Pagan Practices or Physical Fitness?
Hopefully you would expect nothing less from me, but I want to say anyway that I will be completely honest with you on these topics and explain to the best of my ability that while they are sensitive subjects (for some), believers should not fear them and can benefit from them. As we touch on the subjects of Tai-Chi and Yoga, please keep an open enough mind to consider what it is I’m trying to say.
Addressing the Stigma
Tai-Chi and Yoga have somewhat of a reputation of being either pagan, satanic, or forms of witchcraft. People would not be entirely wrong, but let me try to explain some things first. While some things are true, other things are not. I would never do anything unless I knew for certain that it was not pagan in nature or sinful.
What is pagan/pagnism? It is basically the worship of other gods. That is the simplest definition I can provide. Christians, [religious] Jews, Messianics, and Hebrews worship One Elohim/God. We devote our lives to Him and live a life of righteousness obeying His Word. A pagan may worship multiple other gods, pray to creation (trees, the sun, etc.), speak to spirits, and so on. So the question then is how I can be OK with Tai-Chi and Yoga without resorting to paganism.
For starters, not everything pagans do is wrong. Did you know, like you and me, they also go to school, have jobs, cook and eat their food, sleep in beds, and get married? It’s crazy, but it’s true! Even Yeshua acknowledged that they know how to love (Matthew 5). I’m being slightly facetious, but it helps my point. What then does this have to do with Tai-Chi or Yoga?
Yoga
It may surprise you to learn that I used to be a Yoga instructor. But do you know what I did before accepting the job? I put a LOT of research and investigation into whether it was something I should even consider given its reputation. If it was pagan, I didn’t want anything to do with it. And that’s when I learned the truth.
It started with finding a book (that I loaned out and never got back…) about Hebrew Yoga. It was a series of positions that were all based on Hebrew letters of the Aleph-Bet. In that book, it explained that a few decades after establishing the State of Israel, Jews sought a method to strengthen their bodies as well as their minds. If their bodies belonged to God, shouldn’t they be healthy? Well, one of the first things they turned to was Hatha Yoga. The rest is history.
How could this be OK? Turns out, stretching your muscles and joints isn’t a sin. I can already hear the rejection, “Yoga is more than stretching!” And to some, yes, that is true. That led me to more research that ended with me finding the truth that made it all worth while.
History and Origins
There’s no way around it; Yoga is used by pagan religions all over the world to worship their deities. But, it did not start that way. In fact, while some histories of the practice are based in legend, others conflict with one another either having started around the time of Buddhism or even earlier (it was much earlier). One of the dominating understandings is that it was developed earlier than religion itself. That’s right, before paganism even had a chance to become a thing, Yoga had already been developed. While some historians believe it was for the purpose of strengthening the body and mind, others somewhat comically suggest it was out of boredom (though I would understand this in a world where civilization was just starting out). But it was utilized within religious practices fairly early on because it worked so well with… well, everything.
As stated by Dr. Ishwar V. Basavaraddi:
“Yoga does not adhere to any particular religion, belief system or community; it has always been approached as a technology for inner wellbeing. Anyone who practices yoga with involvement can reap its benefits, irrespective of one’s faith, ethnicity or culture.”
Is Yoga Sinful?
Before, I had mentioned that not everything pagans do is wrong. That does not mean, however, that all things that are Yoga-related are without fault. An example of this is something called a “Sun Salutation” (Surya Namaskar). Most Messianic believers know all-too-well about sun-god worship within paganism (and sadly within the Christian church) and it would likely not surprise anyone that such worship has crept into Yogic practices. The Sun Salutation is basically a series of poses and motions meant for saluting the sun because it was/is believed to be a deity (there is also a “Moon Salutation”). Would that be OK for a believer to perform? I would have to ask a simple question – why perform those poses in that sequence?
That’s essentially the core question behind any of this – why do it? I can do a lunge without going into a Warrior pose and I can arch my back without doing a Sun Salutation. Can I do Yoga without expressing worship towards a false/pagan god? Yes, of course.
Daily Life
In fact, just in your own daily routine you end up doing many Yoga poses without knowing it. Two specifically are standing up straight and laying down on your back. Yes, even those are considered Yoga poses complete with their own Sascrit names. But are you worshiping any gods as you do either? No, of course not.
You might think, “I’ll just stick to simple stretches like bending over and touching my toes.” I hate to break it to you, but even that is a Yoga pose. It even has it’s own Sascrit name – Paschimottanasana.
Who Owns What?
Strength, flexibility, health, and wellness do not belong to satan; so don’t let them. And that’s my point in all this. I’m not telling you do join a cult or sacrifice a pig to a deity for fortune or good luck; I’m asking you not to give to satan what isn’t his and consider what is and isn’t one thing or another. Your health and the strength in your body are not only important, they are mandated by Scripture.
“A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge grows in strength.”
Proverbs 24:5
1 Corinthians 6 tells us our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and 1 Timothy 4, while encouraging godliness, tells us that bodily training is of [some] value. You do not have to be afraid to stretch your body by practicing Yoga. Some poses should be avoided, sure, but it is not a sin to arch your spine, reach for your toes, stretch out your sides, or stand on one leg for balance and ankle strength.
