Why is yoga unchristian?

Answer 1

Though it is thought of as just another form of exercise by some people, yoga has a foundation in the Buddhist, Hindu and Jainism religions. Therefore, because of the influence of these religions on yoga, many Christians believe that practising yoga lends credence to these other religions at the expense of Christianity, and is wrong. This has a precedence way back in the Old Testament where God was angry with the Jews for 'diluting' their own beliefs with the beliefs of those others around them, and by marrying those of other religions, thus compromising their own beliefs, and causing real problems for the beliefs of their offspring. Similarly, in the New Testament some of Paul's letters scold the churches round the Mediterranean area (eg the Corinthians) for adopting pagan practices which had no place in Christianity. With regard to the Roman Catholic Church, in 1989, the Vatican declared that Eastern meditation practices such as Zen and yoga can "degenerate into a cult of the body" in that people become more concerned with their looks and physique than by the condition of their soul. While some critics may think this attitude risible, it is totally justified as is borne out in many parts of the world - eg California USA, where millions of dollars every year are spent on cosmetic and enhancing surgery, purely for vanity, money which could be better spent in feeding the poor of the world.

Answer 2

This is a very difficult to answer because people will never really know if one thing is Christian or not because Jesus isn't in the flesh with us. However, we can interpret this question by looking at The Bible. Many believe that yoga isn't Christian because it advertises deep meditation to nature and spirits which isn't what Christianity values. Breathing exercises, and meditations in yoga are meant to free the spirit and to lose oneself to our surroundings; essentially a lack of control of ourselves. If yoga is done for the right purposes (exercise, stretching, stress reliever, and weight loss), without deep mediation, then I don't think that it is unchristian because it can be compared to something like playing soccer or swimming.