By Yogi Baba Prem (@YogiBabaPrem)
The growing phenomena of Christian yoga is not only cultural appropriation, it reveals more serious considerations for Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma. While it is certainly true that Christians can practice yoga, I am not aware of any Christian theology regarding yoga. Yoga, as a word or practice, has no etymology in the Judeo/Christian tradition. Yoga, as a word or practice, does not appear with the reformation movement or Martin Luther’s rejection and subsequent break from the Catholic Church, lending credence to the somewhat obvious fact that yoga, as word, is not a doctrine of any protestant teachings. But let’s ask, “What do the Christian texts say?”
Yoga, as a word, is not found within the King James Version of the Bible.[i] Nor are the key concepts essential to many yoga traditions such as liberation, self-realization, the self-illumination of the soul, or the expansiveness of Purusha as outlined in the Purusha Suktam of the Rg Veda. To contrast the two traditions, yoga/Hinduism has no concept of hell, eternal damnation or concept of a savior, to name but a few major differences. While one might argue that the term naraka is in fact hell, and it would be true to say that it is commonly translated as hell, this is actually an erroneous and misleading translation. As the Vishnu Purana[ii] is quite clear that naraka is refers to an incarnation with a tamasic mind. In fact, one can compare and contrast the examples cited and quickly realize that the traditions of Yoga and Christianity are quite different.
Yoga is a Sanskrit word, and is a term that appears in a broad array of different and related traditions that comprise and fall under the expansive umbrella of Hinduism. Yoga, the word and various aspects of its practice, appears as early as the Vedic traditions, and it appears within a variety of very old Vedic texts and teachings such Jyotish (a Vedanga) or Vedic Astrology (of course within jyotish, yoga often refers to a union of planets or combination of planets). Yoga also appears within Ayurveda (an upaveda), and is specifically mentioned within the Charaka Samhita which proclaims “…yogo mokshapravartakah,” (… yoga causes liberation).[iii] These examples demonstrate that yoga, the word, is sown into the fabric of the most ancient teachings of the Vedic tradition. So how did we get this “Christian Yoga”?
There is little doubt that this is a complex issue at first, but upon examination of the history of Christianity, one can see a somewhat rich and robust history of suspected cultural appropriation. As an example, many have suggested that Easter is actually modeled after pagan holidays. Catholicism attempted to override a pagan holiday with All Saints Day birthing what we now call Halloween or Hallows Eve. Some scholars have claimed that Jesus is modeled after the Egyptian Horus. Even the Christian concept of hell is a strange mixture of Judaism and the Greek concept of Hades to form the later Christian motif of hell. Scholars do acknowledge that appropriation did exist, as Ritch confirms philosophical appropriation stating that ‘Historically, the Christian tradition has heavily relied on Aristotle’s ethical philosophy to provide a conceptual basis for the articulation of its own ethical doctrines…’[iv] Therefore, the debate regarding legitimacy of appropriation is simply a moot point.
One can hypothesize that the modern manifestation of “Christian Yoga” is rooted in several possibilities or unique combinations relative to each individual:
- A continuing process of appropriation that is intrinsic to the nature of Christianity.
- Christianity is threatened by yoga and is attempting to influence, modify or simply take over a system that is perceived to disrupt the religious economy of Christianity.
- Members that self-identify as Christian are subconsciously attempting to return to the spiritual roots of civilization—the Vedic civilization (the oldest remaining dharma tradition), but are conflicted due to perceived conflicts between Hinduism and church dogma.
There is little doubt that there is an aspect of appropriation with the emergence of Christian Yoga. This appropriation often has manifested as somewhat of a whitewashing of the roots of yoga/Hinduism. There are likely multiple rationales behind this, one example being a global Hindu cultural devaluation that is epidemic within many western yoga teacher training programs. In one sense, the appropriation of yoga has been little more than the appropriation of ?sana which manifests as a cultural devaluation, meaning that there has been a conscious removal of key yogic/Hindu concepts while exploiting the popularity of the word. This is likely rooted in the old Christian desire for the local church to be the cultural hub of the community. Modern adaptations of this cultural hub ideology would include the proliferation of daycare centers, exercise classes, movie nights etc. that commonly appear within the business models of the modern U.S. church.
There is growing evidence of a desire to appropriate and redefine the meaning of the yoga, the word. A recent manifestation of this is a company/organization known as Yoga Faith; their 200 hour certification program does not include a single Yoga Shastra or any book aligned with India or Hindu philosophy. [v] In fact, their 300 hour program does not include a single Yoga Shastra or any book aligned with India or Hindu philosophy. [vi] The absence of critical yoga texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipka or the Yoga Sutras of Patanjal among others is concerning, as this is simply the bold and disrespectful appropriation of yoga–the word, and has little to no resemblance to actual historical yoga in any of its multitude of forms, but it colors the public’s understanding of yoga-the word.
