Even though the freedom of practicing Christian Yoga lies in every Christian practitioner, these practices have been met with a lot of criticisms from Hindus, purists, and some Christians themselves, and a silent ìholy warî has emerged from its midst. These criticisms have been based on each ones beliefs and practices, and have become a significant barrier for some, to have a better understanding of the true meaning of ìunity with Godî.
So how does a Christian Yoga practice go about? One particular Christian Yoga practice instructed by Cindy Senarighi in Mahtomedi Minnesota is set in St. Andrewís Lutheran Churchís main chapel, where one finds the yoga teacher sitting in lotus position on top of a refined wooden platform with verdant woods as her backdrop, seen through panoramic windows.
Overhead speakers tinkle soft music, and about two-dozen students in outfits, mostly women, settle on top of blue and purple mats to start the class with a breathing exercise called iujjayii, and is performed using a recommended mantra from their instructor called Yahwehi or The Jesus Prayer the platform - an altar, the tune -praise music, the practice Christian yoga.
This particular Christian Yoga class is a part of a movement thatís rapidly growing, which seeks to retool the practice of the five-thousand year-old yoga practice to fit Christian teachings. Hundreds of sessions for Christian yoga are now in practice, from Grand Rapids, to Michigan, to New York, and a national association for teachers of Christian yoga was founded in July of 2005, as well as a swing of videos and books that are to hit the market.
Although the action has stiffened yoga purists and a number of Christians who believe yoga canít be separated from its roots, a boom has still been seen by its backers and is considered to be just the beginning. Some Christians have avoided the conflict of yoga application with Christianity and have instead created what they call ìPraiseMovesî.
