FAQ
We are called not to judge, but to make wise judgment. We are encouraged to walk by faith and fear not, “for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, peace and a sound mind”
(2 Timothy 1:7). Where condemning judgment is present, fear is present, and where fear is present, peace is absent. Many Christians express fear concerning the origins of yoga, and we need to remember that God created the earth and all life. Jesus came to earth in the East and many of our Christian practices are derived from Eastern Culture. God made India and the United States and all land and water from the East to the West. May we continue to search and seek His face in all we do and say, by seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
1. What is Holy Yoga?
Holy Yoga is an experiential worship created to deepen one’s connection to Christ.
www.holyyoga.net
Webster defines the word “holy” as something associated with Divine power or set apart as sacred. The word “yoga” is derived from Sanskrit, a root language and dialect of India, ruj meaning to “unite or yoke.”
The sacred practice of Holy Yoga is to be set apart and devoted to Our Triune God by yoking with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through mind, body and soul.
2. Is yoga a religion?
Yoga is NOT a religion; it is a practice of mind and body control. Yoga predates written history and the major world religions. Stone carvings depicting figures in yoga postures have been found in archeological sites in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000 years or more. While the practice of yoga, along with prayer and fasting, has been adopted into many different religions, it is not a religion unto itself. Believers in Jesus Christ practice Holy Yoga as a means of worshiping Our Lord with all of our “heart, soul, mind, and strength.” (Luke 10:27)
3. On what and on whom do we meditate?
The act of meditating: close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection; musing.
Holy Yoga encourages us to fix our minds on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,…. excellent… or praiseworthy…” (Philippians 4:9). When our eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, The Truth, along with His attributes of love and compassion, our minds are renewed and transformed more closely into His holy likeness. All Judeo-Christian Scripture is God-breathed and revelatory. It is not simply informational, but also transformational. By meditating on God’s Word, we change and become more closely conformed to His highest goal for us: being Christ-like.
Within your temple, O God, we mediate on your unfailing love. Psalm 48:9
I will mediate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:12
I meditate on you precepts and consider all your ways. Psalm 119:15
4. Does Holy Yoga offer to seek divinity in oneself?
Holy Yoga seeks to surrender self to God. The teaching of Holy Yoga does not seek for one to be God, but to reflect God as His Holy Spirit dwells in our inner most being. Holy Yoga recognizes that God in His three Persons alone is divine, and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies house the Holy Spirit, and not only are we to honor God with our bodies, but also reflect His nature of LOVE.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body“(1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
5. Does yoga expose one to other gods?
Traditional yoga explores varying avenues to the Universal divine spirit and provides opportunities to connect with something larger than self. Holy Yoga, however, focuses the heart to be prayerful, intentional, and worshipful towards God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Holy Yoga chooses to fix our gaze on Jesus, for no other God made the claims Jesus has made. He came to earth as God incarnate, forgave sins, walked on water, turned water into wine, and healed the blind, deaf, and sick, and conquered death as a result of dying on a cross and rising from the dead. He appeared to hundreds, revealed the holes in hands, ascended back into Heaven and said we can do the same and more in HIS name through the power of the Holy Spirit. His sacrificial love was designed to reconcile us with God is a gift to all humanity. Holy Yoga seeks to worship the Triune God as revealed in the Bible, Who transcended time and came to us through Jesus Christ in flesh and blood to connect with us relationally, so that we can call Him by name and have life abundantly.
For in Him we live and move and exist. Acts 17:28
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17
6. What does Namaste mean?
Namaste’s literal translation is “I bow to you,” in Sanskrit. “Nama” is to bow and “te” is to you. Namaste also translates as the “light in me sees the light in you, the divine in me sees the divine in you, the truth in me sees the truth in you.” As created in the image of God, Christians practicing Holy Yoga bow to our Creator of the Universe. With hands folded in prayer at the heart center, we bow our heads in honor to the Light of Truth, Jesus Christ. This gesture is also used as a greeting and sign of respect in Eastern Cultures.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “You are the LIGHT of the world.”
7. What is the significance and meaning of the name of poses?
Yoga originated in India, and Hinduism was the first major religion to adopt yoga as a way to the Hindi understanding of the Divine. Some of the poses are named in honor of gods, heroes, animals and nature. Calling out the names of poses in Sanskrit is no different than saying today is Thursday, for Thursday is named after Jupiter, who is a thunder god in Latin as well as the Germanic thunder god, well known as “Thor” in Norse mythology. Stating the day or the pose does not mean that we are invoking or worshipping other gods. For instance, the foundational standing posture is called mountain pose or Tadasana. “Tada” literally translates as “mountain”, and “asana” literally translates as “posture” in Sanskrit. Warrior One, on the other hand, also known as “Virabhadrasana”, is named after a powerful hero said to be created by Siva god. The planets, days of the week, and yoga postures are named after gods in Greek mythology, Roman mythology, and Hindi beliefs, and calling out their names is nothing more or less than maintaining the integrity of our world history. Just as saying “Thursday” to name a day does not honor “Thor” in a Christian’s heart, neither does saying “Warrior One” as a pose honor Siva. Jesus Christ is held up as The Name Above All Names.
8. What are some health benefits of yoga?
1. Improves muscle tone, flexibility, strength, stamina.
2. Reduces stress and tension.
3. Calms mental clutter.
4. Improves concentration and focus.
5. Lowers body fat.
6. Improves circulation, stimulates nervous system.
7. Helps asthma, high blood pressure, respiratory problems.
8. Aids in pain management, back pain, arthritis.
9. Promotes mental clarity and calmness.
10. Seeks to connect our whole being to Our Triune God.