by Linda Carl

At the moment of conception, God gives each of us a unique and unrepeatable immortal soul.

It “does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 366). It is the deepest part of our being, a sacred space meant to be reserved for God alone.

The body houses the soul; they are so intertwined that the soul is the “‘form’ of the body” (CCC 365). Fr. Brian Mullady explains, “The body is meant for the soul and the soul is meant for God.”

When we are in a state of grace, God dwells within our soul, which makes us temples of the Trinity. We cannot be temples of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit while also welcoming Hindu deities—we must choose one or the other.

Many Christians practice yoga without realizing its spiritual dangers, and some believe they can separate the physical aspects from the spiritual. But what we think or know about yoga does not change the fact that it is a spiritual practice that invites spirits into the soul.

Since demons hide behind mythological Hindu gods who are called on in a yoga class, being present gives them an opening to unite with them instead of Jesus.

It is crucial to understand: Our intention never matters. Every single yoga class, no matter where or how it is done, even the most “non-yoga-like,” promotes a communion with these evil spirits.

Well-known Catholic theologian Edward Sri says,

“We are more likely to passively allow something into our soul because it is dressed up in a fun show, a funny movie, an attractive image, or a catchy tune.”

This also applies to yoga. Patricia Talbot, a visionary from Cuenca, Ecuador, asks a profound question: Why would we want anything other than God to enter our soul? Whether done knowingly or unknowingly, letting other spirits into our body diminishes our relationship with Him.

Union is a real thing. Christians strive to unite with Christ, and Catholics are blessed to experience the most intimate and powerful union with God through the Eucharist, an incredible gift yoga belittles.

Bishop Robert Barron poses an important point worth pondering: those who “regularly gather around the table of intimacy with Christ and yet engage consistently in the works of darkness are meant to see ourselves in the betrayer.” A humbling thought.

Many dabble in the seemingly innocuous and good-for-you yoga under the pretense of exercise and stress relief. As did I.

For almost two decades, I was seduced—numb and blind to yoga’s truths and that each class I taught led my students and myself further away from God—because, at the time, I did not comprehend how yoga opposes Christian beliefs.