My parents and siblings are all under the impression that doing yoga makes me less of a Christian. They say it's attached to Hinduism and is wrong for me to do. That it's all about being "mindless" and putting yourself in a trance, that medidation is wrong. Can anyone please help me educate them about yoga (excersise)?
Is there any websites someone can direct me to?

I just don't know how to defend it, against them as they won't believe me unless they can read it for themselves, and an encyclopedia is offering them no comfort. Frankly, all I know is my yoga video has no religious overtones at all, or anything referencing spirituality. I tried to explain that it's just a form of excersise like aerobics, or pilates, or weight training, but lower impact and also includes breathing excercises.
Please help!

Hi Shane, I just read your post. Most forms of yoga have a spiritual aspect to them, especially if you go to a yoga studio. However if you do yoga at a gym, there is no spiritual overtones, as group exercise instructors, we are not allowed to say or play music that is religious or political.
Another plus to doing yoga at a gym is that there are other kinds of classes offered as well, like the ones you mentioned. The downside of doing gym yoga is that it will not have the tranquil atmosphere offered in yoga studios, climate of the room will most likely be cold, as the ac is on, especially if there was a cardio class right before.
I highly recommend that you google some yoga studios in your area to see whether there is one that is non-religious, or do yoga at your local gym.

Hi,
I've been doing a lot of thinking about how to reply to your post. I'm not a yoga teacher, nor do I know that much about the origins or spiritual aspect of yoga. I've been doing yoga on and off for many years, regularly now for 2 years.
I'm not sure you'll be able to change the mind of your family. They'll find justification for their beliefs if they want to. What's most important is how YOU feel about it. My personal belief is that you can bring whatever intention you want into your yoga practice. If it's just exercise, it's just exercise. If you do the more spiritual parts - the breathing and awareness - with a Christian intent, then I think it would deepen your Christianity. There are many many Christians who practice yoga as well as various forms of meditation. I don't believe that just putting your body in a few positions will cause your mind to be taken over, but I know that there are fundamentalists who do believe that. My children's preschool has yoga once a week and a few parents have forbid their children to do it because of the Christianity issue, even tho' the teacher is completely non-religious and does fun animal poses with them, not even real asanas. Ironically, there are community yoga classes at the Catholic parish hall twice a week, so go figure.
Yoga has so many health benefits, and I agree with the previous post that you can do it on purely a physical level. I'm a health care provider and I recommend it all the time for my patients.
I googled "christian yoga" and found lots about how evil yoga is, but also found this: which is a review of a book by an Episcopalian priest who does yoga.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do! :hug

um, meditation is biblical... just read the psalms
that said, yoga was developed along with eastern religion as a part of it. their religion included body, soul and spirit - as christianity should if you really read the bible. however, chrisitanity/jesus/apostles all lived in the height of the roman empire with it's greek/hellenistic way of thinking which was to separate all things spiritual from all things earthly. thus to have exercise that is also spiritual in some way is foreign to our western/greek way of thinking. however, the bible talks all about how our christianity should encompass all areas of our lives.
so i think it's possible to take something natural from the eastern religion/mindset adn to keep it all natural or to incorporate it into christianity.
very brief answer and prob confusing - PM me if you want to discuss it further. gotta get my baby to bed. :)

Thanks so much for your responses. I really appreciate your taking the time.
I'm gonna send her one of my yoga videos, perhaps she'll watch it and see what I mean.