The conversation around Christians and yoga often sparks heated debate. For some, yoga is tangled up with fear of false worship or spiritual compromise. For others, it is simply a set of stretches for fitness. My own journey has moved through both of these perspectives. I once cautioned friends to avoid yoga, convinced it was dangerous. Later, through chronic illness and exhaustion, I found myself in a class led by a Christian instructor. For the first time, I slowed down enough to ask, Did God even ask me to carry all of these heavy “shoulds”? Or did I place them on my own shoulders?

The answer began a process of healing. What I once viewed as foreign or forbidden, God began to redeem as a tool for restoring my nervous system, deepening my prayer life, and reconnecting me with His presence. Scripture reminds us that “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). That includes our bodies, our breath, and the practices we use to care for them. When approached with discernment and intention, yoga can be one way of offering our whole selves to God, living into Romans 12:1: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

What follows are nine topics that often come up in conversations about yoga. Each can feel controversial on the surface, but when examined carefully, they reveal more about God’s design for our bodies and how practices like yoga can be reclaimed for His purposes.

1. Chakras

Chakras are often dismissed as mystical or occult, but in reality they mirror specific physiological systems. Each chakra aligns with major glands and nerve plexuses. The throat chakra corresponds to the thyroid gland, regulating metabolism and communication. The heart chakra connects to the thymus, which influences the immune system and our capacity for love.

Neuroscience confirms that these glands and nerve plexuses are tightly linked with emotional regulation through the autonomic nervous system. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory highlights how the vagus nerve mediates both physical health and emotional safety, bridging body and mind in ways that parallel the chakra framework (Porges, 2017). For Christians, we can acknowledge these connections as evidence of God’s intentional design, rather than fear them.

2. The “Third Eye”

The “third eye” is not a mystical portal but the pineal gland, a pea-sized structure deep in the brain. Neuroscience shows that this gland regulates circadian rhythms by releasing melatonin, influencing sleep, alertness, and emotional stability (Arendt, 1998).

Biblically, the concept of vision beyond the surface is significant. Paul prays in Ephesians 1:18 that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” When Christians engage this practice, we are not opening ourselves to foreign spirits but asking God to sharpen our awareness of His presence.

3. Chanting and Mantras

Chanting and mantras can appear mystical, but science helps explain their effects. Research shows that repetitive vocal sounds regulate breathing, lower cortisol, and increase vagal tone, all of which support emotional calm (Bernardi et al., 2001). The sound itself is not magical. It is the vibration through the vocal cords and the rhythm of breath that affect the nervous system.

Christians already practice something similar when singing hymns or repeating scripture aloud. Colossians 3:16 urges us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Chanting scripture, breath prayers, or even humming can provide the same regulatory benefits while grounding us in faith.

4. Dominion

One of the main concerns raised by Christians is whether practicing yoga surrenders us to foreign gods. Yet Genesis 1:28 calls humanity to exercise dominion over creation. Taking back dominion over practices that others have labeled as New Age does not mean syncretism. It means reclaiming movement, stillness, and meditation as ways to honor Christ.

In practice, this looks like approaching each posture with intentional prayer. A lunge can be a physical reminder of courage (Joshua 1:9), while resting in savasana can become an act of trust in God’s care (Psalm 4:8). Yoga is not worship of self when the heart behind it is worship of Christ.

5. Mudras

Mudras are hand gestures often used in yoga and meditation. Neurology shows that the hands are dense with sensory receptors, and their movement activates large areas of the brain’s motor and sensory cortices (Penfield & Rasmussen, 1950). Holding intentional shapes can stimulate neural pathways, regulate the autonomic nervous system, and reduce stress.

Research in psychoneuroendocrinology supports that mindfulness practices involving the hands can influence hormonal balance and decrease cortisol (Pascoe et al., 2017). Christians need not fear that folded hands equal idol worship. For centuries believers have raised hands, folded them in prayer, or laid them on one another for blessing. Mudras are simply another form of using the body to focus the mind.

6. Clearing the Mind

A common misconception is that yoga teaches us to empty the mind, leaving us vulnerable to outside influence. In reality, the goal is to quiet the constant chatter of past and future so we can be fully present. Cognitive neuroscience describes this as reducing activity in the brain’s default mode network, freeing up mental space for focus and awareness (Brewer et al., 2011).

For Christians, quieting the mind creates room for scripture, prayer, and attentiveness to God. Psalm 131:2 captures this beautifully: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother.” The practice is not about absence but about presence, the presence of God in a stilled heart.

7. Yoga as a Spiritual Practice

Yoga has deep roots in Indian culture, but it predates Hinduism and has been practiced in diverse ways across centuries. In itself, yoga is not a religion. It is a set of tools: breath, posture, stillness, and meditation. Christians can use these tools while directing their intention toward Christ.

We do something similar with the rainbow, which was given by God as a symbol of His covenant yet is used for many purposes today (Genesis 9:13). We do not abandon it. We remember its original meaning. Likewise, reclaiming yoga as a practice of Christian meditation allows us to experience God’s grace through movement and breath.

8. Pose Names

The names of yoga poses often cause concern. Some carry references to Hindu stories, while others are simply descriptions of animals or natural shapes: Tree Pose, Downward Dog, Mountain. Using these names does not equal worship. They are linguistic markers from the culture where the practice developed.

Romans 14 reminds us that disputable matters should not divide us. Doing Warrior Pose does not bind a believer to mythology any more than celebrating days of the week (named after pagan gods) binds us to idol worship. Intention matters far more than vocabulary.

9. Letting God Redeem

The heart of this conversation is not yoga itself but whether we trust God to redeem. Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The patterns we see in culture, whether breathing, chanting, or meditating, are not foreign to God. He created them. When others distort or mislabel them, that does not erase His authorship.

Through yoga, I have personally experienced God’s healing. My nervous system has calmed, my pain has lessened, and my prayer life has deepened. What once felt threatening now feels like a gift. Not every Christian will come to the same conclusion, and that is acceptable. Romans 14:5 reminds us that each person should be fully convinced in their own mind.

But for those willing to invite God into mindful movement, yoga can become an unexpected pathway of worship and transformation. It is not about adopting another religion but about offering body, mind, and spirit back to the One who created them.

God has a way of redeeming what the world mislabels as secular or even scary. The tools of yoga, breath, stillness, posture, and meditation, are simply ways of tending to the body and nervous system He designed. Science affirms their effectiveness. Scripture affirms their place in a life of faith. Whether or not every Christian chooses to practice yoga, the invitation remains: to trust God’s sovereignty, to listen to His Spirit, and to allow Him to heal and transform in unexpected ways.

References

• Arendt, J. (1998). Melatonin and the pineal gland: Influence on mammalian circadian physiology. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 10(6), 371–376.

• Bernardi, L., Sleight, P., Bandinelli, G., et al. (2001). Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: Comparative study. BMJ, 323(7327), 1446–1449.

• Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., et al. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. PNAS, 108(50), 20254–20259.

• Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., Jenkins, Z. M., & Ski, C. F. (2017). Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86, 152–168.

• Penfield, W., & Rasmussen, T. (1950). The Cerebral Cortex of Man: A Clinical Study of Localization of Function. Macmillan.

• Porges, S. W. (2017). The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe. W. W. Norton.

• Thayer, J. F., & Lane, R. D. (2000). A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation and dysregulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 61(3), 201–216.