga, and there is a much deeper meaning. The Yuj, or Yoke, was used to tie two wild horses together to a chariot. To think about this a little deeper, the Yuj held together two wild horses, a chariot, a driver, and an archer, to create an ancient weapon, which worked in complete unison.

Most often, you will hear Yoga means "union." In the spiritual sense, there is the union of your soul with God. Now, is that evil? Most Christians are counting on seeing God in the after life.

Now, evil might be considered mischievous, morally depraved, wicked, or vicious. Intolerance is not accepting or respecting different cultures, opinions, or practices. Intolerance often leads to hate crimes, pogroms, witch hunts, wars, and holocausts.

Christianity is a living philosophy, based upon love, peace, tolerance, forgiveness, equality, and inclusion. The principles run parallel to Yogic philosophy. If you do not believe it, please take a look at Matthew 22:36-40. Below are those five verses, according to the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37: 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.

38: This is the first and great commandment.

39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

A point worth mentioning: Love, peace, tolerance, forgiveness, equality, and inclusion, should be a part of every religious leader's daily life. If you find yourself in the midst of intolerance and hate, you may want to consider going to a religious center, which is more in line with your moral values.

On the other hand, if you suddenly find your Yoga class has turned into a cult following, and it is leading you away from God, you should also consider changing your surroundings.

In our hearts, we feel right and wrong. In our minds, we know right from wrong. Anyone who teaches hate and intolerance is a danger to the rest of the world.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html