This is the first post in a series concerning the question, “Can Christians do yoga?” This is a question we have been asked frequently at Ruah Space and one that we don’t take lightly. Our hope is to give you a good foundational understanding of why we practice yoga, why we don’t see it as conflicting with Scripture or the Christian tradition, what yoga invites us to, and how we came to these understandings.
Yoga isn’t for everyone and may not help you as it has helped us. We would never push anyone to do something they aren’t comfortable with. For us, however, we have discovered that it has been a wonderful tool for making space in our lives to connect deeper with God, ourselves, others, the present moment, and the world around us.
Yoga Means Yoke or Union
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit language and means “yoke” or “union.” Instantly, many Christians think of the passage in Matthew 11:28 where Jesus invites those who are weary to rest in Him and take His yoke upon their lives. He says that it is easy and He will bring them rest.
On a fundamental level, Jesus is inviting us to follow His teachings. We are to unite our lives to the person of Jesus and therefore His way of life in order to become like Him. His way leads to life both now and for eternity. His way is not one where we need to earn our way in or “make it” on the basis of our own strength or power. Jesus’ way, while it will change our lives, is easy and light because we don’t do it alone.
When people think yoga, they often think of just the postures, but it’s actually an entire way of being where we make space to connect with our own story, feelings, body, and God.
The Holy Spirit empowers us and guides us. Unlike the yoke a master puts on a donkey that requires the donkey to carry a heavy load, or the many yokes of the world that only weigh us down, the yoke of Jesus is light because it’s a gift. It’s a relationship. It’s an invitation to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. In order to receive this gift, however, we must enter into a relationship with Jesus. If we try to do it on our own, we will fail. If we turn to Jesus, and place our lives in His, then we will experience what He is talking about. We must unite our lives to His.
This is what Jesus is getting at in John 15 when He says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:4-5 ESV). We are literally invited to unite our lives to the life of Jesus. We must do so if we are to bear good fruit. Without this relationship, we are lost.
Yoga is a practice, a tool, where we are invited to make space to connect in a deeper way with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through breath practice, physical movement, prayer, stillness, silence, meditation, reflection on Scripture, and rest, we create the space to hear the voice of God and connect with Jesus. People often think of yoga merely as the postures, but it’s actually an entire way of being where we make space to connect with our own story, feelings, body, and God.
Yoga is a practice, a tool, where we are invited to make space to connect in a deeper way with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The postures have many wonderful physical and health benefits, but are not magical or anything in and of themselves. They don’t hold special significance or open up any special doors of prayer because we put our bodies in a certain position. Some of the postures are really old, and some came about in recent decades. Some originated in India and some originated in western gymnastics. What the postures do is help facilitate the more important work being done inside our body, mind, and spirit when we make space to connect with God. Yoga is about becoming present to our body and spirit, opening to hear the voice of God, spending time in prayer, and intentionally becoming present to the fact that God desires us to spend time with God.
As we engage yoga within the context of our Christian faith, we are invited to connect or “unite” our breath, mind, body, and spirit. Ultimately, we are making space to connect, unite, “yoga” with God.
Continue with Part 2 of the series here: Christian Yoga? Part 2: Redemption & Reconciliation
Do you want to try a Ruah Space Yoga Class? You can find our classes here on YouTube: Ruah Space Yoga Classes
To learn more about why breath is so important to us at Ruah Space or why we believe so much in making space, check out these articles and discussions.
What is Ruah? What is breath?
Article
Podcast – On Ruah Space & On Apple Podcasts
The Art of Making Space
Article
Podcast – On Ruah Space & On Apple Podcasts
Why would we go to India and tell a Hindu this? And there are many different forms of yoga, I’m sure they are aware by now. We are not trying to gain anyone’s validation.
If you were to go to India and tell a Hindu you practiced the “exercise” of Yoga they would first be greatly offended, and then laugh at you. Yoga poses are actually tributary poses that pay homage to certain Hindu gods. So to perform these poses to Christian music is like saying you are a married bachelor.