Millions around the world practice yoga for fitness and relaxation, but what if these seemingly harmless poses carried a far more spiritual, and even dangerous, implication?
In a gripping interview with Charisma Media, Pastor Mike Shreve, a former yoga teacher and guru, sheds light on what he calls the spiritual deception embedded in yoga practice. Drawing from his past as a teacher at four universities and leader of a yoga ashram with over 300 students, Shreve warns that yoga is not just exercise—it is rooted in Hindu worship and opens the door to demonic influence.
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“Every yoga posture is an act of worship,” he said. “They call it a puja in Hinduism—an offering to a specific deity.”
Shreve walked through 10 specific poses that he says are connected to Hindu gods and goddesses:
- Lotus Pose mimics the unfolding of divine consciousness, inviting union with Brahman, an impersonal life force in Hinduism.
- Tree Pose connects to goddess Sita, tied to a mythological rescue and captivity story.
- Dancer Pose honors Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, known for moments of uncontrollable rage.
- Warrior Poses re-enact a violent tale of beheading and vengeance involving a ferocious god named Virabhadra.
- Half Moon Pose represents worship of Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity tied to prosperity and decapitation myths.
- Splits Pose is dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god, representing animal-human hybrid deities.
- Standing Flute Pose is a tribute to Krishna, a god said to have 16,108 wives and divine offspring.
- Goddess Pose invokes Kali, a multi-armed, blood-soaked goddess associated with death, dominance, and destruction.
- Crocodile Pose is linked to Ganga, the goddess of the Ganges River.
- Sun Salutations, a common yoga sequence, is devoted to Surya, the sun god—something Scripture directly warns against in Deuteronomy 4:19 and Romans 1:25.
Shreve emphasized that many who participate in yoga are unaware of these connections, but ignorance does not shield them from spiritual harm.
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“Even if someone is just exercising, if the instructors embrace a Hindu worldview, demonic influence can still be transferred,” he explained.
A particularly alarming element he addressed is Kundalini yoga, which focuses on awakening a “serpent power” coiled at the base of the spine. Shreve compared this to the demonic spirit of divination that the Apostle Paul cast out in Acts 16, underscoring the spiritual dangers of attempting to awaken the Kundalini.
So, how can someone unyoke from yoga?
Shreve encourages sincere repentance, renunciation and prayer for deliverance through the blood of Jesus. He shared his own testimony of shutting down his classes, burning his yoga materials and experiencing spiritual freedom through salvation and deliverance.
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“No one told me to. I just knew I had to renounce it. And when I did, I was set free,” he said.
“There is no Hinduism without yoga, and no yoga without Hinduism,” Shreve concludes. “It’s time for Christians to come out and be separate.”
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
