Yoga's Demonic Influence
I wanted to comment on this article that popped up in my google news alerts for Yoga...
Here's the article:
News from Agape Press
And here's my response:
"These are the people who practiced it, and they warned [that] you must always have your guru present when you get into this state of consciousness, because you could be taken over by some evil entity."
In my own experience, and from the guidance of my own guru, I've found that what you need to worry about when you enter the highest state of consciousness in yoga, called Samadhi, is not some "demon" jumping in and taking over as the author surmises. Rather, when you enter Samadhi, your breathing and heart rate slows as you experience more bliss than you can possibly imagine. So much bliss and beauty, that you don't want to come back to reality. While you dally in this blissful realm, becoming one with everything, having a great time, and discovering your fullest potential, your heart rate continues to drop and your breathing slows to nothing. If you remain too long, you enter what yogis call Maha Samadhi, where your body dies, leaving you in bliss. This is why you want your guru present to protect you from the "evil entity" of your own selfishness and foolishness. I can see how the concept of an evil entity could be confused to be an actual supernatural demon. Particularly when it is in our nature to blame everyone but ourselves for our mistakes.
So is it worth it? I would like to ask the author... if you could get a glimpse of heaven without dying, and gain insight as to what your purpose is on this Earth, and understand for yourself all of the whats and whys... wouldn't you want to experience it? Because that's what Samadhi is. However, knowing that you could stay too long and wind up dying on Earth before your "work is done" wouldn't you want someone standing by to pull you back if you needed it?
"The elements of yoga are sometimes adapted to meet the needs of non-religious practitioners and those of other faiths, including Christians. But Hunt insists there is no way to modify this inherently spiritual practice to make it acceptable for Christians."
I vehemently disagree with this statement. If heaven is the same for everyone, and one spiritual practice has found a way there without dying, and can receive universal consciousness from that experience (commonly called enlightentment), how is this NOT a practice for EVERYONE, regardless of their beliefs? I think it would be better to modify the statement to read: "But Hunt insists there is no way to modify this inherently spiritual practice to make it acceptable for closed-minded fundamentalists who feel that their way is the only way and that all others are wrong and influenced by the devil." There. That makes that statement true. ;-D
"If you want to benefit yourself physically," the author says, "then do exercises that were designed for that."
Hatha Yoga is designed to benefit you physically. In fact, in and of itself, that's ALL it does. Recently, a fellow student of Bill's told me that in seeking a Yoga instructor, she asked the teachers at several Salt Lake studios/gyms what Pranayama they taught... their answer was inevitably: "Prana-what?" If your teacher ONLY teaches you the poses of Hatha Yoga, you are going to gain a tremedous insight into your body, and have profound physical results. You will experience a growth in strength, flexibility, and endurance, and will feel generally healthier. However, without additional Yoga instruction, such as Pranayama, Nidra, Raja meditation, etc., reaching that higher plane of Samadhi is not going to necessarily happen by itself.
"Do not get into things that were designed for self-realization and to 'realize that you are God.'"
Why not? Why is it so abhorent to want to realize your full potential, and how you fit into the universe? The realization that you are God isn't some ego trip where you set yourself up as the "Almighty," rather, you realize that "God" (in quotes, only because I recognize that everyone views the creative force of the universe differently) is everywhere and in all things, and that you, yourself, are a part of that. Every atom of my being is part of "God" and I rejoice and cherish that realization.
Why do spiritualists, like Mr. Hunt feel it's more important to exclude healthly beliefs and practices, rather than embrace and include them? Well, there's my brief response to this article. Hopefully, it helps you make up your own mind about whether Yoga is right for you. If you would like further clarification, please feel free to post a comment.
Namasté
Here's the article:
News from Agape Press
And here's my response:
"These are the people who practiced it, and they warned [that] you must always have your guru present when you get into this state of consciousness, because you could be taken over by some evil entity."
In my own experience, and from the guidance of my own guru, I've found that what you need to worry about when you enter the highest state of consciousness in yoga, called Samadhi, is not some "demon" jumping in and taking over as the author surmises. Rather, when you enter Samadhi, your breathing and heart rate slows as you experience more bliss than you can possibly imagine. So much bliss and beauty, that you don't want to come back to reality. While you dally in this blissful realm, becoming one with everything, having a great time, and discovering your fullest potential, your heart rate continues to drop and your breathing slows to nothing. If you remain too long, you enter what yogis call Maha Samadhi, where your body dies, leaving you in bliss. This is why you want your guru present to protect you from the "evil entity" of your own selfishness and foolishness. I can see how the concept of an evil entity could be confused to be an actual supernatural demon. Particularly when it is in our nature to blame everyone but ourselves for our mistakes.
So is it worth it? I would like to ask the author... if you could get a glimpse of heaven without dying, and gain insight as to what your purpose is on this Earth, and understand for yourself all of the whats and whys... wouldn't you want to experience it? Because that's what Samadhi is. However, knowing that you could stay too long and wind up dying on Earth before your "work is done" wouldn't you want someone standing by to pull you back if you needed it?
"The elements of yoga are sometimes adapted to meet the needs of non-religious practitioners and those of other faiths, including Christians. But Hunt insists there is no way to modify this inherently spiritual practice to make it acceptable for Christians."
I vehemently disagree with this statement. If heaven is the same for everyone, and one spiritual practice has found a way there without dying, and can receive universal consciousness from that experience (commonly called enlightentment), how is this NOT a practice for EVERYONE, regardless of their beliefs? I think it would be better to modify the statement to read: "But Hunt insists there is no way to modify this inherently spiritual practice to make it acceptable for closed-minded fundamentalists who feel that their way is the only way and that all others are wrong and influenced by the devil." There. That makes that statement true. ;-D
"If you want to benefit yourself physically," the author says, "then do exercises that were designed for that."
Hatha Yoga is designed to benefit you physically. In fact, in and of itself, that's ALL it does. Recently, a fellow student of Bill's told me that in seeking a Yoga instructor, she asked the teachers at several Salt Lake studios/gyms what Pranayama they taught... their answer was inevitably: "Prana-what?" If your teacher ONLY teaches you the poses of Hatha Yoga, you are going to gain a tremedous insight into your body, and have profound physical results. You will experience a growth in strength, flexibility, and endurance, and will feel generally healthier. However, without additional Yoga instruction, such as Pranayama, Nidra, Raja meditation, etc., reaching that higher plane of Samadhi is not going to necessarily happen by itself.
"Do not get into things that were designed for self-realization and to 'realize that you are God.'"
Why not? Why is it so abhorent to want to realize your full potential, and how you fit into the universe? The realization that you are God isn't some ego trip where you set yourself up as the "Almighty," rather, you realize that "God" (in quotes, only because I recognize that everyone views the creative force of the universe differently) is everywhere and in all things, and that you, yourself, are a part of that. Every atom of my being is part of "God" and I rejoice and cherish that realization.
Why do spiritualists, like Mr. Hunt feel it's more important to exclude healthly beliefs and practices, rather than embrace and include them? Well, there's my brief response to this article. Hopefully, it helps you make up your own mind about whether Yoga is right for you. If you would like further clarification, please feel free to post a comment.
Namasté
posted by JC Carter at
10:21 AM
1 Comments
