Yoga. It's Not Just For Heathens Any More.

My yoga practice just got cooler. Why, you ask? Because it's been termed "demonic" by Mark Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. And, if I know my inner 14 year-old self as well as I think I do, this pastor calling my yoga class a "little demon class" just kicked her into full rebellion mode. Take a look at this guy and his thoughts on yoga below.

I want to share a few things I've learned from my practice of yoga so you can see just how far I've gone into the realm of demonism and begin to pray for me as soon as possible. Actually, you might want to contact your local priest and schedule an exorcism at your earliest convenience.

• All beings should be happy and free, expressed in the mantra Lokah Samasta Sukino Bhavantu in Sanskrit.
• God is present in each one of us.
• Namaste isn't just a word, it's a way of living that acknowledges the sacredness of others.
• Setting an intention at the beginning of practice helps you be mindful of those you love.
• Moderation, or Brahmacharya, is a helpful skill to master in seeking a virtuous life.
• Quieting the mind, paying attention to the breath and looking inside one's self will lead you to the divine.

So scandalous, right?! I mean, have you ever read anything SO contrary to Christianity? The idea that God would invite us to look inside ourselves to meet him (or her) is so unlike anything in the Bible. Clearly when St. Paul asks the church in Corinth, "Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?", the answer is a big, fat "NO." And I hate to think what the ancient monastics would say about Brahmacharya!

Obviously, I am kidding. (If you didn't get my sarcasm then I will pray for you and your humorless soul.) I think Mark Driscoll has it TOTALLY wrong. I would also take a guess the good pastor has never even been to a yoga class (dude just looks tight, doesn't he?).

I am a Christian. I am also a yogini. In my experience, they are not mutually exclusive and, in fact, both strengthen each other in my life. Notice, I say experience because, unlike MD over there in Seattle, I have experience in both the Christian realm and the yoga realm. I would shrug off this anti-yoga banter if it was an isolated incident but, unfortunately, it's not. From the Catholic church to Christian fundamentalists, yoga has its share of critics. I'm totally comfortable with it having critics but I'd rather they be well-informed ones that aren't coming from a place of fear. I'm pretty sure that practicing yoga isn't secretly leading me into demon worship and, if it were, I'm certain I'd put the brakes on it. I'm not afraid of being converted to something against my will, I'm just not. What I am afraid of is missing out on amazing things because I don't trust myself enough to encounter the unfamiliar. If I lived like that then I might have never read Harry Potter (the horror!), lived in San Francisco (which I'm sure is MD's fave city) and become a yoga teacher (aka a demon teacher).

So, Mark Driscoll, I will pray for you. I will pray that you have a more open mind and learn not to fear the unfamiliar. Of course, this is my prayer for myself as well.

Namaste.