I received an email yesterday that made me very upset. Not so much because of what was said wrongly about yoga, but the fact that one of the persons who continued the mass emailing was a pastor. I know because I have the email address of the person. If a pastor thinks it right to send out mass emails speaking negatively of other religions and/or practices to their friends and other church mates without verifying the truth, it chills me to my bones what else would they say.
And this is not the first time, that a pastor has insinuated to me that yoga is wrong and possibly demonic. Of course, she didn't use those words. She was much more subtle. But the intention is clear. And she had smugly told me that she's "one of the 12" senior pastors in her church, and a very big church in Singapore too.
Just as CEOs and accountants need to be accountable for the companies they hold stewardship for, surely religious leaders also need to be accountable to their congregation and to their community at large to: 1) say only things that are true; and 2) maintain harmony and respect not only within their congregation but also with the community? Where is that moral responsibility?
I reproduce the email in full below so you can judge for yourself:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Please read testimony below about yoga.
>>
>> HI friends,
>>
>> On Wednesday, I attended a talk by an ex-yoga teacher, Mdm
>> PohShon Choy, who
>> sold her yoga centre (earning lots of money giving yoga
>> lessons) and severed
>> all ties with yoga. She urges us to inform relatives,
>> friends, Family
>> members, etc., NOT to get involved at all.
>>
>> For those who had taken up yoga lessons (hot yoga, power
>> yoga, pe-la-tei, so
>> on), repent and ask God for forgiveness.
>>
>> Many claimed that they only join to keep fit, only doing
>> the exercise poses
>> and not meditation.
>>
>> Christians think it is ok so long they don't
>> participate in the Meditation
>> part. Mdm Choy explains that the central of Yoga
>> (originated from Hinduism)
>> is the spirit of Kundalini (spirit Of snake or cobra).
>>
>> Yoga poses are actually animal poses (e.g. camel, rabbit,).
>> All these look
>> very normal and harmless, stretching and exercising.
>>
>> But the danger is, once a person does such poses, the
>> spirit of Kundalini
>> (the snake is in a coiled position) is stimulated or
>> aroused.
>>
>> As the persons goes from basic to intermediate to advance
>> stage of yoga
>> lessons (still not meditation yet), the coiled
>> "snake" will be aroused
>> further. It will rise and rise further.
>>
>> There are 7 centres in the human body - Starting from the
>> navel.
>>
>> The final centre is the part between the eye brows (known
>> to many as the
>> third eye). When the spirit is
>> aroused to the final centre, the third eye will be opened.
>>
>> This is called the full enlightenment.
>>
>> The first thing the person sees is demons. For some, they
>> will become insane
>> seeing such horrifying demons.
>>
>> For others, they are not afraid and will have the power to
>> fore-tell other
>> people's health, problems, luck, etc (like a fortune
>> teller).
>>
>> In fact, they manipulate and control other people.
>>
>> The meditation part will come in very subtle.
>>
>> Mdm Choy said she was approached by a couple who found her
>> contact from the
>> yellow pages and told her they wanted To teach her new
>> things about yoga.
>>
>> She was very keen and sat under their teaching. She learnt
>> how to meditate
>> and it must be done in odd hours of the day (past
>> midnight). So she tried..
>> She actually felt a wriggling feeling in her stomach!
>> She also mentioned that her third eye was opened. She
>> could see her own
>> aura (electric fields in all human beings).
>>
>> Her turning point came when God caused her spiritual eyes
>> to open - she
>> witnessed a lady being delivered, wriggling like a snake on
>> the floor. Mdm
>> Choy thanked God for being gracious to her; she took 1-2
>> weeks to be
>> delivered.
>>
>> She knows of a lady who took 3 months to be cleansed!!
>>
>> It is a sad thing; there is even yoga lessons for children.
>>
>> In the States, a Methodist started the Christian yoga.
>> However, there are
>> some believers who still continue, saying that they find no
>> harm after doing
>> yoga for 3 years.
>>
>> Mdm Choy says it is our soul that is in danger. The evil
>> one will try all
>> ways to ensnare/trap Christians.
>>
>> Someone in the class raised a question - if we have The
>> Holy Spirit, how can
>> the spirit of kundalini be aroused?
>>
>> Mdm Choy replied our God is a holy God, the Holy Spirit
>> will be grieved and
>> will depart. God cannot be mocked.
>>
>> God's spirit left King Saul when he disobeyed God. To
>> God, rebellion spirit
>> is witchcraft.
>>
>> We are not against yoga teachers, yoga students but we are
>> fighting against
>> powers, principalities in the
>> Spiritual realm..
>>
>> Let's be on guard, be aware!
>>
>>God Bless
And this is not the first time, that a pastor has insinuated to me that yoga is wrong and possibly demonic. Of course, she didn't use those words. She was much more subtle. But the intention is clear. And she had smugly told me that she's "one of the 12" senior pastors in her church, and a very big church in Singapore too.
