Fatwa on Yoga
The decision make by National Fatwa Council to banned Yoga has shocked many of us. As a Yoga practitioner, I have been following the news very closely. Today’s news send a little breather to many Muslim practitioners – The implementation of Fatwa ban was put on hold in two States i.e. Selangor and Perak. Unfortunately. Just hang on to your mat and don’t burn that books yet, Yoginis.
I am not writing to debate the details of the Fatwa. This has quoted many times by the Council that practicing yoga’s physical poses, known as asanas, without spiritual elements such as chanting and meditation is considered alright by Islamic law, although is not encouraged as “doing one part of yoga would lead to anotherâ€. Through my 2 years involvement in Yoga, I have never heard of anyone who has deviated from their personal faith, converted to Hinduism or denounced religion because they practice yoga. I am still a Christian today for Pete’s sake! Let’s just put it in a simple way. If anyone of you after seeing the below photograph thinks the poses is spiritual, then lift up your hand. Here goes:
Inverted Prayer
Standing Pigeon
Wheel & Cobra
Tree Pose
Revolved side angle seated pose
Bow Pose
Garland – Practise this to help relieve menstrual pain.
Crescent moon
Half/Crescent moon
Baby in downward facing dog
Triangle Pose – Good for relieving backache
Wide Legged Forward Bend – I can touch my head to the floor but you can’t *sticking out tongue*
Side plank – I have stronger arm than you do *sticking out tongue*
Headstand – I can stand on my head but you can’t *sticking out tongue*
Warrior I, II & III
The Crow
So tell me guys. Did you see anything spiritual? I can’t! Cos all I saw is just gymnastic and acrobats act. Can I change your perception on yoga now? It is true that if you put the three elements together i.e. poses + meditating + chanting = spiritual. For your information, there are 2 types of yoga in this modern world i.e. Traditional and Modern which already modified into physical yoga poses called asanas (in Sanskrit) which is similar to gymnastics or acrobatics. There are no spiritual elements, such as chanting and meditation involved. Religious sensitivity surrounding this issue has raised not only by Muslim but my own religion i.e. Christian and from day one, I have been very careful with what I do. And you don’t *toot* come and tell me yoga is not for Christian if you don’t know nuts about Yoga!!!!!!!
And over my 2 years involvement in Yoga, I get myself into 2 heated debate with some people that disagree my involvement in Yoga. Some of you may not know, in Christian, Yoga is deem as spiritual too and the Ministry too discouraged us from taking up the so-called exercise for health. I can go on and on defending Yoga and if I do, this post is going to be full of words.
What have I benefit from Yoga? I used to be very bad tempered but Yoga has taught me to be more calm. My backache is gone, my blood pressure is back to normal. The above 2 pics is not taught in my class. I have build up my core and my legs are strong hence why I am able to lift my kids up.Who knows I can even juggle you in the air like the acrobats! Heck I am able to stay slim without all those Hydroxycut hardcore diet pills.
You know what is spiritual? Spiritual is like when you are able to fly. I am somewhere there but not quite there yet.
Asif!
Rachel said,
November 25, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
body sooooo “flexible”
sure hubby like it hahahaahhaha *hint*
Annie Q said,
November 25, 2008 @ 2:02 pm
i can call you yoga sifu already. 🙂
kitttt said,
November 25, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
hi jessie, and fellow sister in Christ. First of all, i’m not wanting to be lecturing you on how to be Godly, since i believe that you already do. And before i start to mention of some basic findings on yoga which i have blogged about recently too, i just want to point out one thing.
While very much of our faith stems from our ability to focus on Him, our Provider and Saviour, and mere exercise does not sway it, but remember that all glory goes back to Him. I will not dwell on the spiritualities of yoga since you seem convinced that it is mere exercise.
