Peaceful Practice or

Dangerous Deception?

Sharing from 22 years as a Former Yoga Enthusiast

and Yoga Instructor

Laurette Willis, Founder PraiseMoves

Fitness Ministry www.PraiseMoves.com

PraiseMoves Foundation Scripture:

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your

body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

What we will explore:

• Is yoga “just exercise”?

• What do Hindus, former Hindus

and former New Agers say?

• Laurette’s story – 22 years in yoga & New Age

• What about Yoga in the Church – Dangers?

• Options and Alternatives

• PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry

• You and Your Church and Community

Yoga. Is it more than “just exercise”?

• Since yoga is everywhere, it must be okay.

• Or is it?

Yoga can even be found in Churches & Public Schools

Yoga Journal’s 2012 study: Yoga in America Market Study 20.4 Million Yoga practitioners in U.S. (up from 15.8 million in 2008) Spending $10.3 Billion per Year Yoga is BIG Money.

According to 2012 Yoga Journal Study

“Yoga in America Market Study” 20.4 million yoga practitioners in U.S. • Gender

82 percent women (17 million) 18 percent (3 million) men.

• Motivation: Top 5 Reasons for Starting Yoga

1) flexibility (78 percent ) 2) general conditioning (62 percent ) 3) stress relief (60 percent ) 4) improve overall health (58 percent ) 5) physical fitness (55 percent ) Spiritual Reasons? 0 percent.

Many come to Yoga for Exercise

• But what do Hindus, Christians and Webster’s Dictionary say Yoga is?

• First a bit about me and my 22 Years in yoga (ages 7 to 29).

Laurette Willis I help believers grow in their relationship with the Lord through the Word of God, while

improving their physical health – so they can be ALL God is calling them to be:

Fit Witnesses for Christ in spirit, soul AND body!

Certified PraiseMoves Instructors Hundreds Involved Globally in Fitness Ministry and Teaching

Through Radio,

Online Media

and Podcasts

My 22 Years in Yoga

Mom & I started doing yoga, watching a TV show. We assumed it was “just exercise.”

I spent 22 years in yoga, ages 7 to 29.

As a child, I was “blessed” by Swami Satchidananda at an

Ashram in upstate New York.

“Yoga is the missionary arm of Hinduism and the New Age movement.”

– Laurette Willis, founder of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry

A renewed perspective on Yoga.

• “The chants and the names of the postures typically done in Hatha Yoga classes also give glory to someone other than the Judeo-Christian Creator of heaven and earth.

• “Thus such practices are in direct violation of the First Commandment, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’”

- Lawrence Zupan, Former Director Integral Yoga Institute of New York, and Former President Yogaville Ashram of CT. Lawrence is now a Messianic Jewish believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What IS Yoga?

YOGA = “union with god” or “to yoke”

“a mystic and ascetic Hindu discipline for

achieving union with the supreme spirit

through meditation,

prescribed postures,

controlled breathing, etc.”

Webster's New World Dictionary

Simon and Schuster 2003

“Self” realization?

“Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation.” Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary

“Yoga is Hinduism.” - Professor Subhas Tuwari

Hindu University of America, Orlando, Florida

TIME magazine, Sept. 2005

“Efforts to separate yoga from its spiritual center reveal

ignorance of the goal of yoga.”

- Professor Subhas Tuwari,

HinduismToday.com, September 2009

What are Yoga Poses?

“Yoga poses are offerings

to the 330 million Hindu gods.”

- George P. Alexander, Ph.D.,

former professor of World Religions at Biola University.

“To a Hindu, yoga is the outward physical

expression of a deep spiritual belief.

You cannot separate one from the other.” - Dr. George Alexander

“Abstain from things offered to idols” ( Acts 15:29).

Former “Guru” Mike Shreve

“No one can tell me that yoga is ‘just’ physical exercise.

“I am absolutely convinced that yoga and Christianity CANNOT and SHOULD NOT mix. To do so is a blatant act of breaking the first two commandments.”

- Mike Shreve, Shreve Ministries www.ShreveMinistries.org

The Root Reveals the Fruit

Hinduism is the “soul of Yoga.”

“A Christian trying to adapt

these practices will likely

disrupt their own Christian

beliefs.” - Sannyasin Arumugaswami

Sannyasin Arumugaswami, Managing Editor of Hinduism Today.

Yoga Instructors are

“Yoga Missionaries”?

“A small army of yoga missionaries – hatha, raja, siddha and kundalini – beautifully trained in the last 10 years, is about to set upon the western world.

“They may not call themselves Hindu, but Hindus know where yoga came from and where it goes.”

“An Open Letter to Evangelicals” by Swami Sivasiva Palani

Hinduism Today, January 1991

What about “Christian Yoga”?

A. K. Mozumdar (1864-1953)

Meet the HINDU “Father of Christian Yoga.”

