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NEW YORK, USA, May 18, 2005: A former American practitioner of yoga has cast the fitness regime in a narrow Hindu religious context and offered a “Christian alternative” says this article in the Hindustan Times (based on a report in Christianity Today magazine). “From experience I can say that yoga is a dangerous practice for the Christian and leads seekers away from God rather than to him. You may say, ‘Well, I’m not doing any of the meditation stuff. I’m just following the exercises.’ It is impossible, however, to separate the subtleties of yoga, the technique from yoga the religion. I know because I taught and practised hatha yoga for years,” said Laurette Willis. “Those who think yoga is little more than a series of stress-relieving stretching exercises may be surprised to learn about the true foundation of the multibillion-dollar yoga craze in North America. There are an estimated 15-20 million people practising yoga in the US and over 50,000 yoga instructors offering classes at approximately 20,000 locations,” says Willis. (HPI adds: Willis is a professional actor, motivational speaker and standup comedienne whose website is here.)



Over the last several decades, she says, yoga has been embraced by the mainstream of society–and even the Christian church. “We don’t often think of other religions having missionaries, but the philosophy and practice of yoga have been primary tools of Hindu ‘missionaries’ to America since ‘Indian priest and mystic’ Swami Vivekananda introduced yoga to the West at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago,” Willis writes. Willis offers an intriguing perspective on pranayama, one of the fundamental techniques of yoga that teaches breathing well. “Yoga’s breathing techniques (pranayama) may seem stress-relieving, yet they can be an open door to psychic influences, as is the customary relaxation period at the end of a yoga session. Before becoming a Christian, I remember numerous instances of ‘travelling outside my body’ during yoga relaxation periods. I wonder who–or what–checked in when I checked out?” she says. Citing an unnamed staff member of a yoga academy, Willis adds, “I’ve received some stunning confirmation from an unlikely source. A staff member of an east coast Classical Yoga Academy wrote to me, ‘Yes, all of yoga is Hinduism. Everyone should be aware of this fact.'” In February 2001 Willis said the idea for a Christian alternative to yoga came “from the Lord.”

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