Yoga, Part 1

I’ve been regularly practicing yoga for about 4 years. A doctor recommended it to me after I went to him with general aches and pains as a result of jogging. In his words, “you know, you aren’t 17 anymore, why don’t you just try yoga?” The majority of my experience has been Gaiam videos from Target. I don’t consider myself a serious student, although I am faithful to the practice. I knew I was drawn to it and committed to it, but I didn’t realize how much the practice has influenced me until I went to the retreat.

This journaling is a compilation of thoughts shared by the teachers as well as my own thoughts.

We can see the practice of Yoga meshing with spirituality from two different vantage points on a continuum. The first would be “christianizing” yoga, the next would be evaluating my intentions and thus it becomes spiritual because my intentions are pure. I can relate to both vantage points; however I think I tend to value the second approach of intentions. It seems the first approach comes to the experience with a certain fear and doubt, a concern that one will be influenced by false teachings and thus be led astray. The second approaches the experience valuing the intention at which the practice is being tried or evaluated. The first takes the practice of yoga and adds scripture and prayers of meditations and the like. I am thinking this makes the practice more palatable and thus not something to be feared. The idea is that if it’s covered with Christianity or Jesus or scripture or prayers, then it is made Holy. The second uses the intention to bring one to a contemplative state for the soul to meet the mystery. The second embraces the idea that if it is already true and good, then it is Holy. This is something that Fr. Tom expressed