Mozumdar’s Christian Yoga Metaphysics:

“...experience an all-pervading Oneness in the universe.” from “The Life & The Way”

“Christian yoga is an Oxymoron.” – Laurette Willis, TIME magazine, Sept. 2005

“I’ve noticed a consistent pattern in my clients who are Christians and are

involved in yoga, whether it is ‘regular yoga’

or ‘Christian yoga’ …their lives are marked with

chaos and confusion.” - Celeste Davis, The Wellness Workshop

Christian Counselor ties Yoga to “Chaos & Confusion”

Who is the “Lord of Yoga”?

According to Webster's Dictionary,

Shiva is the Hindu god of

destruction and rebirth.

According to the Bhagavad-Gita,

Shiva is “Lord of Yoga”

(Yogeshwara)

and

The First Hatha Yoga teacher

according the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the classic text for Hatha yoga

(the type of yoga taught in fitness

centers and many churches).

The “ Lord of Yoga”

Shiva, The Destroyer

What is the practice dedicated to the “Lord of Yoga” doing in the Church

of the LORD JESUS CHRIST?

Jesus in the Temple

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

“Kick Yoga Out of the Churches.”

No, we don’t want to kick “yogis” out of the churches! Laurette, Lawrence and Mike were all yogis!

We want to “Kick YOGA Out of the Churches.”

Okay, this may sound silly, but... There is no “Lord” over:

• Aerobics

• Stretch & Tone

• Lifting weights

• Step Aerobics

• Strength Training

• Sports classes

• Balance ball

• And other physical exercise classes without ties to spiritual practices – actual or implied.

• Unless they are Christ-centered – for example...

The Mount Zion posture. Meditate on this scripture:

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved,

but abides forever” (Psalm 125:1).

The Christian ALTERNATIVE

to Yoga

What is ?

• Every PraiseMoves posture has a verse of scripture ascribed to it, which we meditate upon, or speak aloud while doing these stretching and strengthening postures.

• In this way, you are building strength & flexibility in your body, • You are being transformed by renewing your mind on the Word of

the Living God, • You are feeding on the Bread of Life and • You are growing in your relationship with the Lord - by worshiping

Him IN His Word (see John 4:23, John 6:63 and John 17:17). • We CAN worship the Lord IN His Word (Jesus IS “the Word of God,”

see: John 1:1, John 1:14, Rev. 19:13)

• We call this: "Transforming your workout into worship with PraiseMoves."

The Prize Posture – Phil. 3:13-14

Jars of Clay posture – 2 Cor. 4:7

What about PraiseMoves Postures?

• With over 140 PraiseMoves Postures, some of the look like yoga poses, and most look nothing like yoga, for example, our 22 Hebrew Letter Postures based on the Hebrew alphabet (alef-bet).

• The body can only move in a finite number of ways, not an infinite number of ways.

• REMEMBER, the enemy is not a creator – he can only take what God has created and twist those things to bring people to the feet of a false idol. He does that with music, for example. But he did not create music!

• Postures which resemble yoga poses we consider to be redemptive postures - they do not redeem us! - we are redeeming them buying them back, bringing them out of darkness – to “glorify God in your body and

in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20, which is

PraiseMoves’ Foundation Scripture).

• Can the same notes on the musical scale used for the enemy, be used to glorify God?

• YES!!!

Exercise is NOT the Foundation to PraiseMoves.

The exercise in PraiseMoves is the "witty invention" to get you more into the Word of God, and to get more of the Word of God into you. Jesus is the Bread of Life, and He is the Word of the Living God - See John 6:35, John 1:1 & 14 In reality, I think we've seen that the foundation to yoga is NOT the exercise either, it's just the hook.

A Plan

“You shall know the truth

and the truth shall make you free.” – Jesus (John 8:32)

Let’s GIVE them The Truth about Yoga.

“Kick Yoga Out of the Churches.”

What are some things Your Church Can Do?

Go to www.PraiseMoves.com

Find a CPI (Certified PraiseMoves Instructor) in Your Area! You can also learn how to apply to become a CPI! Or you can work out to PraiseMoves DVDs in a small group at your church or in your home.

Would you or someone you know like to be a Certified PraiseMoves Instructor?

$50 off w/Code:

KICK Go to PraiseMoves.com

“Training” tab for info & application.

Additional Certifications for CPIs

Additional Certifications for CPIs

www.40DayFitnessChallenge.com

Great Idea for a Small Group or Bible Study at Your Church or in

Your Home.

Registration is Free.

What we Covered

• Is yoga “just exercise”? No.

• What do Hindus, former Hindus

and former New Agers say?

• Laurette’s story – 22 years in yoga & New Age

• What about Yoga in the Church – Dangers?

• Options and Alternatives

• PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry

• You and Your Church and Community

What You Can Do:

Any or All!

1. Get the TRUTH eBook or Book to churches, etc. 2. 40-Day Fitness Challenge 40DayFitnessChallenge.com

3. Fitness Ministry - help sponsor a CPI or become a CPI!

Go to: www.40DayFitnessChallenge.com

See “Classes” & “Training” tabs

at www.PraiseMoves.com

Questions? Contact:

info@praisemoves.com

and we will be honored to help you. $50 off CPI application

w/Code: KICK

Click on “TRUTH” tab for “The Truth about Yoga” eBook at 40DayFitnessChallenge.com