'Christian College' Offers Course on Kundalini Yoga
Hidden deception in plain sight
by Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
November 3, 2007
When considering higher education for their young adults, it is important for Christian parents to be aware of what their kids are walking into before they are enrolled into any college or university that claims to be committed to the Christian faith.
If your son or daughter is interested in attending a Christian college or university, spend time on the school's website. Review the school's doctrinal and mission statements. Call or visit the campus and kindly talk with the president, professors, and students. Find out what courses the college offers, and find out what your son or daughter may be exposed to while taking the courses.
Although you may be viewed as an overly protective parent, you may save yourself and your future collegian major problems in the future. Christian parents should make sure their young adults are well grounded in the essentials of Christianity before they step foot on the school campus. So don't be shy about asking questions.
And because a son or daughter's spiritual welfare is important, keep in mind that the time to be inquisitive is before they attend college, not after they leave home wearing a Christian cross, only to return home a few months later wearing a New Age coat of many colors and chanting Ommmmm. It can and has happened.
As you will soon learn, a music course at a Christian college isn't what it used to be. And to back it up, take the time to review this article and see for yourself why it is important for Christian parents to Prove all things, Test the spirits, and teach their sons and daughters how not to be misled and deceived (Hebrews 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22; 1 John 4:1).
A view from the outside
According to its Mission Statement, Shorter College of Rome, Georgia,
...affirms a commitment to the Christian faith and strives to integrate Christian values within a nurturing community in its whole process of education" ( http://www.shorter.edu/about
/mission.htm ).
In his Welcome Letter to Shorter students, President Harold E. Newman, states that,
"Shorter College is proud to be 'A Christian College Committed to Excellence in Education.' Through our traditional programs in Rome and our adult-degree classes in Atlanta and Rome, Shorter is a place where the mind and spirit intersect through intentional study and dialogue" (About Shorter College, http://www.shorter.edu/about
/administration.htm ).
Shorter's Student Ministries, which includes Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Shorter Christian Association, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, maintains that,
We are here to provide spiritual guidance for the college community. Committed to the Christian faith, the Office of Campus Ministries coordinates opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to participate in Christian activities/ministries on and off the campus. Worship, Bible Studies, community ministries, summer missions & mission trips, family groups, and fellowships are just a few of many ways students can be involved ( http://www.shorter.edu/student
_life/ministries.htm ).
Therefore, according to Shorter's Mission Statement, the President's statement, and statements by on-campus student ministries, Shorter College is a "Christian College" that "affirms a commitment to the Christian faith," and provides "spiritual guidance for the college community."
So far so good. Now, let's take a look on the inside.
A view from the inside
While affirming a commitment to Christianity, integrating Christian values, and providing spiritual guidance to the Shorter community, Hindu paganism is alive and well at Shorter College. As of this writing, site-searches on Shorter's website netted the following references to Yoga:
l MUS
2990: Yoga for Singers
Spring 2007
Instructor-Linda Lister
A blend of the Iyengar and Kundalini schools of hatha yoga, this course will incorporate yoga poses (asanas) in a flow (vinyasa) as relevant to movement and alignment for singers. Other topics will include principles of yoga breathing for singers (pranayama) and yoga and meditation for stage fright. Required supplies: yoga mat, block and/or strap as needed
[Vocal Studies,
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
l According to her bio,
Dr. Linda Lister is an "Assistant Professor of Music,
Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Opera Director at Shorter
College," and the developer of the Yoga for Singers course"
(
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
l On her blog at
http://lindalister.blogspot
l She created the course
Yoga for Singers at Shorter and is working on a book inspired by
the class [Music Faculty, Dr. Linda Lister,
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
l In addition
to leading roles at the undergraduate level and first-class vocal
training from the Shorter voice faculty, the opera program includes
a class in
Yoga for Singers
(taught by Linda Lister)... [Opera Theatre,
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
This is not just a group of music students getting together to merely stretch their vocal cords and exercise their bodies. They are being taught Kundalini Yoga which, according to the experts, can cause mental and physical illness, as well as demonic oppression for the Christian. But more on that later.
