Is Yoga a halachic issue?

amother

Linen

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:26 am

I know a lot of people who wouldn't wear a heart necklace because it's used for avoda zara. Just like a cross. What about the ones that don't know it's used for avoda zara? Do we need to tell them? Same with Yoga, most chasidish people don't even know yoga originated from avoda zara. And I doubt that most chasidish poskim know what yoga is.
Do we need to tell them It comes from avoda Zara? If they don't know about it then they obviously don't have that in mind and let them enjoy their exercise.

chicco

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:29 am

Avoda zara is a herog vlo yaavor whether or not you know you are doing it. Personally, if I was in any shape or form doing something that qualified as AZ, I would like to know.

Notsobusy

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:35 am

pause wrote:

You are making assumptions. In the bolded.

You can explain and re-explain what you meant to say. It's ok. I understand your point, and I actually understood it in the first post.

But I'm taking issue with the way you said it. That's not ok. I won't call it quite racist, but it sure reminds me of those g-yte or black threads we've seen here.

I'm really surprised that you have an issue with what she said. I would think it's a compliment for chassidim, that chassidishe women are stronger in their yiddishkeit than non chassidish. If anything I would take it as an insult for us litvish women, that she thinks we have less of an issue with potential avodah zorah.

crust

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:37 am

amother wrote:

Here's where it becomes tricky.
My father (a big Talmid Chochom and Yaden) didn't let us wear heart pendants because he thought a heart symbolises the secular megushemdige love. Nothing with AZ.

The only source about yoga that we have on this thread is a poster that qouted Wikki that it originated in India. Does everything from India mean AZ?
How are you sure that Hakomi or Alexander's do not originate from there or are not recycled AZ practices?

To say that chassidish dayunim are probably not aware that Yoga is AZ is naive.

crust

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:40 am

Notsobusy wrote:

I dont think Pause took issue or got offended. I think she reacted to how clueless that poster was.

Mommyg8

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:41 am

crust wrote:

Crust, why is that naive? Not everyone knows everything.

Again, I was told that yoga is not allowed. BUT, I have heard the concept that Indian avodah zorah is not as stringent as Xinaity, because it is not part of the culture around us, so we won't be influenced. I'm saying this as a hashkafic concept, not a halachic concept, so I'm definitely not stating halacha here. But I have heard this concept.

amother

Linen

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:45 am

crust wrote:

If I would ask my Dyen if yoga is ok, he would probably ask me "what's yoga?"
My husband doesn't know what yoga is.

PinkFridge

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:48 am

amother wrote:

If you listen to secular music, would allow children to go to a ballgame, have a TV and go to movies, then yoga is probably ok. I'm sure many people consider themselves frum and do/allow these things, and others don't. Yoga is no different.

I know someone addressed this and I may not finish the thread but this bears repeating: Yoga is different.

Notsobusy

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:48 am

Mommyg8 wrote:

Crust, why is that naive? Not everyone knows everything.

This, I don't expect my rav to know everything about everything. There have been times I've asked a shaila about something my rav never heard of, or wasn't knowledgeable about, and he asked me questions and then told me he will do research and get back to me.

crust

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:48 am

Mommyg8 wrote:

To think that the reason chassidishe dayunim pasken l'kulah on Yoga is because they don't know the AZ aspect of it- is being naive about the chassidishe poskim in general and about the very learned chassidishe poskim in particular.
To be matir something you have to know it better than to asser it.

Notsobusy

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:50 am

crust wrote:

From this thread it sounds like many chassidish woman don't even know there is a shaila to ask. So it makes sense that their dayanim would never have heard about it.

Mommyg8

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:51 am

crust wrote:

Are you saying that Chassidishe dayanim have paskened that Yoga is OK?

little neshamala

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:52 am

I asked my yeshivish rav. I told him the videos I was watching had portions where the instructor mentioned the sun god and things that sounded very much like avodah zara.

He told me yoga was absolutely fine, and even the poses that she was narrating "sun god" stuff were fine to do as long as the reason I was doing them had nothing to do with avoda zara. So as long as I turned off the volume for those poses and just did them for the exercise purpose then its fine.

But, ASK YOUR OWN RAV.

crust

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:53 am

amother wrote:

If I would ask my Dyen if yoga is ok, he would probably ask me "what's yoga?"
My husband doesn't know what yoga is.

Will he say a straight no?
Hopefully he will go on to research for you wether or not its ok. He will not say no based just on the info you provide him with.

As I said before; It takes a learned person to be matir. If you have a specific question that needs a lot of education find a dayan that is knowledgeable in the field.

Last edited by crust on Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:59 am; edited 1 time in total

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 11:56 am

Yoga postures are one small part of a complex spiritual practice, mainly associated with the Hindu religion in India but also with other cultures including Buddhism and Jainism.

I used to practice yoga as exercise, but discontinued largely because of my concerns about avoda zara (I'm MO, if it matters). There is also a raging debate going on about cultural appropriation. When one aspect of yoga is stripped of its other cultural meanings and used in totally different ways, it is (or can be interpreted to be) disrespectful to the original culture. I am ambivalent about all this, but it is something to take into consideration. To me, asanas don't feel religious, so it's just exercise, right? Well, consider how you would feel, as a religious Jew, if your religious practices were used in totally inappropriate ways. I saw a clip of a non-Jewish pop star chanting the Shema with his team before going on stage. Ok, or not?

amother

Linen

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 12:00 pm

crust wrote:

Will he say a straight no?
Hopefully he will go on to research for you wether or not its ok. He will not asser just on the info you provide him with.

As I said before; It takes a learned person to me matir. If you have a specific question that needs a lot of education find a dayan that is knowledgeable in the field.

True. He will ask me info about it and do some research and then call back my husband and tell his psak.

Still don't understand why you called me naive. I still believe most chasidish dayanim don't know what the word yoga means. And most chasidish women don't even know there is even a shayla to ask regarding yoga.

amother

Linen

Sun, Dec 03 2017, 12:03 pm

cm wrote:

Are you trying to be sensitive to a different religion?
Do you know that the Jewish religion is the only true religion?