Just as CEOs and accountants need to be accountable for the companies they hold stewardship for, surely religious leaders also need to be accountable to their congregation and to their community at large to: 1) say only things that are true; and 2) maintain harmony and respect not only within their congregation but also with the community? Where is that moral responsibility?
I reproduce the email in full below so you can judge for yourself:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Please read testimony below about yoga.
>>
>> HI friends,
>>
>> On Wednesday, I attended a talk by an ex-yoga teacher, Mdm
>> PohShon Choy, who
>> sold her yoga centre (earning lots of money giving yoga
>> lessons) and severed
>> all ties with yoga. She urges us to inform relatives,
>> friends, Family
>> members, etc., NOT to get involved at all.
>>
>> For those who had taken up yoga lessons (hot yoga, power
>> yoga, pe-la-tei, so
>> on), repent and ask God for forgiveness.
>>
>> Many claimed that they only join to keep fit, only doing
>> the exercise poses
>> and not meditation.
>>
>> Christians think it is ok so long they don't
>> participate in the Meditation
>> part. Mdm Choy explains that the central of Yoga
>> (originated from Hinduism)
>> is the spirit of Kundalini (spirit Of snake or cobra).
>>
>> Yoga poses are actually animal poses (e.g. camel, rabbit,).
>> All these look
>> very normal and harmless, stretching and exercising.
>>
>> But the danger is, once a person does such poses, the
>> spirit of Kundalini
>> (the snake is in a coiled position) is stimulated or
>> aroused.
>>
>> As the persons goes from basic to intermediate to advance
>> stage of yoga
>> lessons (still not meditation yet), the coiled
>> "snake" will be aroused
>> further. It will rise and rise further.
>>
>> There are 7 centres in the human body - Starting from the
>> navel.
>>
>> The final centre is the part between the eye brows (known
>> to many as the
>> third eye). When the spirit is
>> aroused to the final centre, the third eye will be opened.
>>
>> This is called the full enlightenment.
>>
>> The first thing the person sees is demons. For some, they
>> will become insane
>> seeing such horrifying demons.
>>
>> For others, they are not afraid and will have the power to
>> fore-tell other
>> people's health, problems, luck, etc (like a fortune
>> teller).
>>
>> In fact, they manipulate and control other people.
>>
>> The meditation part will come in very subtle.
>>
>> Mdm Choy said she was approached by a couple who found her
>> contact from the
>> yellow pages and told her they wanted To teach her new
>> things about yoga.
>>
>> She was very keen and sat under their teaching. She learnt
>> how to meditate
>> and it must be done in odd hours of the day (past
>> midnight). So she tried..
>> She actually felt a wriggling feeling in her stomach!
>> She also mentioned that her third eye was opened. She
>> could see her own
>> aura (electric fields in all human beings).
>>
>> Her turning point came when God caused her spiritual eyes
>> to open - she
>> witnessed a lady being delivered, wriggling like a snake on
>> the floor. Mdm
>> Choy thanked God for being gracious to her; she took 1-2
>> weeks to be
>> delivered.
>>
>> She knows of a lady who took 3 months to be cleansed!!
>>
>> It is a sad thing; there is even yoga lessons for children.
>>
>> In the States, a Methodist started the Christian yoga.
>> However, there are
>> some believers who still continue, saying that they find no
>> harm after doing
>> yoga for 3 years.
>>
>> Mdm Choy says it is our soul that is in danger. The evil
>> one will try all
>> ways to ensnare/trap Christians.
>>
>> Someone in the class raised a question - if we have The
>> Holy Spirit, how can
>> the spirit of kundalini be aroused?
>>
>> Mdm Choy replied our God is a holy God, the Holy Spirit
>> will be grieved and
>> will depart. God cannot be mocked.
>>
>> God's spirit left King Saul when he disobeyed God. To
>> God, rebellion spirit
>> is witchcraft.
>>
>> We are not against yoga teachers, yoga students but we are
>> fighting against
>> powers, principalities in the
>> Spiritual realm..
>>
>> Let's be on guard, be aware!
>>
>>God Bless
7 comments:
answers to your questions:
(1) theirs is the only truth.
(2) they do not seek harmony with any other religious beliefs because of (1).
And that's how wars start.
ummmmmmmmmm. then wouldn't yoga be beneficial only to the buddhists and hindus??
so we start factioning sports now? what next food? and then humans, like what everyone wants to do?
Imp - it is a slippery slope downhill... to extremism.
oh my god! this is really disgusting. u might want to forward that email to the press.
hmm...I'm neutral but i do have a friend's sister who got into the "see demon" stage, apparently quite tormenting! It started innocently from Yoga, ok but i heard that many many years ago tho
edp junkie - I thought of that but I'm not sure if it would accomplish anything, besides getting them to hide their prejudices better?
Suzie Wong - maybe this email started years ago?! I've seen some of these mass emails circulate for years.
You must tell me more about the "see demon" stage.
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