Yoga isn't restricted to Shorter's music program:
l Depending
on the program you choose, you will have classes in some of the
following courses: Theory, music history, theatre history, acting,
ear-training, and chorus. ...There is also a yoga class that is
helpful to every single student and is taught in a way consistent
with the educational goals of a Christian College [Summer Arts
Institute,
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
l Tuition for
the two-week program is one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Tuition
for the one week keyboard program is four hundred and seventy-five
dollars ($475). Tuition covers the following...Yoga [Summer Arts
Institute,
http://www.shorter.edu/academic
l 1140. KARATE AND BASIC SELF-DEFENSE...Each class includes an extensive warm-up complete with stretching exercises and yoga techniques... (Shorter College Course Descriptions 2006-2007, http://tinyurl.com/298jyn, p. 24, emp. theirs).
Page 2 of the Shorter College Department of Music Student Handbook 2007-2008 states in part that:
The College affirms a commitment to the Christian faith and strives to integrate Christian values and a nurturing community within its whole process of education ( http://www.shorter.edu/academic
s/arts/Handbook_Music_Dept.pdf ).
l But page 5 of the same Student Handbook states:
LINDA LISTER, D.M.A., Assistant Professor of Music, CFA 105, ext. 7362 Coordinator of Vocal Studies, Voice, Opera Theatre, Yoga, Music Theatre Literature ( http://www.shorter.edu/academic
s/arts/Handbook_Music_Dept.pdf ).
l In the October 6, 2006 edition of The Periscope ("The student-produced newspaper of Shorter College"), Yoga is touted as a "top favorite" for Madonna, and fitness yogini Denise Austin, and is readily accessible to Shorter College students:
While it seems that most celebrities are trying the latest workout moves, yoga remains a top favorite for stars like Madonna. According to physical fitness trainer Denise Austin, "Everyone I speak with feels fantastic after doing yoga."
Yoga workouts stretch muscles and are very convenient. You can go to a gym to do a yoga workout, or you can do the workout in your dorm.
Not only is yoga accessible, it can be done as you get ready in the morning [Move of the Month, http://tinyurl.com/2le3uo ].
l According to the March 20, 2007 edition of The Periscope, many Shorter students are relying on a pagan practice--instead of relying on Jesus Christ--to relieve stress:
The life of a college student is usually filled with meetings, homework, practice and rehearsals. Many Shorter students are turning to the ancient practice of yoga as a way to de-stress," and that "Linda Lister teaches yoga for singers at Shorter... [Move of the Month, http://tinyurl.com/2kq7f8 ].
But in Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls .
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful (John 14:27).
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
Yoga is a part of a worldly, pagan, man-made tradition, and cannot give the peace that Jesus Christ provides to the believer. Dwelling on Jesus Christ and the truth of His word provides a safeguard against worldly deceptions.
While both Christian and secular colleges and universities offer a comparative religion course, Shorter's courses on Yoga and the following go hand-in-hand:
4030. HISTORY AND PRACTICE OF RELIGIONS IN ASIA. (3)
A study of the histories, philosophies, and traditions of religions in Asia with particular emphasis upon Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism and indigenous Asian religions [Shorter College Course Descriptions 2006-2007, http://www.shorter.edu/academic
s/catalog/Course_Listings , p. 27]._Traditional.pdf
This is not to suggest that everyone at Shorter College agrees with or is practicing Yoga. It does, however, make one wonder why Hindu paganism is allowed to prevail at a Christian college.
Amidst the innocent smiles, laughter, and merriment, there is hidden deception in plain sight. Once the deception is allowed to slither into a Christian college, university, church, or the mind of the believer, it opens the door for a more deeper, darker, sinister deception to enter in.
When viewed from the inside, Christian parents should be concerned, especially if their son or daughter is interested in furthering their education at a Christian college that promotes Kundalini Yoga.
A requested view from the President
On September 17, 2007, Christian Research Service called Shorter College and left a message for Dr. Harold E. Newman. The call was followed up with a letter, which kindly reminded Dr. Newman that Shorter College "affirms a commitment to the Christian faith and strives to integrate Christian values."
