Article in Kundalini Consortium
Since my experience with Kundalini, I have read a lot of books and articles on Yoga from various authors. I also practice yoga every day in conjunction with meditation.
I have found that some of my more conservative Christian friends issue warnings about involvement in the practice of Yoga. They are quite fearful and critical of anything connected with a religion that falls outside of the Christian faith that they practice. Yoga is therefore taboo to many. But when I examine the eight branches of Yoga, I cannot see that it advocates anything that is not already a part of a Christian faith practice. Let’s take a look at this.
First branch of Yoga, “yama”, is commonly translated
“rules of social behavior”. They are the guidelines for engaging with others and can be described as: practicing nonviolence, speaking truthfully, exercising appropriate sexual control, being honest and being generous. One is encouraged to adhere to these rules of social conduct because they represent behaving in accordance with the natural law, that which flows spontaneously from our human nature.
In Christian spirituality, we have the ten commandments, and the various instructions on moral behavior found in the Gospels and letters of the New Testament. They are not in conflict with the above since they both flow from revelation, that sacred part of the inner self that finds connection with the divine.
Second branch of Yoga, "Niyama", can be interpreted as the “rules of personal behavior”. They are the beneficial
personal qualities that we naturally express and live that come from the heart. These personal qualities include: purity, contentment, discipline, spiritual exploration and surrender to the divine. They are the qualities that emerge naturally by one who is living a natural and balanced life, and not from moods of moral self-righteousness or indignation.
When we examine Chapter 5 of the letter to Paul to the Galatians, a details description is found there as to the rules of personal behavior.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are
against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
Third branch of Yoga, “Asana”, means all that is involved in the full expression of mind-body integration in which we become consciously aware of the flow of life energy in our bodies. This includes the postures that people enter into to achieve physical flexibility, but goes much deeper than this. It really includes all actions that unify and integrate body, mind and spirit.
Although in Christian spirituality, there is no emphasis placed on the practice of certain physical postures called asana in yoga, there is definitely a call to actions that lead to a healthy and balanced life-style. Christians are encouraged to look after their health in order live full and productive spiritual lives in society. Christians are certainly encouraged in the action of prayer as a daily discipline for purposes integrating their faith as a way of life.
Forth branch of yoga, “pranayama”, is the engagement of
the life force of prana, a vital energy, throughout our body/mind for health and vibrancy. Pranayama is the use of conscious breathing techniques to manage and enliven life’s energies, which not only improves health, but allows the mind to become centered and quiet so as to enter into God’s presence.
In Christian meditation, both mantras and breath are used as a method of prayer in order to enter into a state of centeredness and quietness of mind. Through this discipline, if followed as prescribed, one has the experience of inner stillness, silence, and simplicity which is not only beneficially health wise, but allows one to be centered on Christ and His Spirit. This represents a form of prayer from the apophatic tradition that moves one away from all types of discursive prayer into “being present" and united with Christ.
Fifth branch of Yoga, “Pratyahara”, is a process of
directing our senses inward to become aware of the subtle elements of sound, touch, taste, small, sight. By going inside, we can access these impulses and directly experience the knowledge that the world of forms and phenomena is a projection of our awareness. Our senses are temporarily withdrawn from the outer world in order to recognize the sensations of our inner world. This practice allows us to experience these sensations on our return to our outer word with more vibrancy.
The practice of Christian meditation provides those opportunities to move away from the distressing sensations relating to sound, taste, sight, smell and touch, which are constantly bombarding us, to enter into the silent and still realms within. As one returns to all the activities of ordinary living, we are able to move back into them with a greater peacefulness and detachment, and vibrancy.
Sixth branch of yoga, “Dharana”, is the mastery of
attention and intention. An essential component of yoga and its discipline is to refine attention in order to facilitate healing and transformation. Once attention is activated, our intentions have a powerful influence to move us in the direction we wish to go, and to manifest those things, activities, and ways of being into our lives. What you place your attention on grows in importance. It increases our awareness or focus on that which is most desirable for our well-being.
