When I was about 21 years old, in the living room of my then-girlfriend, I heard one of the most absurd statements of my life. Her family was very religious, even part of a local church’s management. That night, we were talking about a new yoga studio that had opened around the corner. I didn't practice yoga at all during that time. I hadn't even read any Yogi philosophy yet. I was still exploring all the different theories, religions, and philosophies of life in search of what made sense to me.
She told me that her mom believed that people who practiced yoga were worshiping the devil, that the yoga postures themselves were created to worship the devil. I had to hold back my laughter, swallow it, and remained silent. Because it seemed she also believed it. And we were still getting to know each other, so I didn’t want to ruin that.
Fortunately, that relationship didn’t work out. But that statement, wow! How ridiculous does that sound? Worshipping the devil? Common. First of all, what devil? And how can someone as educated and well travelled could believe such nonsense? That’s pure religious fanaticism.
I'm not sure if her mom actually believed that, or she just invented it to prevent their kids from practicing yoga or to teach them that being Catholic was right and being anything else was wrong.
And, of course, not all religious people are like that. This is one example of someone whose judgement of reality got clouded by religious beliefs. My grandma, in contrast, was an example of a loving, kind, and inclusive Catholic. She loved and accepted everyone regardless of their beliefs or background.
Don't be that person who believes something so fanatically that you aren’t open to any other beliefs that may expand and improve your conception of reality. Don't separate yourself from people who believe something different. Don't look down on them.
The Yogi philosophy teaches that all religions are good. They fulfill their place in the world. They are necessary for some people to help them in their spiritual unfoldment. Religions possess bits of truth, but not the whole truth. They started with a very good intention by their original founders, in this case being Jesus.
But those teachings have been distorted throughout the years. Man has manipulated the doctrines for his convenience. Man has created stories to explain things they couldn’t understand.
Believe in what makes sense to you. But beware of excluding others just because they have different perspectives on life. A true yogi considers everyone as their brother and sister. They embrace every philosophy, religion, and theory as necessary for the great machinery of life. Everyone is working their way up, believing in that which suits their present stage of development.
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