The letter also included a question: "What purpose is served by including a course on Yoga at Shorter College?"
As of this writing there has been no return phone call or reply to the letter.
A New Age view of Kundalini Yoga
While the following information isn't exhaustive, it will provide the reader with an overall perspective on Kundalini Yoga and its origins.
Kundalini Yoga, the most powerful form of yoga available, is considered the mother of all the styles of yoga. It focuses on awakening the Kundalini, the energy of consciousness (serpent power or Shakti) which is found at the base of our spine.
Kundalini Yoga consists of ancient kriyas, or specially formulated sets of exercises which were secretly guarded and passed down through the centuries from yogi to yogi. It was brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan in 1969 [ Yoga Technology ].
The Yoga Technology website offers a free online
course on Kundalini Yoga where, in Lesson 21, the student learns how to
"Surrender to the Zone" through Meditation & Tuition" (
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org
The goal of Kundalini yoga and all spiritual technologies is to create a conscious connection with the Divine. Yoga means union. The union is between our physical reality and god-consciousness, universal energies and our soul. The practice of Kundalini yoga removes our blocks and resistances, raises our energy to higher frequencies and opens our awareness to expanded realities. If we train ourselves to focus our attention on our goal of union, we can facilitate our transformation. The goal of this lesson is to set out guidelines on how we can train ourselves to pay attention to and hold the experience of the infinite in our consciousness [ http://www.kundaliniyoga.org
/kyt21.html ].
Elsewhere on the Yoga Technology website we find that Kundalini Yoga is billed as an all-encompassing practice that,
...works safely on every aspect of your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Kundalini Yoga facilitates the flow of pranic and spiritual (psychic) energy, in particular along the spinal energy channels and through the chakras [ http://www.yogatech.com/go
/htmlos.cgi/00253.1.33361023565 ].67448658/kundalini_yoga.html
Kundalini "works safely"? Perhaps the following will provide a different perspective.
The dangers and effects of Kundalini
Prior to her death in April 2002, El Collie was
viewed as a matriarch and a leading practitioner of Kundalini Yoga. Her
trials and tribulations while involved with Kundalini are documented in
her article, "Kundalini Signs And Symptoms" at
http://www.elcollie.com/st
Many individuals whose Kundalini has been unexpectedly unleashed DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, and the prevailing social ignorance about this multidimensional transformative process makes it hard to find medical or alternative health practitioners or spiritual advisors who recognize the symptoms, particularly when they are strongly physical. Many people know that the risen Kundalini flings open gates to all sorts of mystical, paranormal and magical vistas but few realize it can also dramatically impact the body. A large percentage of our old Shared Transformation newsletter subscribers reported long bouts of strange illness as well as radical mental, emotional, interpersonal, psychic, spiritual and lifestyle changes. Over and again we hear stories of frustrating, sometimes desperate visits to doctors, healers, counselors, etc. who neither understood nor were able to help with the myriad pains and problems catalyzed by raging Kundalini.
In the same article, Collie's warnings continue with a lengthy list of "common manifestations of the risen Kundalini," such as:
-
Energy rushes or immense electricity circulating the body.
-
Itching, vibrating, prickling, tingling, stinging or crawling sensations.
-
Involuntary bodily movements (occur more often during meditation, rest or sleep): jerking, tremors, shaking; feeling an inner force pushing one into postures or moving one's body in unusual ways.
-
Headaches, pressures within the skull.
-
Emotional outbursts; rapid mood shifts; seemingly unprovoked or excessive episodes of grief, fear, rage, depression.
-
Hearing an inner sound or sounds, classically described as a flute, drum, waterfall, birds singing, bees buzzing but which may also sound like roaring, whooshing, or thunderous noises or like ringing in the ears.
-
Altered states of consciousness: heightened awareness; spontaneous trance states; mystical experiences (if the individual's prior belief system is too threatened by these, they can lead to bouts of psychosis or self-grandiosity).
