Explore our Writers’ Perspectives
Finding Christ Through Yoga
I teach Christ-centered yoga because I want to share the transformative power of moving prayers with my communities of faith.
Jean-Marie Déchanet: the Father of Christian Yoga
If you search for "Christian" and "yoga" in a library database or Google, you'll inevitably run across a book called Christian Yoga by Fr. Jean-Marie Déchanet. Originally published in French in 1956, Christian Yoga is one of the oldest books available considering the intersection of yoga and Christianity, and in many ways, Fr. Déchanet became the Father of today's movement of Christians practicing yoga.
So who was Fr. Déchanet?
In Which We Discuss the Relationship between Asana and Meditation
Yoga in the service of meditative prayer expresses a balance between the horizontal and vertical dimensions.
Yoga and Healing: A Christian Perspective
In the last decade much emphasis has been put on alternative methods of health care. Even medical doctors are beginning to give more credibility to holistic methods of healing. Studies have proven that the best results come from looking at the whole person, body, mind and spirit. It is no longer considered good medicine just to treat symptoms and ignore the possible underlying causes of disease. So where does yoga fit into this model of healing, and what are its implications for Christians?
The Archbishop of Canterbury on the Contemplative Approach
The following paragraphs are from “The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Address to the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”
In the Address, Archbishop Rowan Williams discusses the importance of contemplative practices in the Christian faith tradition, especially in relationship to evangelization.
The Case Against Yoga: Sedlock Vs. Baird
Parents of students attending Encinitas Union School District claim that yoga in schools violates religious freedom and the separation of church and state. The parents are concerned that the organization providing the yoga is performing a “religious experiment.” The parents are Christians who want to protect their children, and they want yoga out of the schools.
A Call to Christian Embodiment
by Rev. Jim Dickerson
One of the terrible heresies of not only ages past, but of this current one as well, is the dis-embodiment of the Christian faith and it’s richly embodied, comprehensive and holistic theology, traditions, communal life and spiritual practices.