Holy Yoga: Exercise. for the Christian Body and Soul

by Brooke Boon

People often equate yoga with Eastern religion, but Brooke Boon sees it as an exercise style that Christians can use to generate patience, strength, and deeper worship. Author and yoga instructor Brooke Boon combines her passion for Christianity with her commitment to health to introduce yoga as a physical and spiritual discipline that strengthens the body and the soul. Clear explanations and photographs make yoga accessible for any reader, and Brooke offers customized routines for readers struggling with specific issues, such as weight loss and anxiety. Through it all Brooke uses scriptural references to help reinforce the idea that by taking care of our bodies we can also take care of our faith.

Genres: Christian, Health, Nonfiction

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2007

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is very knowledgeable about scripture. However, having been through her program I can tell you it’s a huge disappointment. It is quite clear that Brooke cares about two things above all else; herself & money. She does not practice what she preaches. She will say and do anything to get you to part with your money to go through her training. It’s highly noted across the internet with regard to the numerous lawsuits and how employees and customers are treated. Stay far away from this narcissistic charlatan.

[Diane Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information.

This gives a lot of insight to Christians that want to partake in yoga without feeling condemnation. The book touches on how yoga is not bound to the Hindu religion. Yoga predates Hinduism and was later co-opted by Hindus as a major part of their religion. When we have a Christ-centered INTENTION, our focus is on God and all that he originated in the Garden of Eden, including humans (Genesis 1:27), our breath (The Holy Spirit is also referred to as Holy Breath (Genesis 1:2)), and exercise (work (Genesis 2:15)).

There are some basic poses and instructions given in the back of the book and a DVD to watch and follow along to.

I received this book from a friend but was not required to leave a review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[YoFit · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is suggested reading for those that are going through the Holy Yoga training with Brooke Boon. I have read the book, been through the training, and was a part of the inner sanctum at Holy Yoga. Unfortunately, there is a huge contrast between what is written in the book and what is practiced within the organization and mainly by the author.. I would encourage anyone considering going through their program and or any of Brooke's individual programs to look elsewhere. There are more reputable programs out there that are in alignment with their teachings and values.

[Erin Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

most of this book is in defense of yoga, that christians can practice it without being led astray. before i read it, i had no idea of the stigma attached to yoga in general, that it can only be a demonic force leading to eastern religions. i do yoga at a gym, and it is athletic yoga, not the clearing the mind stuff. it really does relieve stress. the book came with a DVD of a yoga session, it is really good. nothing too hard. good for beginners. my dvd got scratched, though, and now i can't do part of the session because it gets stuck and skips it altogether.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book comes with a DVD that allows you to listen to music and scripture meditation while worshiping God in this practice. I do the Holy Yoga practices in this book almost everyday because it prepares my body and mind for worshiping God.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing a Christian perspective for yoga in this book! I really loved that the author goes deep into Scripture, talking about using the whole body, mind, heart, and spirit to worship God! I wish that the book had gone more in depth into the history of yoga though.
Also the writer has this dorky middle-aged-mom condescending way of writing, with all the sickly-sweet mom jokes that you would expect from that. So that was annoying, but the overall message is great!
There are great answers in here for those people who are asking, How can yoga be Christian since it is widely used by Hindus? and a lot of other concerns are addressed too. The answer is that yoga is not connected to any one religion and can be practiced by anyone.
The poses and sequences in the back of the book are a great tool for yogis of any level, and I loved reading about the meditation and breathing techniques.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have done yoga as a personal practice off and on for 20 years. I was fortunate to have been taught that yoga is a practice, not a religion and any religion can benefit from the practice. I decided a goal for this year is to take back my practice so I am attempting to not only do the physical practice, but read what I can on yoga. This book was a refreshing read. So often I was telling the author, "yes, amen" because I agreed with what she said (😉 as if she could hear me lol). I do feel she could have gone into some of the arguments against yoga for Christians more, but at the same time the way she handled it kept the book positive and kept it from becoming a bash against those arguments. I do feel like the section on postures could have been better done. Photos work better for me than drawings and it felt like there were directions missing at times (keep in mind I've heard a lot of different instructors over the years). However I have not done the DVD yet that accompanied the book, so hopefully that has more clear directions. It just may as it is hard to read about yoga postures. Overall, I definitely recommend the book.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was pretty good. Most of the book was spent in defense of Christians doing yoga. I get the feeling that the author gets a lot of grief for being a Christian yoga teacher. Since I’m a believer and I already practice yoga, this was probably wasted on me. However, if you are some one who is a Christian contemplating yoga and feeling nervous or unsure, she has a lot of good things to think about. The flows in the back of the book are good and I enjoy doing them.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am happy to have read this book. Boon does a good job of alleviating concerns for those who are reluctant to practice yoga because they fear it has ancient eastern religious roots. Yoga predates most religions and is simply a science or method of staying healthy. Any religion can and has co-opted it.

