Thank you for this forum. I just found it by accident, so to speak, and look forward to reading your answers. I read some concerning overpopulation, and appreciate learning the Catholic perspective.
My question concerns the practice of yoga. I have found in the last couple of years that yoga stretches have helped me to feel better. My concern is whether or not getting deeper into the practices could be considered practicing a religion contrary to the Catholic faith. My sister had a seriously bad experience while doing some yoga meditating about 25 years ago, and cautions me about getting involved with it. The stretching postures are what I mostly am doing, but a book I recently got speaks of meditating while in particular postures. My thoughts are that I would use such a time for my prayer time, and not practice the type of meditation that my sister got involved with. My concern is that I not become involved in anything the Church might counsel against, so I want to know if there is any teaching there.
Thank you again for your ministry here.
Ruth
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Dear Ruth,
Thank you for the email and kind words. I do not know much about yoga. A priest friend down in Peru practiced yoga stretching exercises. I have to admit I was impressed to see him at 6 a.m.in such postures as I struggled to find some coffee and a comfortable chair in which to read my breviary. What was your sister's seriously bad experience? When one opens to "spiritual forces" without the protection of Christ, there is a danger of calling down other spirits. I tried to say something about that in a homily titled Spirituality Not Religion. (The title quotes a current anti-Christian slogan.) Do you have a spiritual director or confessor? It would be good to discuss your own specific situation with him.
God bless,
Fr. Phil Bloom
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Hi, i read a response to question of whether yoga is dangerous. short answer=yes long answer is that it's basis is in the New Age and Eastern religions. here are some links about the Catholic answer to Yoga. Please pray with me so that the priest you talk of is freed from this servitude. i have been researching the New Age and come across many people into it...it is very insidious and sneaky...please help me in revealing this trickery
http://www.petersnet.net/research/retrieve.cfm?recnum=2927
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0275.html
Thankyou Father
+God Bless+
Natalie
Edgar Cayce's Mysteries of Reincarnation