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According to Father Jeremy Davies, exorcist for the leader of Catholics in the UK, yoga puts people at risk from devils and the occult is closely associated with the scourges of “drugs, demonic music and pornography” which’re “destroying millions of young people in our time”.
But Madhavi Padhy, one of the foremost yoga exponents based in New Delhi, laughed off the claims of the 73-year-old Catholic priest, saying “they are baseless”.
“Yoga originated in India thousands of years back. It has no connection with evil spirits. On the contrary, it helps you become more aware of your body, mind and environment. It also plays a key role in relieving stress and bringing inner peace,” Padhy told PTI.
Father Davies has argued in his new book ‘In Exorcism: Understanding Exorcism In Scripture And Practice’ published by the Catholic Truth Society, that people who practice yoga may end up afflicting themselves by demons, British newspaper the ‘Daily Mail’ has reported.
“The thin end of the wedge (soft drugs, yoga for relaxation, horoscopes just for fun) is more dangerous than the thick end because it is more deceptive -- an evil spirit tries to make his entry as unobtrusively as possible.
“Beware of any claim to mediate beneficial energies (eg reiki), any courses that promise the peace that Christ promises (eg enneagrams), any alternative therapy with its roots in eastern religion (eg acupuncture),” he wrote in his newly published book.
The likes of Father Jeremy Davies are unfortunately frozen in time and the fetters of their orthodoxy. They do not evolve or like to see others evolving. Jesus only spoke lovingly about his Father and never the devil, which is just a figment of our limited and scared minds. In fact the Father (God) and the devil cannot co-exist unless the Father wills it. Coming to yoga, there are more practicing yogis today in a country like the USA than there are perhaps serious church-goers of most denominations. And the yogis are not morose people, but generally cheerful and enlightened who do not need exorcists because there is nothing to exorcise except the demons of your own mind . Meditation and silent communion with God/Jesus/Krishna/Allah/Buddha/OM/Shiva....is all we need to take care of the spirit; and yoga to take care of the body-mind. Truly, we shall be free....from the likes of Father Davies included.
