Jonesha Davis Draft #1 (Argumentative Research Essay) Suzanne Ingram ENGL 1102-024 November 6, 2012

Although many researchers have noted that yoga is a sin, they have missed the importance of individuals doing what they believe is best for them. These researchers have become biased based on their own religious beliefs and what they consider right or wrong which may have become prompted or primed by what they were taught growing up. For example, according to Jeremy Maynor, his father used to get angry when Jeremy and his brother would cross their legs and make humming noises on the floor. He would tell them in an aggressive voice, Stop worshipping the devil. To be able to formulate your own opinion of whether yoga is a sin or not, you must first know some background information. The teachings of yoga have been done for many years, as well as the practicing of yoga. Yoga is a form of meditation where you free your mind from all other distractions and just begin to relax. It is the practice of becoming one with your mind. According to Shayne Bance, ancient yogis had a belief that in order for man to be in harmony with himself and his environment, he has to integrate the body, the mind, and the spirit. For these three to be integrated, emotion, and intelligence must be in balance. The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance and it is done through exercise, breathing, and meditation (Bance, Shane). Therefore,

many people practice yoga to know themselves better, to become one with their mind, body, and soul, and also to become more flexible. As a result of opening up your soul and letting in other spirits, people are defining yoga as a sin. An example of the people labeling yoga as a sin, we have the people of the church. The Catholic Church is the biggest enforcer of giving yoga its sinful meaning. The Catholic Church and their bishops and priests are saying that when you let in these demon-like spirits, people that practice or teach yoga are putting other things before God himself. According to past research, the Bishop or Priest must teach their people the proper way to meditate and become one with self and that can only be done successfully through prayer. If Bishops and Priests taught their people the proper way to pray, they would not have to rely on alternatives such as yoga (Ratzinger, Joseph C et. al.). Those that are against yoga and believe that it is a sin, such as the Catholic Church, recommends learning the different techniques that could let God enter your soul rather than other things. A particular technique that could easily be practiced is fasting. Fasting would be given up something or more than one thing that are of value to you so that it can bring you closer to God. Fasting represents sacrifice and when asked in prayer allows God to keep you from clinging to things that you very much desire. People that indicate that yoga is a sin are mainly taken aback by the realization that they could be condemned by this practice; as a result, they do not practice it at all because they do not want to lose any chances of getting into the Heavenly Kingdom. Yoga could be classified as many things such as a peace maker, relaxation, or a good exercise method. Those that practice yoga look for the good that it brings in their life and to their body and do not consider it been a sin. As this study begins to grow at an exponential rate, people are beginning to wonder if they should continue practicing or teaching yoga. They are

becoming frightened by what they opposing side is saying and turning to The Bible for moral support. They search The Bible looking for evidence that says, Yes, it is okay; you can practice yoga. As they begin searching The Bible they notice that not many things agree that you should practice yoga while there is a verse that questions yoga. For instance, in Galatians 6:7 it reads, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. This bible verse indicates that yoga is a mockery of God and that whoever practices it will get what is coming to them. People that believe yoga is not a sin do not generally think about the religious aspect of it. They say it is not because they have been practicing and/or teaching it for several years and they are able to discover how it makes people feel. Being a yoga teacher is like a longitudal study method, you are with the same group of people for several classes and you are able to evaluate and explain how these people have changed over the years as a result of yoga. On the other hand, there are those that believe that yoga is not a sin. Yoginis are an example of people that do not believe that yoga is a sin. According to Marlon Borreo, yoga relaxes the body and mind. Even in the midst of stressful environments, yoga helps control breathing and clears the mind of cluttered thoughts, leaving only deep physical and mental refreshment. Borreo suggests that yoga is practiced for personal uses and has nothing to do with religion or what one believes. Yoga offered the approach to spirituality without being judgmental to people of different cultures. Going into a more in-depth thought, it did not prey upon victims with terms such as Sin and eternal damnation. But more importantly, it had answers! It offered a practical approach to cultivating a relationship with divinity (Prem, Yogi B.). In other words, women practice yoga because it is something that they all can agree on no matter what background or cultural they come from. Yoga in its own way is like a universal smile, everyone knows what it is when brought up.

At the conclusion of all of my research I was able to make a stand on if I thought yoga was a sin or not. Each side had good debatable evidence of why they thought what they thought. For example, those opposing yoga had bible verses while those for yoga had their own personal experiences. In my opinion yoga is not a sin. I believe that people practice or teach this because it is what they choose to do. To simply target yoga is wrong because no sin is greater than the other. If we want to begin labeling things as sin we have to label all things and not just yoga. During an English 1101 class, I was giving the opportunity to take on a little basic practice of meditation. What I was able to learn about myself on that one day was more than I was able to learn in the nineteen years of my living. I was able to look deep within myself and describe who I was as an individual. I was able to discover myself and write and in depth essay detailing and describing who I was. I do not believe that yoga is bad or should be labeled as a sin because it is just a practice that brings your closer to yourself and eliminating all other distractions.

Work Cited
Bance, Shayne. "What Is Yoga: Definition of Yoga and the Six Branches of Yoga." What Is Yoga: Definition of Yoga and the Six Branches of Yoga. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. Galatians 6:7 Jeremy Maynor. UNC Charlotte Student. Prem, Yogi B. There is no Christian Yoga. Sulekha.com. (2006). Print.
Ratzinger, Joseph C., and Bovone, Alberto. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. 1989. Print.