My mother warned me against Yoga being at odds with Christianity recently, which I thought was curious, so I went to find more information on what Yoga is, and what the final goal of yoga was: The link below gives lots of information on what yoga is, but the part that stuck out to me was this: Prolonged and intense meditation leads to the last step of raja yoga-- the state of samadhi, the superconscious state. In this state we become one with the higher Self and transcend all imperfections and limitations. The state of samadhi is the fourth state of consciousness, which transcends the three normal states of waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. A person who attains samadhi becomes a gift to his or her society. If humanity is ever to achieve a more evolved civilization, it will be possible only because of our growth and evolution as human beings. A person who is established in samadhi lives his or her whole life as a spontaneous expression of the unhindered flow of supreme consciousness. This superconscious level is our human essence; it is universal and transcends all the divisions of culture, creed, gender or age. When we become aware of this state within, our whole life is transformed. When we transform ourselves and experience serenity, peace, and freedom, we also transform our societies and all of human civilization. This awareness of the infinite consciousness is the practical and real goal of yoga. I compare this to my religious beliefs and find they are in fact quite at odds. A practice, even in the initial stages, like the Hatha Yoga practice, is still the first stepping stone to the final goal. The first step down the wrong path is often the easiest, and the one that is most likely to be rationalized.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:26:08 +0000
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