Can yoga be holy?
Yes, I believe it can!
Psalm 37:7 be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him
Exodus 14:14 the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still
Isaiah 30:15 this is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, “ In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
Are you able to hear God’s still small voice among the chaos of today’s loud world?
Do you need to create space for God?
This is what I learned by doing Holy Yoga - a Christ-focused movement and breath session designed to help you be still before the Lord.
Most often asked question of me…
How can yoga be holy?
First I think it’s important to realize that yoga is NOT a religion. It is a spiritual discipline. Yoga means “to yoke.” The idea is to yoke breath, mind and body together. While yoga is a big part of Hinduism, it actually predates written history and the major world religions. Stone carving depicting figures in yoga postures have been found in archeological sites in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000+ years. The practice of yoga has been adopted into many different religions, it is not a religion unto itself. Just because other religions practice fasting - have you stopped fasting?!
What is a Spiritual Discipline?
Spiritual disciplines are habits, practices, and experiences that are designed to take you to an encounter with God and deepen your relationship with God. These disciplines are a vehicle, they are not the relationship itself. When we treat the habit as the relationship…then we’ve got an idol. It’s really a fine line.
We are creatures of habit. We do something once and get a result, so we do it again. Only God loves to meet us in many different ways. If you have a best friend, do you go and watch the same movie and eat the same meal at the same restaurant every time you want to spend time together? No, that would be kind of weird and yet, that’s exactly what we do with God.
What’s the intention of your heart?
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The spiritual disciplines found in Scripture are not marks of godliness in and of themselves. The Pharisees diligently practiced many spiritual disciplines, and even fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). But Jesus considered them the epitome of ungodliness. God looks at our hearts.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me
Postures Matter
Have you ever thought about how do we teach a child to pray? I believe a physical posture can help us posture our hearts.
Consider the postures given in these verses…
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
1 Samuel 1:26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:13 All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives and their children.
2 Chronicles 20:18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
2 Samuel 7:18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
Judges 20:26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
Ezra 9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,
1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
Luke 22:41-42 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
Deuteronomy 9:25 So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you.
Psalm 63:5-6 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
Things to chew on :)
I’ll be back with part 2 soon
