Discernment about "Christian Yoga" and Breathing in contemplative, centering prayer.

Here is a posting of an email sent to me from http://www.spiritual-research-network.com/home.html  

Dear Jean-Louis,

"Yoga may for a time provide seemingly beneficial health and an abundance of physical energy. However, in the end there is a trade off, the human soul and spirit become spiritually defiled. Moreover, a built in hostile resistance against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Word becomes a subtle, and even blatant, reality in the life of the practitioner. When one engages in Yoga, biblical discernment goes out, and human will softness and the free acceptance of New Age spirituality comes in. In the end, the forces of darkness have their way - the practitioner of Yoga is enslaved to the will of hostile baleful entities. Although all might seem well and happy on the outside, the internal life of the striving yogi becomes dismantled, piece by piece, year after year, until at last, the soul is damned in its rejection of Christ the Savior of the world."  - Chris Lawson

Telling the truth because I love you!

All of you that know me personally know that I am kind and gracious and patient with people of all religious persuasions, and that I never poke fun at or belittle people just because they have a different belief system than I do.

I spend time refuting the things that threaten, undermine, convolute, pervert, pollute and destroy the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I proclaim the biblical Gospel in order to win people to Christ, that is, Jesus of Nazareth. It is not popular but I do it, and my family and I endure much in order that we may continue to do it.

When I became a Christian, I did not sign up to play a game, I signed up to follow Jesus Christ, obey His Word, and trust Him. I have chosen year after year to follow Jesus, not people, and the latest rubbish that the Christian marketplace and false teachers can drum up.

Upholding the truth

You also know that in the last 25 years I have never compromised my biblical position on upholding sound doctrine, defending the historic Christian faith, and separating from aberrant and false doctrine in the church and in the world.

Because I am a Christian and believe the teachings of Scripture, I stand against cultic abuses and occult deceptions in the church, Interfaith spirituality and ecumenical apostasy, and many dangerous and popular mystical/occult practices such as Reiki, Therapeutic Massage (Touch), Christianized clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, etc., Yoga, centering prayer, etc.

The simple fact is, many people don't like it that I speak out against these things, ESPECIALLY Yoga, Well, over the years I have purchased over 200 hundred books that deal in some way shape or form with Yoga, from every perspective imaginable. I have done extensive research on Yoga and its dangers so I guess perhaps my opinion ought to count for something.

Holiday cheer, Yoga gift cards are here???

I am writing the following because the 2013 holiday cheer is increasing and many people will be giving Yoga studio gift cards for Christmas gifts. It comes with the territory as New Years resolutions approach. Simply stated, people are considering "getting fit" - the Yoga way.

Here is something interesting:

Google search - "gift card yoga":

About 46,600,000 results (0.22 seconds)

Source link: click here

Google search - "Christmas gift card yoga":

About 41,800,000 results (0.27 seconds)

Source link: click here

I personally will stick to push-ups, walking, swimming, surfing, running on a Eliptical fitness machine, paddling/swimming on land with a VASA Trainer (no pool here), basic calisthenics, and eating healthy. I know far too much about the philosophy and dangers of Yoga to consider it to be any type of option for a "fitness program," let alone a safe practice. Occult literature is rife with warnings about the dangers of yoga.

If your co-workers and loved ones are interested in Yoga I want to encourage you to kindly warn them of the fact that Yoga is entirely based upon the philosophy of Eastern occultism. This is the truth and nothing can change it, even if someone tries to Christianize Yoga. Even Rick Warren's Saddleback Church Rancho Capistrano campus holds Brook Boons "Holy Yoga" classes.
Yoga an occult, New Age practice

Yoga by its very nature is an occult practice. The goal of the true yoga practitioner is to channel hidden cosmic energies (occult power) throughout the body through "breath work" (pranayama, chakras) and body postures (asanas, postural yoga). Yoga is New Age and thoroughly anti-Christian. Basic research on Yoga proves this point beyond any shadow of a doubt.

I have done the research and here are some of the - over 200 - books that prove my point. Christians that think they can just slap some Bible verses onto Yoga and its occult philosophy are seriously misled.

It is a fact that the primary philosophy of Yoga is diametrically opposed to the fundamental teachings of the historic Christian faith. If people tell you otherwise they are either lying to you, joking around, or are totally ignorant and don't have a clue what they are talking about.

One should also note that the dangers of yoga are myriad. Eastern and Western adepts warn about the many dangers of yoga, yet many Christians are ignorant of this, or could simply care less, they just want their Yoga.

