First Thoughts

A Word from Our Director

One of our friends in the ministry, Marcia Montenegro, wrote in a recent newsletter:

“I received an email from a Christian who teaches yoga. She told me she had taken out the meditation, the pranayama, saying Namaste, and other Eastern components. I pointed out that what she was teaching could no longer be called yoga.

There are several so-called Christian Yoga sites, most of which are a syncretism of Eastern beliefs using the name of Christ. The bottom line is that yoga is based on spiritual beliefs and is merely using the body as a tool for a spiritual goal. When these components are removed it is no longer yoga. There is no such thing as Christian yoga because it is either no longer yoga or no longer Christian.”

New Age and Eastern religious practices continue to permeate almost every aspect of our culture as evidenced by the number of companies that actually incorporate them into their marketing strategy. For example, note how many products utilize the Yin-Yang symbol ([) in their advertising materials. We would do well to keep Marcia’s words in mind, particularly in the area of exercise or physical fitness where there is a growing influence of Eastern practices, most notably Yoga.

Often an exercise program or related product begins with no religious trappings, but then crosses over to the New Age alternative medicine market. In this issue we look at such a case—the Pilates exercises—which began as physical therapy, but now are frequently marketed in and adapted to a New Age context.

We also increasingly see exercise programs packaged specifically for the Christian market. One example of this is Billy Blanks’ Taebo program. His latest video, Taebo Inspirational, is promoted on his website as combining “a sweat producing Instructional workout with a supercharged Basic workout laced with his own brand of physical and spiritual philosophy. Discover Billy Blanks' inspirational story and the overwhelming spirituality that he uses to motivate you and take you to the next level of physical fitness.”

Blanks professes to be a Christian and, by all appearances, is one. His workout videos have Bible verses on the walls and recently he appeared at a local church in Birmingham, leading fans in a workout session. However, Taebo also incorporates the Yin-Yang symbol into the product. This symbol, as Blanks would well know from his martial arts training, comes from the Taoist concept that the universe consists of two opposite energy forces (positive/negative; male/female, etc.) and that both must be harmonized for proper function. Taoists also believe that this Yin-Yang principle applies in medicine, and they use energy balancing techniques to maintain health. This principle may be seen in many New Age alternative health care practices such as reiki and acupuncture.

As Marcia’s newsletter explained, New Agers are not the only ones utilizing eastern practices for health benefits. Christians are being influenced by them, as well. Exercise is good and necessary, but we must be discerning of physical fitness programs that try to incorporate any kind of unbiblical spirituality into their exercise regimen.

As Marcia concludes in her newsletter: “Christianity is not about getting more spiritual or closer to God through techniques (prayer is not a technique). Our relationship with God is through faith in Christ, and builds on worship, the study of God’s word, prayer, God’s testing and guidance, and seeking God’s will.”

Rev. Bob Waldrep, MRE, serves as State Director—Alabama at Watchman Fellowship’s Birmingham, AL office. Bob is also an ordained Southern Baptist Minister and serves as Lay Pastor for the Church at Brook Hills. You can email Bob by clicking here.