Question: Is the practice of yoga scriptural? Does Scripture forbid it? If yoga is unscriptural, what reference can we quote?

Stan

Answer: Dear Stan,

It seems that you have two questions: 1) The practice of physical exercises known as yoga – which may be beneficial, assuming exercises and physical techniques can be separated from the underlying philosophy – and 2) the belief system of yoga in which physical exercise plays a small part.

Plain Truth Ministries believes that the spiritual component of Yoga is unbiblical. Yoga is taught as part of a process to help the adherent eventually achieve enlightenment – it is a consciousness changing technique. According to Eastern thought, Yoga is a part of the gradual enlightenment that comes as one is saved by one’s works. Eastern thought believes in reincarnation, a lifetime progression or digression.

The Bible says that death is appointed to us all, not reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27) – that salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-10) and that we are saved because of the work of Christ on the cross, not because of our consciousness raising that eventually puts us in touch with a higher consciousness, or even, as some teach, the god within us. The Bible reveals that Jesus, God in the flesh, came to this earth to find us, that we were and are lost without him, and that no merits or virtues of our own will help us find God. He has to find us.

Hope this helps.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht