Yoga, Spirituality, and the Search for Meaning w/Alex Frank | Chris Stefanick Show 

Great job! Same!! On my last day of yoga (6 years ago) I remember feeling super uneasy at the class, and I couldn't explain what was happening. I was overcome with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was telling me not to do yoga anymore, which was so scary. It was a big wake up call as I searched online and learned that what I was engaging in was all New Age, which is not really the direction I wanted to go in. So I pivoted myself back to church and bible study and prayer, and never looked back 😊

@@GardenMinistry. Bible study is not Catholic neither.

🕊🙏🏼♥️

@@MrMirville We all do Bible study at my Catholic church, additionally we do it in our home ministries 🙂 Not to mention the daily Mass scripture readings, The Word of God all day long my friend!

Me too…yogini for over twenty years

Excercise is important to the body but there are other spiritual practices that have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit🕊🙏🏼♥️

Do you have the name or link of the video?

Prayed for you. Christ is with you always and loves you more than anyone.

Hi I too was doing yoga and had some very negative spiritual events happen from the practice of it. Physically it was great for my body and I felt great but I did more research myself and what really convinced me that it was very bad for Christians was watching this: please have you and your husband watch this, right at the 1:02:20 in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GMUjC8YRB5I.html

It will be nice to get his feedback. I'm just learning these things

I think you can do yoga,and practise it without all the mundo, jumbo. My wife suffered from back pain and back issues for years ( chiropractors, acupuncture, she staying away from medicating - she doesn't want start down that road - other than over the counter for time to time) she started doing yoga about a 6 month ago and she hasn't had any recurring back problems now. - Next thing they'll come up with is getting a massaging is a sin.

Darling, yoga is a part of hinduism. You can't take another religion's spiritual practise and think it's ok, since that breaks the 1st commandment. Ofcourse yoga works when you're inviting spirits to make changes to the way that currents flow through your soul. Think of the yogic poses like demonic sigils or runes, but instead of writing them down, you form the geometric pattern with your body.

@@JohnBog No it is not part of "hinduism." It is part of ayurvedic medicine however which is also part of the traditions of India.

This sounds like a stand up comedy sketch.

I am glad your relationship with your dear sister was healed.

​@@maryreinhardt8661Thank you, yes my relationship with my sister is much better now.

I would highly recommend gentle Pilates. It does all of that without entrapping people into a negative spiritual practice

I was also surprised that they didn’t touch on the fact that many churches offer, or I should say allow, yoga classes in their gyms and rec buildings. I know of several in my area.

​@@DewberryHillFarmour catholic church has strayed away from true Catholicism.

@@vivelder8420 I failed to clarify, I meant Protestant churches. Thankfully I haven’t seen any local Catholic Churches encouraging or supporting yoga. I am converting and finally coming Home. The saddest thing I have noticed is the lack of reverence for the Eucharist among some of the laity at our parish. I long for the day I too can receive Him and seeing people receive in the hand and then almost dropping our Lord is just painful to watch. I wish they would realize the gravity of what they are being so privileged to partake in and repent and show Jesus the respect and honor He deserves. 🙏🏼

@@DewberryHillFarm again, our catholic church has failed to catechise us. I too feel like you. I pray at mass for Gods forgiveness for the lack of respect in His presence. I try not to judge knowing that these folks just havent been taught. 🙏

​@@DewberryHillFarmWelcome Home!! 🙏✝️❤ It's extremely upsetting to see people receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, so casually and irreverently. It hurts my heart. I pray that all Catholics will come to know and understand that the Eucharist is the best gift we could hope to receive in this temporal life and that we may all be united again in receiving the Body of Christ on our tongues. Our hands are not consecrated and we have no business handling the Body of Christ. May God bless you abundantly!!

Me too, through Zen Buddhism. The one thing I would add to this conversation is that Eastern mysticism is very much about dropping one's ego boundaries, to realize the 'true self.' In my experience, this released all forms of unresolved grief in me: trauma, rage, disappointments, dread, shame, etc. If one does not have the strength, awareness, and capability to deal with what comes up for healing, then one, like me, finds navigating normal life very difficult, even leading to suicide. Thanks be to God, my Zen teacher recognized my Catholic roots and sent me back to the Church, even though I did not want to return. In the hands of a Trappist monk, priest, and psycho-analyst, I was able to recognize the root of my trauma, and through the grace of the Cross and the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit, I found my way back to emotional and spiritual health.

Praise God!

Try spending time in adoration before God. You may feel less along as you do being face to face with God himself. It is a great form of prayer/meditation to just sit with him and keep him company and let him keep you company. You will be very blessed when you do. Sending hugs of support for you! Welcome to the Catholic Church and fullness of truth. You are not alone! 💛

A friend of mine is getting into teaching Yoga and seems to be leaving her Catholic faith. Any words of wisdom you could offer to convince her to stop?

My friends Mother is also immersed in yoga and he doesnt know how to broach the subject that yoga is not something christians should even touch. I used to do it myself, for over 10 years but it was only when I came to know God that I found out the truth about this practice. What amazes me is how Yoga as assimilated itself into the culture, where im from they're now teaching it to kids in schools.

84 Reject the work of New Age Spiritualism Sunday, May 15th, 2011 @ 17:00 My dearly beloved daughter, I Am calling on all My followers to denounce the work of the New Age Movement, which has gripped the world. Christianity has always been a prime target of Satan. Because he is so cunning he will constantly try to seduce those with empty and spiritually lost souls. He will always try to present his lies couched in what appears to be love. Then he will try to control My children’s minds using ancient pagan tactics designed to free their minds from the so-called stresses of modern living. Beware those of you who succumb to practices, which claim to bring your mental state into a stage of oblivion, in the name of meditation. Once you allow your mind to be controlled in this way Satan and his demons can move in so silently that you won’t realise it, so smooth will be the transition. Avoid ancient spiritual practices including use of tarot cards Many, many souls in the world are starving for spiritual guidance. In their quest to bring meaning into their lives, they are unwittingly allowing themselves to be sucked into practices which amount to paganism. Any false dogma, which entices you to believe that peace in your heart and soul can be achieved through ancient spiritual practices must be avoided at all times. Learn to recognise them for what they really are. The use of crystals, meditation, reiki, yoga, tarot cards, belief in spirit guides, metaphysics and so-called faith healers are there to entice you to believe in an alternative superiour existence outside of that created by God the Eternal Father. Warning about ascended masters Many of you today, who are constantly searching out spiritual comfort in the practice of following your angels must also be alert to the fact that once the term ascended masters is mentioned you can be sure that these angels do not come from Heaven. Ascended masters, My children, are fallen angels and come from the dark. Yet you will be told and then be convinced that they come from the light. All of this pagan spiritualism, if you let it take over your lives, will eventually pull you downwards into the pits of darkness when you least expect it. Satan will be so careful as to how he presents these dark lies, because at all times you will be told, and you will believe, that these things are all good. Most of these practices are presented as being good for your self-esteem, confidence, control over your life, all of which is a lie. Not only do these practices drive you away from the Truth, but they bring untold misery once the evil spirits enter your soul as a direct result of these practices. Bible warns of dangers of magic The Truth can never be tampered with. Teachings handed down to man in the Holy Bible warn mankind of the dangers of magic, fortune telling and the adulation of false gods. In today’s world, these practices are presented as harmless, but necessary, for your spiritual wellbeing. Because of the nature of gentle souls, many of them will be naturally drawn to new age practices because of the false façade of the love they exude. Nothing could be further from the Truth. Warning about fanatical devotion to angels Remember it is Satan and his fallen angels who have carefully and cunningly drawn you into these unsuspecting lies. For those of you who promote an almost fanatical devotion to angels, I have this to say. Why do you not proclaim the Word of God, My Eternal Father first? Isn’t this obsession with angels just another form of idolatry? Yes, by all means, pray for the help of the holy angels, however, always ask this question. Is your devotion to the angels at the expense of your love for Jesus Christ, the Son of God or God the Eternal Father? If so then you offend Me, your Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ. Wake up now to the lies of so-called spiritualism. The angels you attract by participating in such practices will not come from Heaven or from the Light. They will seem to come from the Light but that is the deceit that Satan and his demons use to cleverly camouflage their actions. Remember one final lesson. Dress up your pagan practices as much as you like to appear as if you are paying homage to the Divine Light of Heaven, but it will be a lie. The lie, and those you convince to follow this bizarre journey towards a so-called spiritual realm, outside that of My Father’s, will bring you so close to Satan that beyond a certain point there will be no return. The only Divine Realm of Love that exists outside of this Earth is Heaven. Anything else you have been told is untrue. Satan, however, wants you to believe that there is. The reality is that he is pulling all those unsuspecting and superstitious souls into the darkness of Hell with him and all the fallen angels, all in the name of false love. Please remember that Love, True Love, can only come from God the Eternal Father. Your loving Saviour Jesus Christ

Tell her to do Pilates instead. All the physical benefits, none of the demons.

I went through same thing with my folks and found out it was basically calisthenics, not really yoga

Also, the YMCA enjoys tax e benefits because it is a "Christian" organization, yet their prices are in line with other health clubs who do pay business taxes.

In my opinion: How is it faith? G-d gives life & a way to it. Suffering you say? Suffering would not be necessary for salvation. In case you all had missed it entirely, Christ manifested in Mary. The lowly testified Jesus is Christ, not that He's Jesus. They wouldn't know Jesus to be the Christ until performing miraculous feats that only the Christ could ever do. Jesus sought out disciples who were working men - not rabbis or poor bums. During those times if a person was poor it was considered their fault. Giving to the poor in a charitable sense would actually mean to help someone down on their luck & not to give them total socialism because of fornication or because the chose to marry & have too many children that the entire family has to work their entire childhood away while being burdened with adult economical sins of lust that ordinary happen outside of the Churche's ministry. Such a family would be bound to sin & salvation would mean something entirely different to a working class family trying to be righteous. If you were poor, it was your fault. One of the 7 deadly sins owned you. There are a lot of problems with Catholic teachings to the point of worshiping the host agent of G-d. Why would you suppose Jesus would pray being so tempted by Satan when Jesus is G-d? Probably because someone in the Church wrote it. Seriously, that's what the Church would like us all to do so someone must have been watching Jesus the entire time even though Jesus was praying by Himself. Jesus shown the way to overcome the fear of death that was such a problem for Moses. That's the thing Catholics gloss over. The fear of death over aspiring to be righteous. So odd Catholic worship deals with the dead. They pray to & for the dead for help. When struggling, they cleave to the deceased in hopes of rising again. This would be forbidden as the dead were supposedly unconscious (a sleep). The Christ has removed all obstacles from the path so that we can see the way of life. There's no way to the eternal life except through Christ & the way. Catholics blasphemy by ritual worship of the deceased with a focus on grief. It's as though they never understood what emotional realism would be. Belief is like walking a dog, it has to be structured otherwise it seeks its own relative truth outside what truly is. G-d gives live, we can receive a better one if we take the path. It's not a hard one as Scripture would say His yolk is easy along with make straight & narrow. The Church teaches an alternative version that deals heavily on a fraternal order. Why have they not received their salvation? So preoccupied with death as though life had no worth. If that's not a back slap to G-d, what is?

yoga is not demonic

Soulcore is another good one!

Praise moves is good

yoga did good for you, why would it be bad if it is doing good?

I'm a certified Pietra Fitness instructor and I love everything about it! The entire apostolate is beautiful, and has really helped me grow more in love with Jesus and His Church.

youtube.com/@ignatianspiritualityyoga4288

@@PAT201000 Do you do any of the online trainings?

@kristengem8809 not yet! My life & work schedules keep me from teaching more than 2 classes a week. That is on my bucket list, and will happen if God so wills it. There are SO MANY good instructors and classes on the studio that it's impossible for me to pick any favorite. Since you're in limited time, I'd recommend working through one of the series (I do the Surrender Novena at least once a year, as I constantly need that reminder!).

I never heard of Pietra fitness… how cool is that! Would you be so kind to tell me which vid with Alex you watched that clarified everything for you? TY!

Interesting @happy777abc I discovered I had done that when I was coming to after having grand mal seizure.

I have been practiced yoga for a very long time and never had any intention to stop practicing. A friend of mine knew that I practice yoga and told me to stop, but he didn’t tell me why. So I kept practice thought that it’s just an exercise. Until later on the years one of my church friend told me and send me the link and I read it. I STOPPED practicing yoga immediately no hesitation. Thank you God for given me the wisdom to recognize what’s good for my spiritual life and my relationship with him. Now I found different exercises that I enjoyed and make me feel good both spiritually and physically. Praise you Jesus!

I think you can do yoga,and practise it without all the mundo, jumbo. My wife suffered from back pain and back issues for years ( chiropractors, acupuncture, she staying away from medicating - she doesn't want start down that road - other than over the counter for time to time) she started doing yoga about a 6 month ago and she hasn't had any recurring back problems now. - Next thing they'll come up with massaging is a sin.

I do distrust the Church because of everything that has happened in the past and still happens now. I don't distrust the teachings of Jesus and I believe in Mother Mary, etc. But it doesn't mean I have to be blind of the issuesin the Church and its actions. If it was a political party or a car dealer, many of us would have dumped them for less.

@@jgappy5643 The body of Christ is made up of saints and sinners, but you don't throw out the baby with the bath water, so to speak. There are some people that have gravely offended God, but that's not the majority of faithful Catholics.

@@jgappy5643 I wouldn’t leave Peter because of Judas. Jesus says he built a Church. I don’t take that lightly. ✌🏼🕊️🩵

Don't fool yourself dear. Yoga came from Hinduism.

Back bending is so important to health especially in our current lifestyle of bending and looking down at screens. It’s very difficult to find any other form of exercise that will do this safely besides a yoga class. Even then it can be tricky bc a lot of yoga classes suck. Spending money on nonsense has more demonic force behind it than yoga does… pray people find god and lessen their pain and suffering instead of wasting time thinking yoga is demonic

One book that was mentioned was "Fire Within". A book of that same title was written by Fr. Thomas Dubay And published by Ignatius press.

@@lourdesfrance5924 thanks so much! I'll have to check my bookshelf when I get home. I'm grateful to you for responding!

While there might be dangers, just stick with the more physical aspects. This one can do on one's own if one is worried about a teacher that might lead them, unwittingly, into some alternate spirituality (other that Catholicism) I'd say the Church has more to worry about from the local Teacher's Union and Disney than any sort of guru at the YMCA.

I am an Indian. I can say 💯 that yoga is demonic. Many Indian priests and nuns fell in the trap of yoga

Find a priest at a TLM, a good traditional priest, they will be honest with you in the confessional, sadly it's getting rarer to get a good priest, that said, practicing Yoga is spiritual, demonic, we cannot incorporate paganism into our lives/faith, if you get a old missal (pre 1960s ideally) they have a lovely guide for making confessions. Anyway, I know there are good priests everywhere, but the reason I mention TLM is because the probability is higher you'll meet a priest that knows the catholic faith and will actually be able to help/guide you in your confession and give advice.

If he's the only priest you have access to, you should still go to confession through him even if he is wrong on those matters. The sacrament is still effective.

I'm sorry you had this experience from an Indian priest. I'm Indian myself and yoga is often marketed as a secular exercise when it's not! There's so much syncretism and heresy here, but there are many priests who are good. I suggest you connect with a priest of the eastern/traditional rite. Many priests are spiritually blind and some even mock at the suggestion that communion in hand is sacrilege.. Our church is like a counter church that doesn't try hard enough to thwart heresy. It's the fruit of VatII

You can wear leggings under a skirt or a dress. You just shouldn’t wear Leggings as pants. It’s fine to wear them under a dress or a skirt to keep your legs warm in the winter. That’s what I do when it’s cold I wear them under a skirt or a dress when I go to the TLM.

Yes

Nope, but I am going to take a look now.

Didn't he say the author was from the Augustine Institute? Contact them in Colorado.

I'll give them a call Monday, thanks

I don’t think you paid attention to anything in the video. Catholic should not do yoga, because it is Hindu worship. It is a violation of the first commandment.

Pride keeps us from welcoming God in our lives.

No. All poses are prayers to different gods. By doing these poses you are opening yourself to demonic

@margaretwojda4705 That's just malarkey. a person is moving or posing, and they happen to do a yoga move, and it's a prayer to some nonexistent gods? Do you know when we sleep, many people are in the Pose of the Dead? Christ is my fortress. Who should I fear?

Or you are drastically mistaken and scales cover your eyes and you should pray until they are removed?

​@@tookie36Please be more specific when throwing attempted insults.

@@tomcha75 I was following your lead as you demonized an entire culture without any understanding of yoga.

@@tookie36 Thanks for the explanation. Granted, I generalized about yoga. Also granted, there are probably many that practice yoga purely for the physical benefit. However, claiming I demonized an entire culture is a big stretch. Is Indian culture nothing more than yoga? Your statement claims it is. Let's assume that yoga is not demonic in origin, and that I was wrong in making that assumption. Yet, I would be equally horrified if they had used martial arts fighting movements like Krav Maga or Systema (non religious in nature) during their 12 Days of Christmas performance. Why? Because it simply does not fit and detracts from the point of the celebration (Christ-mas). Next point - yoga as exercise. If someone chants witchcraft spells over and over as a method of meditation or as a personal and well-intended ritual, it does not suddenly transform it into something divine or holy. The very nature of a thing does not change by the individual's intention. That's why there is no such thing as "white magic" or "benevolent/good magic". Just because you do yoga as an exercise (good intent), it does not change the nature of it. I hope that clarifies my original statement. You are, of course, free to agree or disagree.

@@tomcha75 you demonized the yoga culture. As you’re correct in saying not all Indians practice yoga. The Christian claim is that creation is good and god is all loving. Humans are part of and interdependent on creation. The physics postures are created bc of the human body’s relationship to creation. Or spine’s interaction with gravity, our breath is our connection to the plant life in the world. The focus redirects us to the centrality of God. So a child doing a balance posture is very much in line with Christ bday my friend