Can a Christian practice Yoga? For many Christians, the answer is obvious. It's just stretching and breathing exercises, isn't it? Why anyone would object to a physical health practice that doesn't hurt anyone is confusing to them. But other Christians will suggest that there is more to it than that, especially if they have a Hindu background.
See, much like many things in our culture, Yoga has some dubious origins, which have been significantly watered down in the Western world. In Hinduism, Yoga is far more than just stretching and breathing. The word itself literally means "union", and is the practice of uniting one's self with Brahmin, a Hindu concept of "God". Thus, to quote ex-Hindu BigNik (God bless you, brother) in one interview, "...you're yoking with these demonic Hindu deities. So you're doing these positions, and in the spiritual realm, you're actually giving authority, and legal access for these demons to enter you, because the Yoga positions they have created is a form of spiritual worship." Thus, he argues, God hates Yoga, and Christians who practice it are participating in Satanic idolatry. Isaiah Saldivar, whose podcast BigNik appeared on, then added "and one thing I think Christians don't realise is your intentions don't matter. The devil doesn't care about your intentions! It's not like 'oh I can't enter in them because they have good intentions'. But because you're a Christian, God's going to defend you? We don't see that in Scripture." The above is just one example of many of Christians, for spiritual reasons, being opposed to yoga.
So which is it? Is it just a physical health practice, or are Christians "giving authority and legal access" to demons by practicing it? Now, for clarity, I actually have no particular skin in this game. I do not now, nor have I ever practiced yoga. There is a possibility I have accidentally used a yoga pose while stretching off after a rough Krav Maga (self-defence martial art) session, however I have never knowingly practiced yoga. Nor do I know anyone who is so especially interested in yoga as to speak about it with me. Thus, I have no personal bias that would reasonably cloud my judgement here.
With that out of the way, I can say categorically that practicing yoga is wrong... for Isaiah Saldivar and BikNik. And I do not mean this in a "live your truth" kind of way. Rather, I mean it in a Romans 14 kind of way. See, it turns out, while Satan definitely does not care about your intentions, the word of God tells us quite explicitly that He does. Thus, we read "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Romans 14:14).
So, is yoga unclean of itself? By Paul's reasoning, the answer is a resounding no. There is nothing unclean of itself. However, to him who considers anything unclean, to him it is unclean. Thus, the intentions of BikNik and Isaiah Saldivar do matter to God. If they were to practice yoga, not being fully convinced in their own mind that these things are pure, they would be sinning by practicing it, because "...for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23). By contrast, "To the pure, everything is pure..." (Titus 1:15).
There are two caveats to this. The first is that, obviously, you cannot purify actual sin in this manner. You cannot purify theft, murder, envy, sexual immorality etc. just by deluding yourself into thinking God is ok with them. But this is because His word says "thou shalt not". In fact, the irony is, even these sins are only sins because they are corruptions of a clean thing. Theft is evil, but property is a good thing. If you steal $20 from me, it's not the $20 that is evil for you to have, it's evil because it's my $20, and you did not receive it from me legitimately. Similarly, adultery is evil, not because sex is unclean, but because it is designed to be enjoyed within the confines of an exclusive marital relationship. You can sleep with your own spouse all you want, it's when it's someone else's spouse that problems arise.
So you can't purify actual sin with "good intentions". But there is no actual sin in yoga. Unless you are intentionally taking part in the spiritual aspects, which is the actual sin of idolatry, you are doing nothing wrong. Separate the spiritual from the physical, you're good.
The second caveat is that, out of love for conscientious objectors, liberty is often a wise thing to give up. Scripture divides the Church into two categories: The weaker and stronger brethren. The stronger brethren are those with a firm conscience. We may eat, drink, practice, or celebrate, basically anything that Scripture does not give the impression that we cannot. But a weaker brother, offended or stumbled by an otherwise permissible thing, may need our consideration.
Now, I don't know about Isaiah Saldivar, but I do know that BigNik is a new convert. He converted in 2020, it is currently October 2023. That means he's only been a Christian for 3 years. I do not say this as a thing to be held against him. I do, however, say he is a "weaker brother" in the way Scripture intends such a phrase. That is, "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things." (Romans 14:1).
So what does that mean? Well first of all, it means I'm not going to try to change his mind on the moral implications of yoga. It's only going to become a problem if he starts walking up to other Christians telling them they're going to Hell if they don't quit welcoming Satan into their bodies like that etc. Can he unite with them in spite of their disagreements? It genuinely seems so. I confess, I know very little about the guy, but from the interview itself, he doesn't seem to harbor any hatred for, or cast any doubt upon the salvation of, yoga-practicing Christians. With no evidence that he has made this a Gospel issue, he can be considered a conscientious objector, and a brother to be cherished.
But that cherishing may actually require one to alter our behavior to support his needs. See, he believes yoga invites demons. Being a new convert, he doesn't quite understand that demons have very little power. Thus, leaving Romans 14 for a moment, let us consider 1 Corinthians 10:19-33:
"What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."
We see, then, that although "all things are lawful" (including yoga), it's not necessarily beneficial. You can eat food without question. It could have been sacrificed to an idol. To give a more modern example, you can quite safely order a KFC in spite of their explicitly "Halal" stance. You can even go to an unbeliever's house for dinner if they invite you, asking no questions. But if they talk about their idols, suddenly it becomes a problem. Why? For my conscience' sake? Paul explicitly denies this here. "“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other." And he even goes on to say "But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?"
So in other words, it's entirely optional. You should abstain for the sake of the conscience of the idolator, but even then, no one can rightly speak evil of you if you give thanks. And the demons? An idol, in Paul's word, is nothing. Brahmin has no power. Hindu gods have no power. Allah has no power. There is nothing they can do to you, whether through food, or through yoga, because the Lord owns it all. Thus, this is actually a wisdom issue, not a moral one.
The conclusion of the matter, then? "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:19-23).
With that in mind, we can say that there is nothing morally wrong with yoga. You may stretch or bend your body in any way you see fit. If there are no spiritual intentions, there are no spiritual implications. However, you should consider conscience, both your own (for whatever is not of faith is sin), and your brother's (for it is evil to stretch with offense). If you know someone who is offended, or made weak, by yoga, you should at the very least practice it out of their sight, if you don't pack it in all together.