LTRP Note: The following out-of-house news story is presented for research and informational purposes. Lighthouse Trails believes that what is being called “Christian Yoga” is not Christian at all but is a derivative of Hinduism.
Travis Roemhild
East Valley Tribune (Phoenix, AZ)
A spiritual twist has been added to the cocktail of exercises known as yoga.
Two Valley women have been teaching Christian yoga for years now and will be holding an upcoming event to introduce it further to the public.
The concept for Christianity-centered yoga has sprung up across the country, but Elena Porter pioneered it in Arizona in 2002. She had been a yoga instructor for years and realized that her experience could be better.
“I found yoga to be very peaceful,” Porter said. “But I did not find it to be very spiritual.”
So one day, she decided to try something different and focus her thoughts on a specific Biblical verse before she began her exercises for the day. It was that idea that would plant the seeds for the growth of Christian yoga at her church and around the Valley.
“I felt like I had an incredible spiritual experience,” Porter said. “So I was encouraged by a friend to pursue teaching Christian yoga.”
She said she went to her pastor at Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E Pecos Road, with the intention of talking to him about possibly starting a class for the public.
“I don’t know what compelled me to do it, but afterwards I was freaking out thinking, ‘I’m about to teach this class,'” Porter said. “Never in my mind did I think it would catch on.”Click here to read this entire story.
To understand the roots of Yoga, visit our research page on Yoga.
