Interesting article regarding yoga and religion written by UF College of Journalism student, Kelly MacLellan.
There are 198 places of religious worship listed in Atlantic Beach and nine yoga
centers as well as more than a dozen private instructors.
Although there is a discrepancy in the representation, yoga continues to be a
popular form of exercise with outdoor classes held around the city, and most gyms offering group yoga classes.
Recently religious leaders have cited yoga as a practice incongruent with the
beliefs of Christianity because of its origins in Hinduism and Buddhism, but yoga instructors around Atlantic Beach disagree and feel that the two can coexist.
Statements by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Wash., and Albert
Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., are leading the newest set of negative sentiments. Most notably was Driscoll's statement, "Should Christians stay away from yoga because of its demonic roots? Totally. Yoga is demonic, if you just sign up for a
little yoga class, you're signing up for a little demon class."
Raina Van Cleave of Lavanya Yoga in Atlantic Beach has been teaching yoga for
three years and finds these statements "hilarious and ridiculous." She said that yoga
does different things for different individuals.While Van Cleave doesn't practice any specific religion, she was raised Christian and has instructed Christians, modifying their practice based on their beliefs.
For example, the wife of a local Methodist pastor has used yoga on and off to relieve her arthritis pain, but has never meditated because she believes that part of yoga contradicts her religious beliefs.
The Western practice of yoga is more physical than mental but "yoga iswhatever you want it to be for yourself," said Meaghan O'Dwyer, graduate director of group fitness for UF Department of Recreational Sports.In the group fitness classes at UF, the instructors are prohibited from inserting any personal, religious or political views, and are encouraged to be as politically correct as possible, O'Dwyer said. O'Dwyer, who recently completed a 200 hour course for certification, said that people do yoga for different reasons, whether it be for relaxation, flexibility or
to increase muscle tone.
Susie Han, a Christian who occasionally practices yoga, said that she feels yoga supports her belief system by giving her time to reflect and that it isn't some pagan act but just exercise.
Christine Wiese, a member of the First United Methodist Church, who instructs yoga classes around Atlantic Beach, said in an e‐mail that her beliefs didn't interfere with her yoga practice. Wiese, who has been practicing yoga for 15 years and teaching yoga for four, said "yoga practices done consistently over time, improve the overall health of the
body and increase the ability of the practitioner to pay attention."
Yoga may have originated from religious practices but the consensus regarding the Western interpretation is that it is more of a physical practice than a spiritual one.
Posted by Raina on Thursday, October 28, 2010