In her 2001 article, "Lights," Collie describes a woman's encounter with spirit beings that are similar to encounters described by many caught up in the Word-Faith Movement, cults such as Mormonism, and the occult:
Lights are often perceived in the presence of spirit guides or during divine visitations. A woman who was awakened in the middle of the night by the presence of Christ said her whole room lit up and she was filled with ecstasy. She has also seen spirits (some witnessed by others as well) who appear as luminous forms. Beings of light are frequently reported by those undergoing psychospiritual processes, including near death experiences. Extreme transformational experiences of any kind can be accompanied by astonishing lights. Those who have witnessed deaths of loved ones sometimes report a sudden increase in illumination in the room at the moment of death. And when a spiritual master dies, there are often dramatic atmospheric lights witnessed by everyone in the area ( http://www.elcollie.com/st
/light.html ).
In her online book, Branded by the Spirit, Collie shares a visitation she received while under the influence of Kundalini:
Kundalini is the mysterious bio-spiritual agent that awakens consciousness. In India, she is worshipped as a Goddess. I did not go in search of the Goddess; she came to me when I least expected it, pouring herself into me through megavolts of energy that turned my body into her electrified living temple. Throughout my life, I had caught glimpses of her in the shadows, not knowing what it was I sensed hovering there, as she patiently bided her time, whispering occasionally in a language I could not fully comprehend, 'You belong to me'" (El Collie, Branded by the Spirit, Chapter 1, 2000, http://www.elcollie.com/st
/chap1.html ).
Once, after three months without a cigarette, I was experiencing outrageous telepathy, clairvoyance, and visitations from entities from other realms. What was most unsettling was an immediate materialization of any thought, which came to my mind. These were of a different order than the absolutely lucid and deliberate manifestations performed from the God/Self state. They were beyond my ability to control and seemed to be coming from my unconscious, from whence things have an unsettling knack of surfacing in their hairiest, most uncensored form (Ibid.).
While El Collie's experiences with Kundalini and glimpses into the realm of the supernatural are no doubt authentic, from a Biblical standpoint, her visitations from "entities from other realms" were not from the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ, or His heavenly angels. And, based on Collie's accounts, it wasn't the "presence of Christ" the woman experienced, but was what the Apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians chapter 11:
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully (verses 3-4).
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds (verses 13-15).
"Mystical, paranormal and magical visits...long bouts of strange illness... electricity circulating the body...stinging and crawling sensations... tremors... headaches...emotional outbursts...excessive episodes of grief, fear, rage, depression...ringing in the ears...altered states of consciousness...bouts of psychosis...spirit guides...divine visitations...beings of light...entities from other realms."
AND YOGA IS BILLED AS A HARMLESS FORM OF EXERCISE?!
Yoga is overshadowed and possessed by Satan and his minions. Stick your finger in a light socket, expect to be jolted by electricity. Reach out and pet an attack dog, expect to be bitten. Professing Christians who open their lives to demonic, occultic activity should expect to be jolted, shocked, bitten, and harassed.
A Christian view on Kundalini
Churches that are participating in this eastern religious practice of doing yoga
have no idea what they are exposing God’s children to. --Mike Oppenheimer
Prior to becoming a Christian, Mike Oppenheimer, Director of Let Us Reason ministries, practiced Yoga for 15 years. His personal experiences with Kundalini should be enough to scare the socks off of anyone who even thinks about getting involved. Mike maintains that:
Kundalini is the ultimate experience of where Yoga is to take you. It is the most dangerous of all. It is known to the adept as the serpent power that rests at the base of the spine. The serpent is called both Kali and Shiva the Destroyer. By awakening the serpent power (spiritual energy) at the base of the spine, it begins to intertwine up through the spine through the 7 chakras (occult energy centers), finally reaching the crown of the head to bring enlightenment to the adherent.
When this energy is released and goes up your spine, anything can happen. One's reaction can be of bliss or horror; feelings of great joy and "oneness" to the universe can be felt. Other emotions can surface, such as screaming, crying, fainting, shaking, feelings of cold or intense heat as a fire spreads from the crown of your head to your feet. Electric currents run through the body, as you are taken over by a powerful impersonal energy. Churches that are participating in this eastern religious practice of doing yoga have no idea what they are exposing God’s children to.
