Expert: Francis - 9/26/2006

Question
Hi, I am an evangelical christian and my mother is a catholic. I am very concerned about my mother as she attends yoga classes regularly. In my evangelical churches, yoga is strongly denounced in an informative & educational manner. However, I have never heard any catholic church openly denounce yoga & highlight its dangers. I dont think my mother is getting the most professional leadership she needs in her church. I must stress that this is not an anti-catholic rant, my question is: Why do the Catholic Churches not openly denounce yoga?

Answer
Because  yoga practiced only as a form of exercise and relaxation is not a sin. It is also a good way for the body to relieve stress.  I know a lot of fitness centers
offer it this way

Now..if your mom starts talking about chakras, healing crystals..reincarnation..or has statues of the Buddha or Hindu gods around the house
that she worships (for example), then we (Catholics) have a problem with that.

Pope John Paul II stated that yoga and meditation have become attractive to people...but that one must be very careful not to dabble it in with New Age religion or other cults that I mentioned above

It should be viewed as a form of exercise like walking
(whereas walking could be considered evil if you
note that Buddhist monks perform a meditation exercise in which they walk very slowly/carefully watching their steps
to help achieve enlightenment..  But of course most of us
do not do this..for us, walking = exercise )