But while you tell all your friends about the benefits of yoga, and argue with your Christian counterparts, who have you told about God’s blessing? The Devil’s plans are not focused on evil… his message is love and peace for how could he sell himself with all horns and ugliness? thru this uniting theme of love and peace for every individual, we have turned inward to much more of a me-centric society (im not pointing fingers here, just general rationalisation) which is focused on individual wellness. the free love, free sex and free drugs scene witness during the 1960s in America is definitely one of the Devil’s most successful campaigns using love, peace and joy.
We were created in His image. We should never shed that believe. While many disasters have threatened to turn this world upside down, this plan is beyond what is conceivable by mere human. Even Hitler was stopped, perhaps strongly showing the path to destruction is not a violent one. instead, it united the whole world together. But only from unity there can be separations, because fragments cannot be much more separated than they already are.
It seems to me it is a task of enormous proportions to even convince our own fellow Christians that New Age theology and philosophy is poison; it seeps into our daily life slowly, but surely. Our Bible is being defiled (to the point where non-Christians are interpreting it for us), our rights to voice as Christians are being limited, the Bible is being disregarded with many of people’s own interpretations and yet our community is so damnably quiet.
The Queen says: Please don’t get confused between spiritual and religion. Are you sure you are talking about Yoga here?
athena said,
November 25, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
…and to think that we are pointing fingers to the national fatwa council on banning yoga…
i think first of all, we need to understand the fact that there is only ONE GOD and other people have different ways of approaching God. unless you believe that other gods are gods! … Therefore, unless, we are GOD himself… i think we shouldn’t condemn,oops sorry… not condemn but gentle comment on other people’s chosen ways to seek God. otherwise, what should God give men own free will then!
sheesh…. ‘the god-loving person’ is making Jesus Christ sounds like some Hitler-like person!
Possum said,
November 26, 2008 @ 1:04 am
If one decide to follow a particular faith,it’s that person’s choice.
If one joined by choice but critize by the sidelines, one becomes a
stumbling block for that faith. Bottomline,re-evaluate yourself before
joining faiths. Personally, I think religion constricts one’s thinking.
selena said,
November 26, 2008 @ 4:30 am
it’s a free world, innit? eat cake, don’t eat cake, go to work or be housewife, smoke or don’t smoke……. one does whatever is right for oneself and loved ones.
do yoga, don’t do yoga – all i can say is, om mani padme humbug, thank goodness i am not a muslim and having to practice my religion in malaysia, and anyone is free to agree or disagree with me.
ok, folks, carry one as you were! LOL
FamilyFirst said,
November 26, 2008 @ 8:36 am
Just do what you think is right. Dont be bothered by others critisism!
Pink Cotton said,
November 26, 2008 @ 8:53 am
totally agree!!
sikit sikit already say cannot…
cannot watch prince of egypt cos scared their ppl might convert to christianity…cannot practise yoga cos scared their ppl might convert to hinduism…
as if they can convert lah!
Not so holy.. said,
November 26, 2008 @ 9:27 am
Kittt… I do not understand a single word you posted. What has Yoga got to do with anything you said?
laundryamah said,
November 26, 2008 @ 10:21 am
hmmm gray area…as long as u dun meditate n listen to their tapes is ok gua…
kitttt said,
November 26, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
its about, instead of lashing out immediately, and totally convinced that you are insusceptible to yoga, and on the broader scale, to New Age philosophies, we should re-evaluate our faiths. it’s just a simple reminder, that evil masquerades in light. i did not call for anyone to stop or bow to bans, but just some critical thinking, instead of criticisms.
i believe i have not taken a stance on criticising anyone here. yoga was not a religion, but a way of life. New Age philosophies, and to a certain extent, the self-help thinking is taking hold in a me-centric society. thats the theme of my comments. in any case, any more of my mentioning that yoga is poison would drive you all nuts.
the line is so fine that it has already begun to blur, but faith and the gift of salvation that we as Christians believe in, are slowly being taken for granted. And i’ll be first to admit that i am one of those who takes salvation for granted. And sometimes i’ll need you to remind me that God is all i need. You may question my motives or syntax or elements of my belief, but as any reasonable person will tell you when he/she speaks, is my right to speech. and my apologies, for it wasnt such a simple reminder afterall.
and to notsoholy, i’d already given up talking bout elements of yoga by the first paragraph, out of respect for the queen. imho, yoga is just another wellness tool taking our precious eyes and time off Jesus.
and lastly i reiterate i did not take it upon me to ask anyone to stop 🙂 just in case anyone wants to go in that direction and call me fascist.
