Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
Alright, so Keith is asking, what does the Bible say about yoga?
Speaker 2
Thank you, Keith. I like this question and it’s one of those where the Bible doesn’t say anything directly. In reality, yoga is it’s more of a new thing. The way I understand it, there were like these drawings in ancient India and we in recent times have found these.
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Drawings that created this whole culture and.
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Religion and stuff around it. So the Bible really wasn’t in place.
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To comment on it, but we can draw principles from it.
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So what does the Bible say?
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For example, a big part of yoga, let’s say, is breathing. And the Bible talks about how breathing is important.
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Genesis 27 even talks about how God.
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Breathes the breath of life into man.
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And then Exodus 36, sorry, Ekiel 37.
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Five also talks about how God again says, I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. So breath and life are very much associated with each other and we’ll talk about it more too later on today.
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So breathing is absolutely important. We need to make sure we get good oxygenation. But at the same time, what mental.
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State are we putting ourselves in? Because another part of yoga is this concept of meditation.
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So what are you meditating?
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What are you doing with your mind?
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So Joshua 28 says, the book of.
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Law shall not depart from your mouth, you shall shall meditate in it day and night. What are we meditating on? The book of the law.
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So this would have been the books.
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Of Moses or the Pentatuk back then.
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Psalm one two says, but his delight.
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Is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1914 let the words my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord. Psalm 49 three, my mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
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Psalm 70 712 now this is a little bit different. Psalm 70 712 I will also meditate.
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On all your work in general and.
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Talk of your deeds.
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So what has God done for you? What is God done even in terms of like creation thinking of nature? So thinking of God meditating on Him.
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His laws, his words are things we.
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Should be thinking about, not clearing our mind, but filling our mind with Godly things.
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So in fact, we’re warning to be.
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Careful about emptying ourself. Luke 1124 says, Jesus talked about how.
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An unclean spirit goes out of a.
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Man and then he wandered around and then he’ll come back. In verse 25 it says and when he comes, he finds it swept to put in order to referring to the person he left. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more weaker than Him, and they entered well there. And the last state of the man is worse than the first. So we really empty ourselves, truly empty. Ourselves. We are creating a void that in fact demons can enter.
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What should we be filled with?
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One Corinthians six, one nine to 20? Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God? So the Holy Spirit should be filling us.
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And so verse 20 it goes on.
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Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods, so be filled with the Spirit.
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Now this idea of finding peace and relaxation, that’s a big part of yoga. That’s a good thing in a sense. A guy always tells us matthew 625.
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Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink.
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Nor about your body or what.
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You put on it.
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Verse 27 which of you, by worrying.
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Can add one qubit to his stature? So why do you worry about your clothing? Verse 37 Therefore do not worry, saying.
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What shall we eat? And what shall we drink?
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What shall we wear?
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Verse 33 but seek you first the.
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Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
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And really the idea here too is.
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We don’t worry because God has our back.
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Deuteronomy 33 27 says, eternal Lord is.
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Your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
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I just love that imagery that God.
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Has this he’s holding us up, he’s propping us up. Another.
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Sometimes a component of yoga might be.
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Like mind altering sounds.
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And again the Bible doesn’t directly talk about it, but there’s things where it does not speak well of these things and associate these with pagans. So for example Isaiah 819 and when they say to you, seek those who.
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Are mediums and wizards who whisper and mutter, should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? So you never know what some of.
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These things going on might be. Also Matthew 67 it says but when.
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You pray, use not vain repetition, as the heathen do, or they think that they shall be heard from their much speaking. So God doesn’t want being repetitions, he wants our prayers to be very mindful thought out from our heart, speaking to God as a friend. And another danger that also I see.
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With the yoga environment in general is.
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Sometimes too is this idea of just totally submitting yourself and caving to a guru or yogi or someone who will take you through to the next level.
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And let’s look what Jesus says about that.
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Matthew 23 eight to twelve says, but you do not be called rabbi, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and you are brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your Father. For one is your Father who is in heaven, and do not be called teachers, for one is your teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled. And he who humbles himself will be exalted.
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Really?
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Our mentor, our guide, our spiritual guide.
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The person who we shall be seeking.
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To bring about transformation in us should be none other than God and Christ. That’s where we should see as the person leading us spiritually. And when we turn to other humans.
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And see them as almost in the place of God, that is putting distance between us and God.
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And who knows where that person could take us? So these are some of the warnings and principles I get out of the Bible.
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Hope this is helpful for you. I’m not saying everything in yoga is bad.
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I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater stretching exercises again.
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Seeking peace and all these things are good.
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The breathing can be good, but it can also be applied in a way that can open the door to demonic possession. Could lead you down the wrong path spiritually.
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Just use your judgment, your spiritual discernment.
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And may this Bible verses be a guide to you.
Speaker 1
Amen. That’s perfect summary. I would say too.
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In HIs Service
BibleAsk Team