God, in His infinite mercy and grace,
spared Mike from a lifetime filled with pain, suffering, and
eventual eternal damnation. Mike's testimony is a wonderful
example of God's love and compassion, and should be read
by those caught up in Yoga and the New Age Movement (
http://www.letusreason.org
For the Christian, the clear command of Jehovah God in Scripture
is to avoid all contact with pagan idolatry. --Chris Lawson
Chris Lawson is the Director of the Spiritual Research Network. In his article, " Kundalini Energy: Yoga’s Power, Influence, and Occult Phenomena in the Church" (PDF file), Chris warns that when professing Christians get involved with Yoga, the end-result could be an outright hostile denial of Jesus Christ and the truth of His word:
Let the reader beware--involving oneself with yoga and Kundalini energy gives the green light to ancient, baleful entities who seek to involve themselves in dismantling human lives. Whether one is a just a beginner, or an expert, all yoga postures and breath prayers have the capacity to invoke dark evil powers. Once the world of occult power has been tapped into through yoga postures, breathing techniques, visualization and occult contemplative prayer and chanting, the dismantling begins. It might be slow at first, but to be sure, the dismantling of one’s personality and a newfound hostility towards the Gospel of Jesus Christ has set in...The end result is full conversion to an occult worldview (p. 8).
For the Christian, the clear command of Jehovah God in Scripture is to avoid all contact with pagan idolatry. This includes every form of occultism under the sun, including yoga, Contemplative centering prayer, etc. Christianizing yoga and calling Kundalini energy the Holy Spirit is no exception. Involving oneself with yoga, Contemplative centering prayer, and any form of kundalini energy arousal can lead to severe and prolonged bouts of demonic oppression, mental states of extreme depression and despondency, demonic entities influencing the human body, etc.
Christian yoga poses and even yoga breath prayers can induce problems that can leave a practitioner under occult influences. While this author does not believe that a born-again Christian can be possessed by demons, I do believe (and have counseled) born-again Christians who have been severely harassed by demonic powers as a result of kundalini manifestations in the church. I have personally seen and helped Christians that have been left in vegetable-like mental states and who have experienced undiagnosable excruciating pain. I have personally experienced one form of this dangerous phenomena as a young untaught Christian in 1990. It came into a church merely visited through a Latter-Rain Manifest Sons of God false prophet. I assure you it is not much fun to be toyed about by dark powers as a result of a false prophet imparting a demonic “anointing” in the name of Christ (p. 9).
Caryl Matrisciana is a a Christian video-journalist who was born and raised in India. Of Yoga and its postures Caryl states that,
Many believe they can practice yoga postures, breathing, and focusing techniques devoid of yoga's spirituality, not realizing that yoga is an inherent part of Hindu philosophy which teaches man and nature are one with divinity (Yoga Uncoiled: From East to West DVD).
One need not be a Bible theologian or genius to determine that Kundalini is dangerous to the emotional, physical, and spiritual welfare of both the believer and the unsaved. When professing Christians venture away from the safe and loving arms of Jesus Christ into the realm of the demonic, they should expect demonic activity, as well as the destructive baggage that comes with interacting with demons.
Is it any wonder why God, in His infinite mercy and grace, warned the believer thousands of years ago to stay completely away from occultic and pagan practices? (Exodus 20:3-5; Deuteronomy 4:15-18; Romans 1:18-25).
Will Shorter College continue offering courses on Yoga, or reject it, repent, and renounce it publicly? Time will tell...
Thanks to Mike Oppenheimer and Chris Lawson for their valuable assistance in the
preparation of this article.
Recommended reading and viewing:
A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen
Faith Undone
by Roger OaklandYoga and The Body of Christ by Dave Hunt
Yoga Uncoiled: From East to West (DVD) by Caryl Matrisciana
Related articles and information:
© Christian Research Service 2007