Irene said,
November 26, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
wow, i wish i can “yoga” like you.
all i know yoga is a great help to maintaining a good health, calming & not some religion stuf le. yoga is just a form of exercise like pilates, kick boxing etc.
why wanna ban le? haih…
Kyels said,
November 27, 2008 @ 2:22 am
They always have something or commotion to make – like seriously.
=.=
selena said,
November 27, 2008 @ 5:43 am
eh, this Kitttttttttt! sorry m’dear, u really at risk talking out of ur butt kuaa… since when is yoga “New Age philosphy”? it’s an ancient tantric art. it’s a “wellness tool” – since when does practising wellbeing take one’s eyes/ time off the Lord?
don’t so narrow minded laaa, u in danger of tying urself in knots e.g. so when you go shopping for food and clothes – self reliance and self sufficiency instead of “Give us this day our daily bread” – does that mean u have lost your faith?
Instead of consorting with the holier-than-thou Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus chose the company of tax collectors, women,the marginalised and assorted sinners without condemnng them or their chosen way of life. We could all learn something from that.
Julia Ling said,
November 27, 2008 @ 7:27 am
such rules imposed by the government shows hat the person themself is week. Yoga is only meant for health. I like yoga
huisia said,
November 27, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
the news shocked me too..
hey, you are really a stunning yoginist 🙂
i like yoga too, but hardly practice even since i had Eli.
kitttt said,
November 28, 2008 @ 10:56 am
it’s not very nice being called narrow-minded, but not that i can control it 🙂 if my message can be construed as narrow-minded, then i guess it’s my fault since the reader is not fully able to conceptualise my ideas and my initial communique is a failure.
while the fatwa council is calling for a ban, i’m only taking part in this furore by asking for a rethink; a critical thought or deep rationalisation into what the truths are, and where do we draw the line. I have not said that yoga leads to anything, or that yoga is meditating to different gods, and neither am i advocating doing something that you do not fully understand. I have no evidence that yoga and its spiritual elements can be divided or cannot be divided and have not gone down that path. On this matter, i do acknowledge the infinite possibilities and that discussions are endless, and thus, futile.
what i have said is taht, we’re part of this me-centric society; not an entirely new observation. Humans are selfish, and our survival and significance are the best thing to identify life by. This is along the lines that rethinking perhaps we, myself included, are focusing on the wrong things. Rethinking possibilities. Rethinking faith. Rethinking our roles as ambassadors of Christ.
if i’m honest, i was looking for encouraging posts that provided even the slightest scepticisms on yoga and New Age philosophies. or even something encouraging from the comments section. not to tell me that i’m right, but God is right. and not to say yoga is wrong, but provide some objective views on it. i have found little on the latter. well anyhow, it’s not something that you can really stand on the fence for.
i’m not going to state my reasons for being uncomfortable with yoga here, since i can be misquoted for attacking proponents and whatnot. my attempts to discuss have served up to becoming a warning. that much, again, i think is my failure in the words that i used. or i could blame an inability to listen. in any case being called narrow-minded is uncalled for. And praised the Lord for He could even consider assorted sinners like me to be with Him.
Not so holy.. said,
November 28, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Hey Kittt…
After all that rambling, is yoga bad for Christians? Or Not?
Yes.. or No.
You ramble on and on and one, yet I believe I speak for most (if not all) of us by saying that I (and we) do not understand what you are trying you say. You keep on saying “I am not saying… ” and “Neither am I encouraging…”.