[Lauren Chase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This is a beginners introduction to yoga for conservative/evangelical Christians who may be afraid that yoga is demonic or satanic. The author does a decent job outlining how yoga is a spiritual tool (like prayer or meditation) and not a religious practice. There are much better books about yoga, meditation, and breathwork available on the market.

[Amy Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this wonderful book as part of my Holy Yoga teacher training. One doesn’t have to share the author’s beliefs to benefit from this book. One of the best books I have read on breaking down poses with variations and modifications offered. Excellent!

[Lorraine Diaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t really what I was looking for. I don’t need to be convinced that it’s okay for Christians to do yoga, and I didn’t need a description of yoga poses. I was hoping for something deeper, I guess.

[Frederic D. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This is an excellent book that proves yoga can benefit people of any religion or philosophy. You will certainly enjoy it.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, necessarily, but not for me. Some things felt kind of silly to me, but some things worked.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book--and the idea of Holy Yoga itself--totally surprised me. I first become interested in this type of yoga practice after attending one of Brooke Boon's classes on a whim a few months ago. I expected Christian yoga to be trite, awkward and cheesy. Instead, I found that at-home Holy Yoga practice with the help of this book and DVD has helped deepen my faith in Christ and improve my outlook and mental health. As a person who's never connected to traditional worship methods like church singing or praying out loud, it's been encouraging to read about and experience ways to worship and pray with the physical body.

My only critiques are Brooke's insistence that this kind of practice "must" be done to worshipful music (it can be helpful but also sometimes distracting) and the repetitive nature of some of the first few chapters. I also found the descriptions of how to move in and out of a few poses to be a little lacking.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this book is a tad cheesy. I mostly skimmed the first 74 pages, which were written in a very modern I-want-to-be-your-best-friend voice, but would probably be very informative for someone who does not know why one should do yoga or how it can be a Christian practice.

However, the last half of the book turned out to be a wonderful resource, and the DVD provides several different easy-to-follow yoga routines. I especially appreciated the chapters on breathing and meditation, and the illustrated (drawings, not photos as the description above says) step-by-step descriptions of postures. The very last chapter contains a few routines that are different from the ones on the DVD and that vary in type and difficulty.

I highly recommend this book for beginners and novices of yoga.

*This review was originally posted on poetree.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It offers a very well articulated method for encorporating yoga into a Christian lifestyle. The author does justice to offering an array of breathing exercises, meditation, and asana.

The reason I do not give the book five stars is that I feel it misinforms regarding Eastern religion. For instance, the author says that Eastern religions use yoga in an atheistic way. This is untrue. Of course some forms of yoga are practiced as such, such as some Buddhist or Jain practices, but Hinduism is another story. In general, Hinduism is very theistic! Bhakti, which Brooke Boon discusses and is familiar with, was spelled out in its detail by (the Hindu deity) Lord Krishna. So that left me puzzled, how did she arrive at that conclusion.

[Heather Neroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew I liked the idea of Holy Yoga before reading this book but after finishing it I am so inspired! I love Brooke's heart behind yoga with Jesus at the center, I love the history of yoga (which totally predates Hinduism) and I love the way everything comes back to Jesus. Honoring him with our bodies, thoughts, and time. The technical details of the poses & benefits of yoga were awesome & I highly recommend this book!

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome. I turned my own practice to focusing on God, communing with him, & meditating on his promises and strength long before I even knew Holy Yoga existed! great reference for the Christian new to this wonderful spiritual practice. my own practice has brought me closer to the Father for many years, & constantly deepens my personal relationship with him every time.

[Mindy Seekford · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a good explanation of why and how you can combine Christianity with yoga this book is it. Brooke Boon explains the history of yoga and how you can have a deeper connection to Christ through the practice of it.

[Liz Whiston-Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Holy Yoga - both what it can mean for us spiritually and how to physically practice. The video is excellent as well.

[Christy Hilmas · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half of the book was interesting but the descriptions of poses & routines weren't all that helpful. Better to just get a video or CD.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read! Insightful, educational and truly eye-opening. A joy to read!