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Yoga, zen, transcendental meditation and tantric exercises lead to an experience of self-fulfilment or enlightenment. Peak-experiences (reliving one's birth, travelling to the gates of death, biofeedback, dance and even drugs - anything which can provoke an altered state of consciousness) are believed to lead to unity and enlightenment. Since there is only one Mind, some people can be channels for higher beings. Every part of this single universal being has contact with every other part. The classic approach in New Age is transpersonal psychology, whose main concepts are the Universal Mind, the Higher Self, the collective and personal unconscious and the individual ego. The Higher Self is our real identity, a bridge between God as divine Mind and humanity. Spiritual development is contact with the Higher Self, which overcomes all forms of dualism between subject and object, life and death, psyche and soma, the self and the fragmentary aspects of the self. Our limited personality is like a shadow or a dream created by the real self. The Higher Self contains the memories of earlier (re-)incarnations.
Aspects such as these are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic faith.
Though it is thought of as just another form of exercise by some people, yoga has a foundation in the Buddhist, Hindu and Jainism religions. Therefore, because of the influence of these religions on yoga, many Christians believe that practising yoga lends credence to these other religions at the expense of Christianity, and is wrong. This has a precedence way back in the Old Testament where God was angry with the Jews for 'diluting' their own beliefs with the beliefs of those others around them, and by marrying those of other religions, thus compromising their own beliefs, and causing real problems for the beliefs of their offspring. Similarly, in the New Testament some of Paul's letters scold the churches round the Mediterranean area (eg the Corinthians) for adopting pagan practices which had no place in Christianity. With regard to the Roman Catholic Church, in 1989, the Vatican declared that Eastern meditation practices such as Zen and yoga can "degenerate into a cult of the body" in that people become more concerned with their looks and physique than by the condition of their soul. While some critics may think this attitude risible, it is totally justified as is borne out in many parts of the world - eg California USA, where millions of dollars every year are spent on cosmetic and enhancing surgery, purely for vanity, money which could be better spent in feeding the poor of the world.
The Catholic Church teaches that yoga shouldn't be learned - not the exercise yoga, the religion yoga - because they don't really believe in the True God or that Jesus walked this earth, which goes against Catholic Church teachings.
As with many non-Catholic practices, the Church always seeks first to find what is praiseworthy, while simultaneously taking care to caution the faithful of potential dangers. Yoga is no exception:
From my research there does not seem to be a clear opinion from the Catholic Church on Transcendental Meditation. It seems to depend on who and when you ask. In 1968 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey appeared on British TV with the founder of TM and according to the press, he supported the theories of Maharish Mahesh Yogi. However, in 1984 Cardinal Jamie Sin, the Archbishop of Manila, said that Transcendental Meditation was not compatible with Catholic beliefs. A few Catholic clergy have supported the use of the Transcendental Meditation. One example is the Catholic Monk, Wayne Teasdale who wrote the book: The Mystic Heart and priests who practice TM include New York's Len Dubi (see You Tube video) and the Canadian priest, Kevin Joyce.
No, yoga is considered an anaerobic exercise
Catholicism is the act of being Catholic, and believing in God, and that he will come again. (And so on and so forth.) Yoga is a form of exercise for your body. These two things have absolutely nothing in common.
Yes.
Yes. Yoga does count as a floor exercise. There are many types of yoga and floor exercises. Examples are yoga, gymnastics, stuntnastics, flexibility exercises, and many more.
Yoga
The cast of Yoga Exercise Workout - 1993 includes: Jane Fonda as herself
Unless the person has exercise-induced asthma, yoga would have no effect on asthma. If they do have exercise-induced asthma, it is possible that the yoga could actually trigger an attack.
Yoga is a wonderful source of exercise. It is not advised to try to get fat by yoga. People who practice yoga find that they burn fat, not gain it.
no it is an exercise for everyone
meditation,yoga,exercise
yoga
A downward dog's favorite exercise is yoga...