What does it mean for a Christian to “practice yoga”? Given the emphasis on yoga postures in the West, we may immediately think of seeking Christ through yoga as worship and prayer on our mats and through our bodies. However, the entire system of classical yoga, as described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, can be a lifeline for a Christian seeking Christ, especially anyone who considers themselves, as I do, a “lost sheep.”

But first, a clarification on what I mean by “yoga.” The yoga postures taught in studios are part of a larger system for holistic living that includes postures as well as breathwork, meditation and concentration, study, and ethics for how we act in the world and towards ourselves. Practicing asana (postures) with careful attention to breath, thoughts, transitions between poses, and our intention means one can incorporate a wider view of yoga into daily asana, but we misrepresent yoga if we consider it asana alone.

There are many classic definitions of yoga and its purpose, but I like these passages from The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T. K. V. Desikachar

 These definitions point to a system well beyond postures on the mat. It’s a system not for transformation of the body alone, but a way of being in the world, as a system for bringing our intentions for living to fruition. A system for creating change.

With this in mind, how can yoga be a lifeline for a Christian seeking Christ? 

The ways a Christian seeks Christ are as varied as the definitions of yoga. We are many parts, but we are all one body. The most obvious way we seek Christ is through engaging with a formal religious institution and the sacramental life of the church. While many find a fulfilling Christian life through a church, it’s possible that any Christian seeking Christ may, to some degree or for a period of time, turn away from (or be turned away from) an institution. There are times when these systems break down, or feel broken. They ask us to declare beliefs, yet words sometimes fail to break through to the heart. Seeking Christ within an institution requires a trust in the institution, and trust in the church has been steadily declining in the last 50 years. There are those of us who don’t fit in or who feel rejected, either because of who or how we love, how we present ourselves to the world, or our political views. Questioning and doubt, though inevitable in the seeker, can be anathema to belonging.

So, those of us without a church home are like lost sheep, alone and confused in the wilderness, searching for a shephard outside of the pasture. Yoga starts right here, in the wilderness, in the questioning and confusion. The first real prayer of a seeker may be, “Help! I’m lost!”  

While Christianity holds beliefs of the nature of Christ at its center, yoga holds an understanding of the nature of the seeker at its core. If the intention is to seek Christ, yoga gently turns the lost towards the sound of a trustworthy master.

Incorrect Comprehension: a Human Condition

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is premised on the human condition of avidya, or incorrect comprehension. It is human nature to be lost, confused and disoriented, and even deceiving of ourselves. As described in The Heart of Yoga, there are four branches of Avidya. Those of us lost in the woods tend to nurture these branches until we are living in this tree and think it’s all there is to the world! The first branch is Asmita, the ego. We have a sense that we are or must be superior to others. Raga is making demands, wanting something out of habit, whether we truly need it or not. Dvesa is in some ways the opposite of Raga, rejecting something out of habit or previous experience. Abhinivesa is a deeply rooted clinging to life, a survival instinct, that manifests fearfully in our daily life and thought. 

As yoga teaches us to be present to ourselves and others, we notice the habits of thought which cloud our judgement and perception. We gain perspective. Things shift. We learn that while we may think we know something about how the world works, habitual thought and repeated action lead us to incorrectly see or perceive the world, and that we ourselves create a certain blindness to the reality that is Christ in all things. 

Shame Meets Hope

But here’s the thing. Inherent in yoga is the absence of judgement for all that we currently are, a sheep lost in its own misperception, bleating so loudly and with sight so poor we can’t find our way home. We are funny creatures, really. Yoga leads us to see and accept our acts of mistrust and self-preservation and hiding as a good parent might observe a child, with gentle correction and amusement. Built right in is learning to see and accept with understanding and equanimity our habits of sleeping too late or over-indulgence or taking joy in judging others. We are not off the hook, but neither do we allow ourselves to spiral in shame. Through yoga we clearly see and accept that which we have been hiding from ourselves and the world, and shame meets hope. And here is Christ! 

Both yoga and the confessional offer forgiveness, but the practice of yoga has led this writer to more honest assessments of her failings. Self-study and acceptance lead to change and compassion for not only ourselves but other lost sheep. And all sheep! We attain what was previously unattainable.

Each movement or change is yoga!

When a Christian approaches yoga, it can be with the hope of clearer seeing on this path of seeking Christ. Any of the practices are a place to start, such as studying the Christian Bible or the Bhagavad Gita, practicing asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), cleaning up the diet, meditation, or even community worship. Learning, studying and practicing yoga can bring about clearer perception and a more holistic understanding of who we are so we may be more fully present to who Christ is, and eventually, live Christ.

Yoga can open our eyes to see and our ears to hear that which we are seeking. We will read the gospel with new eyes; we will hear the Word with a heart more open and present. Forever changed, we may not be at home again in the church of our youth. Or we may find our way back with a new appreciation. But no matter the path, the sacramental life can be renewed as we awaken to the treasures of the Christian faith. For this, I am deeply grateful to the treasures of yoga.