It is reasonable to suggest that the adaptation rates of Christian Yoga programs are to combat dwindling membership in the church, while significant numbers of the U.S. population still self-identify as Christian, their participation in church has lessened considerably. This has likely manifested due to a growing movement known as radical universalism, which is prevalent among new-age adherents and middle aged adults. Most concerning is that it is highly likely that this whitewashed yoga will be imported to India, as this is already happening on the small scale with a model immerging in India that akin to western yoga and its ?sana obsession, replete with the yoga selfie that was quite popular in western society. The greater concern is that this re-importation of westernized yoga will eventually manifest with the explicit purpose of being used to convert. While some might argue this subversive movement does not exist, a quick examination of Holy Yoga™[vii], as an example, and their mission statement reveals this is simply not the case. The mission statement reads: “Holy Yoga exists to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth through the modality of yoga.”[viii] India is taking rapid and bold steps to stop this process prior to it becoming firmly established within the homeland of yoga. But, if this Christian Yoga becomes seen as a powerful tool for conversion in India, it will be difficult to stop. It would be somewhat horrific if the seat of yoga were to become the seat of whitewashed yoga and appropriated yoga.
In light of these concerning revelations, one must wonder how yoga programs can become recognized or authorized to teach yoga. Especially, when one considers there is a complete absence of actual yogic information or concepts from any accepted tradition within India, and a complete absence of any recognized authoritative text being used in the yoga curriculum. With the absence of a Guru and/or authoritative texts, one must ask, ‘Is this yoga in name only?’ Or is it a simply appropriation and rebranding of the word with a more nefarious agenda? Is it a reflection of a confused practitioner?
The previous paragraphs did address the second point-to a degree. By appropriating yoga, the word, and placing an increasingly strong focus on ?sana, churches and teachers in essence reduce the need of its membership to be introduced to foreign religious concepts. Whereby, preserving membership, introducing potential new membership and reducing loss of membership due to exposure to dharma/Hinduism. Additionally, this process works on subtle and subconscious levels to devalue the deeper teachings of yoga and the various traditions found under the umbrella of yoga/Hinduism, allowing a foreign culture and religion to present itself as an authority and in essence present itself as an Adhikara of yoga with little to no understanding of yoga beyond the pop usage of the word. While the openness of Hinduism is clearly appealing to the western mind, as well as the presence of a multitude of traditions, in essence, there is something for everyone verses the more dogmatic traditions commonly found in the world.
It is likely that those that become teachers of Christian Yoga have been touched by the shakti (power) of yoga ?sana. Yet, some Christian’s have expressed conflict between the religious/dharmic aspect of yoga and their Christian belief. While this has presented the opportunity to grow, stretch (no pun intended), and transform one’s consciousness, often when faced with this conundrum, the unprepared teacher will likely fall back to the religiosity of their doctrine rather than take the bold step forward into an exciting exploration of dharma/Hinduism. Or in the Hindu and dharmic view, the samskaras of the mind were simply too powerful. From the perspective of tradition, it is likely that many are drawn to yoga due to a deep subconscious need to reconnect with the Vedic roots of previous lifetimes. Certainly, Hinduism/dharma would support this, while Christianity would reject this based on the concept of reincarnation. The average teacher is quite often unable to or ill equipped to internally address these profound and conflicted positions which again often result in a fallback to religiosity and doctrine; though there would be a significantly smaller number successfully pushing through social conditioning, peer pressures, fears of being different, and samskaras taking a bold step towards Hinduism.
Hinduism: Dealing with modern day issues.
Too many modern day scholars/authorities from India or from the culture have frequently presented the attitude, in the past, of “Let them have yoga, I am interested in protecting Hinduism.” A sentiment I have repeatedly heard, regrettably. Yet, the reality is that yoga is an important branch of Hinduism. Allowing one part, one limb, one book to be taken from Hinduism opens a literal floodgate for the distortion of the teachings. This is not to say that insight and dialogue cannot occur regarding the teachings of various traditions. But we must remember that Krishna warned, in the Bhagavad Gita, that he must incarnate when the teachings have devolved or decayed, and one must remember that the roots to modern day yoga come from Vedic Yoga, as Krishna referenced the Vedic solar lineage in the Bhagavad Gita. Appropriation combined with a religiosity based reductionist mentality is the easiest way to negate the actual teachings and reduce yoga to a somewhat meaningless word.