Tai-Chi
The information shared about Yoga is similarly true for practicing Tai-Chi. Historically, a man named Chen Wangting who was in a Royal Guard that developed Tai-Chi by incorporating his own Chen style of martial art with his religious beliefs and traditional Chinese medicine. At it’s core, Tai-Chi is a martial art (style of fighting or self-defense) developed for exercise and health. But the focus here will be on the idea of “Chi”.
What is chi? Chi is a Chinese word from things like steam coming off of water to the life-force in every living being.. The Japanese call it “ki”, and the closest word in English would likely either be “energy” or “life”.
In simple terms, chi is considered as the life-force. Taoism, for example, takes on a deeper understanding, but in layman’s terms, it is basically the idea of your wellbeing or emotions. In Japanese, one would ask, “Ogenki desu ka?” This would be the equivalent of asking “Are you well?” If you broke it down further, it is literally like asking, “How is your ki?” This is very culturally different from what we are used to in the west, but that’s what it means.
The best explanation I’ve ever heard was that it is like the steam coming off of a cup of tea. The heat causes the water to rise into a vapor so that you can see or feel that the tea is hot. Your “chi” is like that in their own understanding in that you can look on a person’s face and see their emotion or you may have a fever when sick. Your “chi” is “out of balance”.
But is “chi” something else? To pagans, yes. To non-pagans, no. The term has been overused in media and religions in Asia to the point that it has taken on spiritually pagan meanings (such as chakra).
L’CHAIM!
There is a very fascinating documentary you can find on YouTube called “The Roots of Japan are Ancient Israel?” I’ve linked it here, but take it slightly with a grain of salt.
In the documentary, they draw many comparisons between Israel and Japan suggesting that the country (or at least many customs or cultural practices) may have come to be from ancient Israel. It’s fascinating to say the least, but let’s focus in a little more.
Chi, ki, chaim – what do they all have in common? Life. Chi is mostly used in China, and ki in Japan, but “chaim” (חַיִּים) is Hebrew for “life” (or “chai”).
Leviticus 17:14, “For the life of every creature — its blood is its life.”
Interestingly, the word for blood in Hebrew is “dam” (דָּם) which can also be found in the name of Adam which means “man”, a name given to him because he came from the “adamah” (אֲדָמָה), or “ground” whom the Almighty breathed life (חַיִּים) into (Gen. 2:7).
Life and Blood
Now, what does all this have to do with Tai-Chi? Tai-Chi motions are slow and thoughtful movements that allow your muscles to be challenged and for your blood to circulate/flow better. Sped up, they are fighting moves. But the health-benefits are amazing for your blood circulation and for your organs (such as your kidneys, heart, intestines, and lungs). It also helps you mentally to slow down and be more patient and thoughtful (another Biblical principle; Prov. 14:29, James 1:19).
To drive it home, I have listened to several Tai-Chi masters as well as traditional Chinese Medicine experts talk about their use of the terms found in their practices – chi being one of them. While some adhere to the idea of a spiritual “chi” or “force” that can be harnessed and mastered, some acknowledge the simple truth that it’s all about your blood and organs. Moving around in the Tai-Chi motions gets your “chi”, or your blood, flowing which gets the nutrients to your extremities and into your cells that protect against sickness and disease. They help restore your range of motion and strengthen your body against arthritis, diabetes, high blood-pressure, and so much more.
Because these practices are so old, they maintain their old-fashioned terminology. A similar practice called Feng-Shui (considered “earth magic”) has modern experts who admit that the use of certain terms in the practice of Feng-Shui is nothing more than an ancient visual aid for understanding the patterns and feel to better organize that of a work or living space (like a parable of sorts). I do not practice Feng-Shui, I’m simply using it as an example. Basically, is it pagan to decorate or organize your room? Leave out the mystic stuff, you’re good to go!
The Bottom-Line
The point of this article is to help teach the truth behind Tai-Chi and Yoga. You can practice them both while leaving out the paganism. Neither fitness or wellness belong to any religion. As long as believers are aware of the pagan things to be avoided, both can be practiced without guilt or shame.
I said before that I would be completely honest with you, and I have been. Even Christianity has pagan aspects to it (Christmas, Easter, Sunday Worship), but a believer can practice what is commonly understood as “Christianity” without doing all the additional pagan practices. At it’s core, Christianity is the worship and devotion to the same God that Jews and Messianics worship. The traditions mentioned above are practices that should be cast out of the church. The same idea can be applied to Yoga and Tai-Chi.
As For Me
I have presented these to you because, in my life, they have greatly aided in my health and wellness. Having spent years researching them, I have been able to separate the paganism from the exercise. I use them completely non-religiously and strictly for physical well-being which has removed the distraction of pain so I can better focus on ministry.
Practicing Yoga has helped me tremendously to the point where I was once walking with a cane, I can now walk tall and strong. Tai-Chi has helped me to slow down and has built my confidence while working on my muscles, organs, and focus.
If you have another method that works for you, great! But don’t let satan steal from or lie to you about things that do not actually belong to him. Improving yourself is not satanic and these practices can help you to improve your overall wellbeing.
Don’t let stigmas, taboos, and flat-out lies keep you from being healthy and being able to recover from injuries, mental sickness, and/or physical diseases that have kept you from living your life or from serving the Almighty to your fullest without distraction.
Be healthy and walk righteously.
I talk a little more about health and other things in my Hebraic Journal. Take a look for an open look into my experiences, struggles, and thoughts as a Hebrew.
Shalom.