Make up your mind. If you think, after all your thinking and pondering and praying and all that, you are still unsure. Or maybe you are but afraid to point out your views here. You are like ‘lalang’. You know what that is? You bend with the wind. At one time it yes, then the next moment the wind changes and you say no.
Come now.. yes.. or no?
kitttt said,
November 28, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
you’re dying for an answer i can’t give you. the unexplained metaphysical portion is something i cannot grasp.
I have no evidence that yoga and its spiritual elements can be divided or cannot be divided and have not gone down that path. On this matter, i do acknowledge the infinite possibilities and that discussions are endless, and thus, futile.
the key is that. we can only speculate. i have no answers for you. and because im not an expert i cannot give a positive opinion. If you do not understand what i am saying then it’s too bad because i’ve tried my best to really say that “i don’t know bout you, i’m not really sure about this, but because i don’t understand it, i’ll stay away for now. and seek God first.”
if you’re willing to construe this as evidence that’s for you to decide. but like most people know, you can never believe everything you read. from here on is a quotation from a few books tho i never made it my duty to convince anyone.
****
‘Embraced by the Darkness’ by Brad Scott which speaks of the New Age from inside out and ‘Larson’s Book of Cults’, who asserts that even though some argue that Hatha Yoga (a part of Raja Yoga, which in effect is what most commercialised yoga centres offer) may be practiced free of spiritual consequences, Swami Vishnudevanada, a foremost exponent of yoga and author of The Complete Illustration Book of Yoga warns, “Many people think Hatha Yoga is merely physical exercise. But in reality there is no difference between Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga.”
Yoga and its literal meaning is “to join” or “union with God” from the Sanskrit word Yuj.
Larson continues:
The postures of Hatha Yoga are designed to condition the mind to experience an altered state of consciousness. Each pose is presumed to be tuning the body, glands, and psychic nervous system to a level of spiritual susceptibility and altered awareness. Hindu yoga teachers have long defined this dicipline as religious both in goal and practice.
****
So no one’s really sure, because there are two sides to an argument. What makes you think you know better, or any of us know better? How many deviations of yoga are there since 1959 when The Complete Illustration Book of Yoga was written to now, is anyone’s guess. Whether those forms are separable from its spiritual roots again, is anyone’s guess.
You have people all around the world telling you it’s safe and not safe at the same time. The individual has to make up their minds. But no one has a solid base. I have not chosen to dwell in it because i want to seek God first. and not dwell about whether yoga is right or wrong. But i believe in Christ, and those that do believe in Him know that He provides when we seek Him first. That is my message.
Not so holy.. said,
November 28, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Come on, I am sure you have the answer, but just like politicians, always have to be politically correct.. neither here nor there. Cos by stating your point of view, you risk being labelled something which you do not want to be labelled.
After saying that you are unsure, kenot prove, no evidence.. bla bla bla.. you went on to quote some people from some books. So there you have your answer. But, you are not willing to come out, stand your ground and say what you feel. Not dwelling in it? Come one lar you have numerous postings on this issue. Whether it’s your point of view or not, you have published it.
And what about that pat kua thing you have on your blog. You tend to avoid that question posted.
KO said,
November 29, 2008 @ 8:17 pm
This Kitttt person critices the “me-centric society” yet acts so “me-centric” him/herself. Commenting on a blog to express his/her opinion is not “me-centric”? Telling people to think more like him/her is not “me-centric”? Spreading his/her religious views is not “me-centric”?
It’s exactly like what the other commentators are saying: Kittt is saying one thing but doing another.
Kittt, you are not looking for objective opinions – you are looking for people to think more like you and be critical of yoga. When people say they are doing yoga just for health, why is that not objective in your opinion? If they find that it is good for their health, why is it your place to tell them they should be more critical and evaluate it more? If it’s not a problem for them to combine yoga with Christianity (or Islam for that matter) why is it a problem for YOU?
Yes, I have facilites for critical thinking, and that’s why I don’t subscribe to any religion.