Hinduism should reclaim its full heritage and not allow other groups to rename its sacred teachings under their banner without a minimal expectation of acknowledgement of its Hindu roots, especially when they have no history of those teachings within their own system. Attempts at native reclamation have come under attack from multiple angles, most recently through attempts to divorce Hinduism from its traditions and roots, commonly appearing as the removal of India and Hinduism and replacement of a new banner by academics—South Asia. But too frequently groups attempt to privatize the information or teachings and present themselves as the original authority. Often, they attempt to claim ownership of that which they appropriated from Hinduism/dharma. Hinduism, and the guardians of dharma, should guard against its sacred traditions from becoming distorted and taken away, as the improper technique and teachings can actually become harmful to practitioners (himsa).
Hindu/dharmic scholars, traditional teachers and the greater Hindu diaspora should take the stand that yoga is part of Hinduism and not cave into academic pressures or academic definitions from those engaged in the pursuit of tenure alone. Nor should it accept the appropriation by Christian groups that are attempting to repackage yoga into a simplistic exercise program. Hindus should challenge academics and nonacademics (as well as religious institutions) to support their antagonistic views toward Hinduism/dharma with evidence as opposed to dismissive comments (which are quite prevalent in social media). While it would be correct to say that one is NOT required to be a Hindu to practice yoga; likewise, it is equally important to acknowledge the roots of the tradition, after all, we are all expected to give credit to sources within books and research papers. And ideological plagiarism is not different from cultural appropriation.
[i] While some scholars have attempted to state the King James Version of the Bible is outdated, the reality for the western world and especially the U.S. is that the King James Version is the most popular edition.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/08/28/the-most-popular-bible-of-the-year-is-probably-not-what-you-think-it-is/
[ii] Vishnu Purana 2.6
[iii] Charaka Samhita-S?r?ra sth?na 1.137
[iv] http://aporia.byu.edu/pdfs/ritch-the_possibility_of_a_christian_appropriation_of_aristotles_ethical_philosophy.pdf
[v] https://yogafaith.org/curriculum/200-hour-curriculum/
[vi] https://yogafaith.org/curriculum/300-hour-curriculum/ accessed 11/17/16
[vii] Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
[viii] https://holyyoga.net/ accessed 11/17/16
Yogi Baba Prem Yogacharya (Th.D), Veda Visharada is the Founder & Director of the Universal Yoga/Florida Vedic Institute. Yogi Baba Prem was born and raised the USA and has
Chris says
January 4, 2017 at 10:10 pmI am a Pagan and a Christian living in America, and I could not agree more. This is a very well written article, and I hope that the Hindu people can reclaim those parts of their culture, and be the ones to disseminate it to the west. The original is always better.
The only thing I will mention is that there is a rich tradition of Meditation in the west, going back to the ancient celts, the ancient vikings, and even to the greeks and romans. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tasks Christians with “meditating on the word.” So there is that. That said, I doubt Paul meant to meditate in the same way the Vedic texts and Yoga masters mean. 😀
In the end, I prefer to draw truth from any and all sources where truth can be found. And the best sources are always the originals. Take care!
Luis Wouters says
January 10, 2017 at 11:33 amWhat is under assault is Christianity. Yoga is perverting Christian thought. Yoga is incompatible with the Christian Spirituality because it is pantheistic (God is everything and everything is God), and holds that there is only one Reality and all else is illusion or Maya. If there is only one absolute reality and all else is illusory, there can be no relationship and no love.
Prince says
February 21, 2017 at 11:16 amChris – Never call yourself a Pagan. It is a derogatory word.
Alluding to the meditation mentioned in the Bible, I have not seen any Church (especially Protestant) recommending/propagating meditation. Most of them consider it an “evil of the East”. Catholic churches do have rosary bead meditation and it is looked down upon by most Protestants (chanting is also considered evil).
Jon Banks says
March 22, 2017 at 12:38 pmI personally owe a great debt to yoga. When I started the practice there was a nagging within me that there was more to it than what was on the mat. I started researching and a whole new world was opened to me, the path of Sananta Dharma!. I am working on a piece for my blog which deals with the expansiveness that is yoga. The limbs of yoga, the paths of yoga and just generally the 99 percent of it that is NOT taught for the most part in the west. At least not until one learns where to seek.
How anyone can say Christianity is being perverted is to me a huge stretch. The pope has spoken out against the practice and so have other Christian “experts”. They have even invented “Christian yoga” which I take as an oxymoron. I did a piece on the differences between Dharmic and Abrahamic religions in http://theinvisiblehindu.com/no-not-the-same/ it is written for easy reading and covers some of the basics between the religions. The article on yoga will be in two parts watch for it
Pankaj Kumar Sarma says
March 7, 2018 at 12:24 pmI have created hundreds of images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses that people can share on social media