In Christian Meditation, we use this time to “give attention” to
Christ. The idea is not to say prayers, but to be “present”. This in turn, increases our ability to give attention to that which is right before us, and not be so distracted, overwhelmed and fragmented when dealing with the multi situations that bombard us in our daily living. Giving attention helps us to focus on what is most important, and it is usually that which is present to us “now”, without the worries of what might happen in the future, or experiences of the past.
Seventh branch of yoga, “Dhyana” is the development of “witnessing” awareness. It’s Christian equivalent would be
knowing that you are in the world but not of this world. It is moving beyond seeing ourselves as permanent, fixed, concrete reality, to being a witness to the change that is happening around us. We witness our thoughts and our feelings as they come and go, but we are not our thoughts and feelings. We observe the multiple activity and confusion around us, but do not identify with it as to become absorbed into it. Witness awareness is cultivated through meditation, during which we learn to observe thoughts, feelings, sensations, sounds that arise in our awareness without the need to react to them. The practice of yoga and Christian meditation are common in this regard.
Eighth branch of yoga, “Samadhi”, is the state of being
settled in pure, unbounded awareness. It is going beyond time and space, beyond past and future, beyond individuality. Samadhi is tasting the realm of the “I am”. It is by-passing the ego, which leaves us with a sense of “separateness” to experience the boundlessness of the divine. Fear and anxiety do not exist here since it is beyond ego consciousness. There is a surrender of “old self” as we would normally experience it to an experience of “selflessness” which some may call “pure bliss consciousness” or the “still point”. There is a sense of being and “one” with the divine. Christians would refer to it as “union with God”.
First branch of Yoga, “yama”, is commonly translated
In Christian spirituality, we have the ten commandments, and the various instructions on moral behavior found in the Gospels and letters of the New Testament. They are not in conflict with the above since they both flow from revelation, that sacred part of the inner self that finds connection with the divine.
Second branch of Yoga, "Niyama", can be interpreted as the “rules of personal behavior”. They are the beneficial
When we examine Chapter 5 of the letter to Paul to the Galatians, a details description is found there as to the rules of personal behavior.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are
Third branch of Yoga, “Asana”, means all that is involved in the full expression of mind-body integration in which we become consciously aware of the flow of life energy in our bodies. This includes the postures that people enter into to achieve physical flexibility, but goes much deeper than this. It really includes all actions that unify and integrate body, mind and spirit.
Although in Christian spirituality, there is no emphasis placed on the practice of certain physical postures called asana in yoga, there is definitely a call to actions that lead to a healthy and balanced life-style. Christians are encouraged to look after their health in order live full and productive spiritual lives in society. Christians are certainly encouraged in the action of prayer as a daily discipline for purposes integrating their faith as a way of life.
Forth branch of yoga, “pranayama”, is the engagement of
In Christian meditation, both mantras and breath are used as a method of prayer in order to enter into a state of centeredness and quietness of mind. Through this discipline, if followed as prescribed, one has the experience of inner stillness, silence, and simplicity which is not only beneficially health wise, but allows one to be centered on Christ and His Spirit. This represents a form of prayer from the apophatic tradition that moves one away from all types of discursive prayer into “being present" and united with Christ.
Fifth branch of Yoga, “Pratyahara”, is a process of
The practice of Christian meditation provides those opportunities to move away from the distressing sensations relating to sound, taste, sight, smell and touch, which are constantly bombarding us, to enter into the silent and still realms within. As one returns to all the activities of ordinary living, we are able to move back into them with a greater peacefulness and detachment, and vibrancy.
Sixth branch of yoga, “Dharana”, is the mastery of
In Christian Meditation, we use this time to “give attention” to
Seventh branch of yoga, “Dhyana” is the development of “witnessing” awareness. It’s Christian equivalent would be
Eighth branch of yoga, “Samadhi”, is the state of being
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