The Truth About

Yoga, Reiki, and Tai Chi

A Talk by Fr. Ermatinger

 

Outline of Talk

  • Introduction and Prayers: 0:00-1:19
  • Some Groundwork: 1:19-14:07
  • Centering Prayer as One of the Problems Confronting the Modern Church: 14:07-28:40
    • False Notion of Union with God by Following a Method: 15:45-20:12
      • Pejorative Vision of the Material World: 18:33-20:12
    • Altered State of Consciousness is Dangerous: 20:12- 23:38
      • Inordinate Attention on the Self: 20:43-21:14
      • St. Teresa of Avila Noticed Similar Practices in the 16th Century: 21:14-21:35
      • Quietism: 21:35-22:00
      • Three Elements of Centering Prayer: 22:00-23:38
    • Christian Perfection and Contemplation – Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange: 23:38-25:25
    • True Union Is in Configuration of Our Will with God’s in Every Moment: 25:25-28:40
      • Borrowing from Pagan Traditions at the Cost of Catholic Identity: 27:05-27:3
        • Pantheistic Constant in These Problematic Exercises: 27:30-28:40
  • Yoga: 28:40-44:06
    • Confusion Regarding Compatibility with Catholicism: 29:39-32:54
      • Visceral Reaction to Suggestion That It Is Not: 30:28-31:45
      • Catholic Spiritual Disciplines Abandoned: 31:45-32:47
      • When We Don’t Know What We Believe, We Have a Hard Time Making Assessments: 32:47-32:54
    • Yoga – Being Yoked with Brahman: 32:54-44:06
      • Yoga is First and Foremost a Spiritual Discipline, Not an Exercise System: 35:30-36:29
      • Kingdom of God Within is Participation by Grace in the Divine Life: 36:29-39:04
        • Misuse of Scripture by Proponents of Yoga: 37:37-38:17
        • Catholicism is About Relationships: 38:17-39:04
      • No Distinction Between Good and Evil: 39:04-39:38
      • Practice of Yoga Is Pagan at Best, Occult at Worst: 39:38-44:06
        • There Are Ways of Doing Exercise That Are Not Pagan Worship: 42:27-44:06
  • Reiki: 44:06-51:30
    • Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy – USCCB
    • Reiki: Japanese Practice from the Late 1800s – “Universal Divine Source”: 44:27-44:43
      • Healing is Esoteric and Demonic:
    • Yoga is Self-Actualization, Reiki is Done to One by a Reiki Master: 44:43-49:47
      • Usurpation of Authority: 46:30-47:36
      • Preternatural Healing: Work of Angels or Demons: 47:36-48:35
      • Something of a Crypto Religion: 48:35-49:47
    • Br. Max Sculley – Example of a Woman Involved in Reiki: 49:47-51:30
  • Tai Chi: 51:30-1:03:06
    • Marketed as a Stress Reliever: 53:32-54:21
      • Unlike Yoga, Tai Chi Has Movements/Postures That Are Not Attempts to Unite with a Demon: 53:47-54:21
    • Yin/Yang: 54:21-54:56
    • Methods of Meditation Are the Same as Yoga: to Empty the Mind and Achieve Altered State of Conscious: 54:56-1:00:00
      • Based on Taoist Philosophy: 56:44-59:00
        • Focus on the Self Rather Than Being Christ Centered: 57:32-59:00
      • The Emptying of the Self Is Not the Self-Emptying of St. John of the Cross: 59:00-1:00:00
        • God is Not Found Within One’s Nature
    • The Ultimate Purpose of Tai Chi is To Become Divine: 1:00:00-1:03:06
  • Aside on Astral Projection: 1:03:06-1:05:27
  • Q&A: 1:05:27-1:17:05
    • 1. How do you tell someone that “Catholic Yoga” isn’t Catholic? 1:05:40-1:07:4
    • 2. Should Catholics do any type of martial arts? 1:07:40-1:09:09
    • 3. Energy from crystals? 1:09:09-1:11:24
    • 4. Is it ok for a Catholic to empty their mind in Adoration? 1:11:24-1:17:05
    • 5. What about the health benefits of Yoga? 1:14:06-1:17:05

 

— Fr. Ermatinger