Monday, March 26, 2007

Catholic yoga: A Hail Mary with your Halasana

I stumbled across this article tonight and found it quite wonderful. I've always wondered what some of my Catholic friends really think of my yoga practice. I enjoy it more than words can say, and I feel more complete while I am integrated in the practice. For me, it is a way of prayer. A way to step back from the chaos of life and spend time thinking. Thinking through my poses. It's amazing how much clearer I can think after a good yoga practice. It feels the same when I walk out of the church after quiet moments of prayer.

Catholic yoga: A Hail Mary with your Halasana

Namaste and God Bless

2 comments:

St. Izzy said...

Nice article. And since you have wondered what some of my Catholic friends really think of my yoga practice ...

I think the practice is great, and have thought about starting myself (my aging body needs some sort of discipline, and I worry about my loss of tone and limberness). Just don't swallow the philosophy. For instance, in an earlier post you wrote:

...we are, in truth, beings of light-pure energy inhabiting physical bodies

Which, from a Catholic perspective, is not correct. We are created body and soul, with body created first, and we profess a bodily resurrection. Our body is to be honored and enjoyed, not overcome, no matter how it may betray us (and we it) in this fallen world.

And the quotation at the top gives me pause. Everything we seek is not within us; the One we seek is not sought in our inner self; and I most often find true joy when I do not go deep inside myself, but deny myself and focus on others.

So the philosophies that are often taught along with yoga must be carefully sifted. But the practice itself can be very beneficial.

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