Occult practitioners of Yoga have for centuries warned about the dangers of Yoga, yet alleged "Christian yogi's" come along and hijack the occult practice and tell the church that Yoga is not dangerous, especially "Christian Yoga."

On the contrary, discerning Bible believers are not ignorant of Satan's devices. Why? "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11).

C'mon pastors, stand up and tell the truth!

The willful blindness of those who reject the idea that Yoga can be dangerous seems to be characteristic of more and more Christians these days. What's even worse is the fact that many church leaders just won't say anything at all about Yoga's dangers. Why? Because they might lose churchgoers and faithful tithers, and of course, it would not be "popular."

It is simply incredible that church leaders will push away, downplay and even warn against those of us who warn about Yoga and its dangers. They say, "Yoga is just exercise" and, "We do Christian Yoga!"  Well, when one takes a close look at the facts, from occultists, from medical doctors, from gurus, from cultists, from popular magazines, etc., one finds that the Christian yogi is leading people into spiritual defilement. The ultimate goal of yoga is to "yoga" (yuj = yoke) with Brahman, the divine consciousness of Hindusim, and to arouse the Kundalini serpent power of Hinduism. How? Through breath prayers and yoga poses.

Christians refusing to separate from evil

How do I know how people in the church are responding? Because I have heard
a vast array of lame excuses from Christians and weak arguments from church leaders who are in favor of Yoga and who, no matter how much original source documentation they are presented with, still refuse to warn people in the church.

 

Here is the bottom line and the point I am trying to make here - many Christians who say they love Jesus don't want to hear what the thoroughly entrenched occultists say about Yoga. Nor do they want to hear what Hindu University professors say about Yoga, or what people whose lives have been totally destroyed by Yoga, say about Yoga. Nor will they listen when we warn them about what formerly demon possessed practitioners of Yoga declare about Yoga and its dangers. No, many "Christians" these days just want their Yoga.

Tragic as it may be, Yoga for many seems to take precedence over the biblical commands to separate from pagan, occult and dangerous spiritual practices (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Romans 16:17-21; Ephesians 5:11, etc.)

Holiday Cheer & Christianizing "Shiva" - Lord of Yoga?

If you did not know yet, Shiva is the Lord of Yoga, according to Hinduism. Yoga is also an occult practice utilized by Buddhist, Jains, and many other occult and esoteric based belief systems.

Yoga originated from Shiva

The Times of India: Life & Style
SADHGURU, Mar 19, 2009, 12.00am IST

"In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a God, but as the first Guru or the Adi Guru. He is the Adi Yogi or the first Yogi. Out of his realisation, he became ecstatic and danced all over the mountains or sat absolutely still. He was constantly into bouts of stillness and bouts of mad dancing. All the gods who saw him, saw something was happening to him that they themselves did not know. Suddenly heaven felt like a bad place, because this guy is having such a good time! They felt, "We are missing out on something." When they finally got him to teach the method, Shiva expounded various types of yogas depending upon the level of preparedness of the person who was sitting in front of him."

Source:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-19/vintage-wisdom/28031005_1_shiva-yoga-intimacy

But what about the God of the Bible?

But what about the God of the Bible? What does His Word have to say on the subject of assimilating pagan spirituality into worship of the true God, and about yoking (yuj: to yoke = yoga) with anti-Christian philosophies and practices?

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

(Ephesians 5:11)

"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine." (1 Timothy 1:3)

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" (1 Timothy 4:1)


More answers can be found at these links, and much of it may just shock you.

 Yoga And The Dangers of Yoga:  

What You Probably Haven't Been Told by Your Yoga Instructors

YOGA and Christian YOGA: All the things they failed to warn you about!

Resources on the Philosophy, Teachings and Dangers of Yoga

YOGA and Christianity - Are They Compatible?  (ARTICLE & PRINTED BOOKLET)

Sincerely in Christ,
Chris LawsonHelp support Chris and his ministry.

CHRIS LAWSON

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LISTEN TO PODCAST  Warning About New Age Influences in Rick Warren's Daniel Plan Dr. Oz, Hyman & Amen  - Click here -

WHO IS PROMOTING,   TEACHING and ENDORSING CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY and YOGA in  THE CHURCH? Find out here & protect your wife and kids! WARNING:  - Google Images -   "Shiva: Lord of Yoga!" GOD'S WORD SAYS: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

Christian YOGA:  Rooted In Hindu Occultism By Chris Lawson Even Hindu's recognize that "Christian Yoga is still Hindu".  Learn more...

WARNING:

 - Google Images -  

"Shiva: Lord of Yoga!"

GOD'S WORD SAYS:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them

which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple

concerning evil. And the God of peace shall

bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(Romans