Yoga Leads to Idolatry & Possession
Fr. James Manjackal, MSFS
This is a testimony of a young Argentine woman who was trapped for years in a personal hell.
"I can quickly tell you the road I walked, downhill, away from God.
"As a non-practicing Catholic, I started to look for the way on the wrong path, always with the appearance of good. On the advice of my friends, I went to a woman who read Tarot cards just out of curiosity. Then, I started reading self-help books, metaphysical type of readings, New Age booklets, etc.
"I can quickly tell you the road I walked, downhill, away from God.
"As a non-practicing Catholic, I started to look for the way on the wrong path, always with the appearance of good. On the advice of my friends, I went to a woman who read Tarot cards just out of curiosity. Then, I started reading self-help books, metaphysical type of readings, New Age booklets, etc.
"As a sports lover, I became tired of my regular exercise
routine and, again on the advice of a friend, I started to do Yoga in a
familiar community setting. After a few months I left, because they
were manipulating the will of women. So, I went to another 'more
serious' Yoga group that had Italian rishis (seers), masters, asanas
(poses), the whole works. There, I learned about the austere lifestyle
that goes along with it. I read a lot about Buddhism, Taoism, other
masters, Yoga techniques and the New Age in general. Everything seemed
very stimulating and new.
"I met different people and they all seemed very nice. For over five years, I studied and did various types of meditations and exercises, became vegetarian, went to seminars conducted by masters… fasts, Tai-chi, everything I could find. It is all very interesting for one who is searching and does not know Christ. I drifted away from my family and the world.
'I ended by levitating...'
"Here is the result: One day I woke up levitating over my bed ... with a (spiritual) creature, like an octopus clutching my head. Through a certain play of words, I had delivered over my soul to that creature and now I could not escape from it.
To try to get away from this thing that was consuming all my energy, I did what I had to do. I looked for women who cured or freed you from evil spirits. All these persons had statues of the Virgin in their places or were people who go to church. So it was difficult to realize that they were wrong and should not be trusted.
"I also got into Reiki, bioenergetics, universal energy and everything offered on the spiritual market as 'alternative.' If there was any improvement it was only momentary. Just more spiritual pollution. Something I did not see then…
"I met different people and they all seemed very nice. For over five years, I studied and did various types of meditations and exercises, became vegetarian, went to seminars conducted by masters… fasts, Tai-chi, everything I could find. It is all very interesting for one who is searching and does not know Christ. I drifted away from my family and the world.
'I ended by levitating...'
"Here is the result: One day I woke up levitating over my bed ... with a (spiritual) creature, like an octopus clutching my head. Through a certain play of words, I had delivered over my soul to that creature and now I could not escape from it.
To try to get away from this thing that was consuming all my energy, I did what I had to do. I looked for women who cured or freed you from evil spirits. All these persons had statues of the Virgin in their places or were people who go to church. So it was difficult to realize that they were wrong and should not be trusted.
"I also got into Reiki, bioenergetics, universal energy and everything offered on the spiritual market as 'alternative.' If there was any improvement it was only momentary. Just more spiritual pollution. Something I did not see then…
The grace of God rescued me
"At last, by the grace of God, I returned to the Catholic Church. I finally reached salvation, first in the Legion of Mary and, then, in the prayer group I joined. I survived the first year thanks to various retreats by Padre Hurtado, Chile. My life has been very difficult since then, but I am always accompanied and comforted by Jesus and Mary.
"I want to share what I saw behind the Yoga and the evil powers who use it. It causes great confusion regarding values, it steals one's energy and ends in a total loss of freedom. 'Christian Yoga' is a contradiction. Parishes should not promote a practice that uses New Age exercises and spiritualities that lead to pride and especially spiritual pride.
Invoking other gods
"The asanas I practiced are spiritual exercises with invocations to other gods... It is idolatry. You cannot empty your mind during meditations and relaxation, leaving it open to everything, because this is very dangerous.
Satanist Aleister Crawley was one of the first promoters of Yoga in the West
Freed from the evil spirits
"Anyway, for more than five years I have been trying to be healed, amid persecutions and mental and spiritual attacks by the evil spirits. I received help from many priests and a Catholic psychiatrist.
Lots of private and shared prayer, confessions, prayers of renunciation of my past, confessions of renouncing the Devil and all the previous practices, prayers of forgiveness of myself and the persons who harmed me for so long.
"Hours before the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Mass and daily Communion, prayer groups, several daily rosaries.
"I want you to know that the Devil exists, that there are evil spirits and people working for him. Not everything that glitters is gold. Christ and His Blessed Mother are the ones who heal, save and liberate. Christ makes everything new. I attest to this: Jesus, who is God, came and gave His life for us."