Diving Into the Yoga Conversation
To Yoga, or Not to Yoga, That Is the Question
For those of you who've been made uncomfortable, maybe even angry, by the yoga conversation, we hope to offer some clarity and bridges here. We also hope, whatever side you have found yourself on, you will see the blessing that Keola® is to each of you. If you haven't already, I encourage you to visit the "Why Keola®" page. Keola® truly isn't yoga. We are not ashamed to be misunderstood in that. We believe this is something that perfectly meets the need of the controversy - dealing with the legitimate reasonings behind each side's hesitation to either step away from or engage in the movement - while amplifying the things each side feels is important, namely, the pure Gospel or super beneficial movements and breathing techniques and compassion of God.
This page and the ministry of Keola® are passionate about truth, love, and pursuing peace. Confusion, disrespect, and condemnation are not allowed here. It is my prayer that they are obliterated in your heart as you think on and talk to God about what is shared here.
We are not creating the controversy, but we won't be afraid to speak into it while providing a great solution and openly share what we have found dealing with strong opinions over the years helping you cut through the emotions and pride that often drive the arguments. If something you read or hear makes you uncomfortable, go to God with it. We don't need to bury those things. He's faithful to shine light on them, so don't be afraid to ask Him. Today, we are asking you to set aside your judgments. Ironically, people shut down and often make wrong assumptions with both the terms "yoga" and "alternative to yoga".
May God give you fresh eyes and a humble, loving heart. Ultimately, we recommend you follow your own conscience, keep praying, check your why behind what you are sharing (is this selfish, controlling, ignorant, driven by fear, hurt, or lack of faith in what God can do), and keep loving the people who disagree with you. It's this love that the Lord Jesus says will speak to the world the most.
"By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another." John 13:35 AMP
The Breathing and Exercises (Not Yoga) Help Activate God's "Peace Switch" and Release the Impact of Chronic Stress In the Body
The Parasympathetic Nervous System
To Help You Understand People Who Love the Movement or Feel Seen If You Are One of Them (Y'all Should be Over the Moon About Keola®!)
You really don't have to go far to hear about the mental and physical benefits of yoga or yoga-like movement. Keola® is not limited to this type of good movement (See "What is Keola®?") and, the reality is, the positions associated with yoga are not limited to yoga classes. Neither is the philosophy of thought behind it. That's not a surprise, because both have been around and being used in one form or another before modern day yoga blended them.
Deeper, more intentional breathing carries immense benefits, one of which is to stop a fight or flight, intensely emotional response. It's used in anger management, as well as depression and anxiety therapy. If you've had a baby, you'll be familiar with breathing techniques to help you with birthing. It's something that is a proven tool that can help people "be angry and do not sin" and "not fear".
God isn't just spiritual, dominating an ethereal realm and future. He loves this world and the people in it. He cares about you and what you care about. He cares about your body, designing it to function optimally in any given circumstance whether needing to survive or living at peace. That good thing is just one of the awesome things in this universe that speaks to who He is, offering opportunity to be filled with gratitude and devotion to Him (see Romans below). Not everyone does that, but it would be wrong to villainize something just because some people don't see it that way or put it in an improper place. It would also be wrong to write everyone off who feels that way right now. God doesn't stop the sun from shining and stars from sparkling just because people don't appreciate Him for it or use it as a compass for mystical wisdom in their life. This reality points to His mercy, forgiveness, and grace simply emphasizing nature's truth imprint... and isn't that the goal? Exude truth in love.
Don't hear what I'm not saying. There are a time and place for getting fierce about things. I'm just proposing some things are not as black and white as we think. We see that in Scripture with the way Jesus answered people's questions differently, sometimes almost seemingly contradicting but truth isn't in conflict and it never changes. What specific people need to hear about truth in any given moment does. My hope is you and I keep that in mind as we deal with real people who have complex experiences. May we be able to operate in love and truth in ways that we don't even understand ourselves. Because Jesus, who does understand everything, lives in us. He exemplifies both perfectly and will surely help us.
P.S. It's okay to get this wrong sometimes. God's grace and mercy are freely pouring out on you, too! More pointedly, in fact, because you've stepped into the fullness of it by putting your faith in Jesus.
"When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing." Luke 9:11 ESV
History Nugget
Circa the early 1900's, the physical poses that we often identify with yoga were added to the practice.
These spiritually neutral, physical gems were gaining popularity in Europe.
Some yoga masters added them to accommodate and appeal to a more physical society.
Primitive Gymnastics
The ancient yoga texts used as the basis of classic and modern philosophy and practice contain very little on physical postures, instead emphasizing comfort for prolonged meditation. In 2010, Mark Singleton released a book containing his research of the origin of today's yoga poses concluding a contemporary, non-religious or spiritually-based source. This created a stir in the yoga community, many of whom attached the movements themselves to their spiritual journey and growth.
Sun Salutations: A Sequence Created For Sun Worship?
"In the early 20th century it was popularised by the Raja of Aundh as a kind of coordinated drill gymnastics. In his 1928 book The Ten Point Way to Health, he makes it very clear that his form of sun salutes are for physical fitness, for the improvement of the race and for the benefit of mass education in contemporary India."
~ BBC Radio 4 "Seriously...What's behind the five popular yoga poses loved by the world?" (Quote shared here 5/5/20)
KEOLA®'S SON SERIES: CELEBRATING JESUS'S VICTORY OVER SIN AND DEATH
Yoga Is A Religion, Not an Exercise
To Help You Understand People Who Don't Agree with It or Feel Seen If You Are One of Them
Yoga - Sanskrit term: a yoking, union, from yunakti he yokes
Ask any practitioner in India, check the definition, even watch the free video on your flight. Not kidding! I just did this. Actual yoga is not about exercise. It is a "spiritual discipline" or practice, but not a Christian one. Never in His Word do you see Jesus doing it or the people of God being asked to.
I add that, because some New Age circles claim Jesus went to India to study and practice yoga in His "missing years" (between being found in the Temple as a young teen and starting His ministry). We know this couldn't be true, because He was a perfect, sinless man following the whole Jewish law. This type of worship to other gods is forbidden in the Torah and, as you'll see below, the exercise poses were not a part of yoga at that time so exercise "yoga" was also not something He'd go anywhere to try or learn. Classes today, frequently share the Hindu and New Age philosophies in the movement.
It is a requirement to train in the philosophy if you get a yoga certification from Yoga Alliance. (Kind of like the Gnosticism the early church was seeing rise up in the new community of believers. I encourage you to read 1 John to understand it.) Most yoga classes and teachers guide in this. It's their truth, so that's expected. For people who are stuck in survival mode and truly benefiting from the physiological return to safety and peace, that can create confusion and make them vulnerable to the teaching. Kindness and grace is a big part of it, which is beautiful (and often a fresh experience from people who grew up in more legalistic circles), but it believes your perfection can be achieved without Jesus which conflicts with what Jesus said and who He is. It also removes the idea of sin and even elevates people to the level of God Himself. It's a big deal to a believer (again, reference 1 John). At its core, it carries its own legalism, because you still have to work to achieve enlightenment... to be fair, the community can often seem kinder than some notably grumpy Christian circles. (I promise... or at least blissfully believe, there's love and a good motivation behind that for most of those people - similar to a worried parent.) This is one reason some people take a stance against yoga participation, including many Christian yoga options that often include a mixture of this philosophy in what they share. I want to take a pause here to remind you, you are empowered to look. Do research. Ask questions. Read the Word. Come to your own prayerful conclusions.
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 ESV
There are others who are genuinely concerned with the connection to Hindu deities the later addition of poses (see Danish gymnastics info below) formed. This has its own Biblical relevancy, especially to the Old Testament. It also can connect to the Apostle Paul's advice given to the Corinthian church about food sacrificed to idols and a few other things. It's a fair assessment, yet debatable... a little gray when taken with other advice he offered, in my opinion (I get to have one of those, too). It is still enough to make Keola that much more of a choice to consider. It eliminates the possibility by offering something all-together new, returning the movements back to their pre-yoga involvement. Similar to how eating meat wasn't banned altogether (in fact, that was also warned against - not being vegan, but having a holy motivation for it), just caution with what was deliberately offered to idols. Whether or not every yoga class is still connected to this original sacrifice is something I can't answer to.
However, to give a little context with this stance of direct connection, I'll elaborate on what yoga is and what's in the Old Testament (also, why Jesus wouldn't have done it as a Jew) with a glimpse at the most similar and aggressive stance in the New.
One definition of yoga taken from the freedictionaryonline.com:
"(Philosophy) (Non-Christian Religions / Hinduism) a Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being in a state of complete awareness and tranquility through certain physical and mental exercises"
"Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead."
Psalm 106:28 ESV
The Pulpit Commentary of the Bible describes this passage as follows:
yoking - "It signifies a mystic union, such as was supposed to exist between a heathen god and his worshippers." The dead or lifeless gods - "as opposed to the true living God"
Interpretation from Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible:
"To this idol the Israelites joined or "yoked" themselves...which was to be unequally yoked: or they were tempted unto it; they committed spiritual whoredom with it, which was idolatry; they left their first and lawful husband, to whom they were married, and joined themselves to an idol, and cleaved to it. The phrase is expressive of their fellowship with it, and with the idolatrous worshippers of it; they devoted themselves to the worship of it...they were initiated into the rites and mysteries of this idol."
"No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons." 1 Corinthians 10:20 ESV
The Keola® Difference
Yoga is about the mind and (now) the movement - being transformed through the discipline of "practicing", slowly perfected and enlightened by doing it. Keola® on the other hand, tells a story. From the position names to the specific elements that are consistent throughout all the classes, you will hear the love story of the Good News of Jesus (which offers total transformation by faith), as well as be encouraged in that faith and empowered by God's Spirit and Word all why doing good things that activate God's amazing design of your body for balance and peace.
Bold in Truth and Love:
"...only God can give us a heart that is truly free from the fear of people and what they think. It is not a worldly, crude, arrogant stance that pushes back to spite people. It is a place of such amazing love that cares so little about a person’s opinion that you are not afraid to model and speak Truth in season, while at the same time caring immensely about them as a fellow human being and child of God. My desire is that when people hear about and go to a Keola® class, they know that they are going to “not yoga”; that they know they will experience a brave honesty and merciful love that stands out. I pray that people everywhere see the separation and the difference and that in that they see Jesus,"
Excerpt from Keola® teacher training textbook, "It's Really Not Yoga" section.
Deliverance: Be Free!
It's okay to have opinions and live them out, but love well, seek peace and pursue it to the degree you are able.
"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give."
~Jesus (John 14:27 NLT)
Regardless of how you feel, I encourage you to stop fighting and saying nasty things about other believers'. is a big deal. Stick with your conscience. Live out your belief, pray, and share the goodness and purity of Jesus.
"Believers, do not speak against or slander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother or judges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it. (James 4:11 AMP)
But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:15 ESV)
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. (Romans 14:1 NLT)
But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you -with your "superior knowledge"-eating in the temple of an idol, won't they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? (1 Corinthians 8:9-10 NLT)
