Learning something new is always a blessing, the part I wish I could skip is the discomfort that often precedes the acquiring of the knowledge. Several weeks ago I bit down on a date seed and broke my tooth. Not a lot of pain or discomfort at this point. I was able to get right into the dentist who referred me to an oral surgeon and was told the earliest available appointment was sometime in March. To shorten this part of the testimony I will say, I found a great dentist who does it all. The tooth was pulled, it came out in four parts, not fun.
Onto the learning something new part. I developed a severe case of vertigo. My husband did a little research online and discovered it is common to develop vertigo after oral surgery. Something about messing with nerves in your head. Not being new to this issue I was using Cayenne to clear the woozy head spinning, nausea, feeling awful, issues. It just was not working well at all.
If it had only been a little light headedness I could have gotten thought somehow but the Vertigo was also affecting my blood pressure. Those spikes were serious. My husband and I prayed asking the Lord for answers. I finally decided to call the paramedics, the blood pressure had to be addressed.
Now I can share how well the Lord answers prayers.
The two men who arrived had been working as paramedics for a long time. The one truly understood my aversion to doctors and hospitals. He had some understanding of herbs and believed in their power. Understanding that I had been using the cayenne without effect he suggested I use herbs that work to dilate the blood vessels. What herb is best for this, he asked. Ginkgo biloba, of course, was my answer. With that information in mind I took a full teaspoon of the Brain Formula, which is mostly Ginkgo. Everything cleared in a matter of minutes. The Father will answer us when we call for help. He sent someone with the answers I needed in a way I never expected.
So here is what I have learned this past week.
Using any source of caffein will bring on vertigo. No Coffee, Green or black Tea, or Chocolate as they are high in Caffein which is a vessel constrictor.
Using the Brain formula & Cayenne have completely cleared the symptoms of vertigo. My dose has been 1 teaspoon two or three times a day.
I’m also doing a strong infection program as the broken tooth became infected before it was pulled.
In the past Cayenne alone was enough to clear the head spinning episodes I occasionally had. Understanding how to truly stop the issue is impowering .
A choice can be a simple thing, a moment in time with little apparent significance. Yet, moving through time, from childhood into adulthood, all those little choices add up to make a life. We build our characters, personalities, destinies, one deed at a time. Our actions when we are stressed or emotionally exhausted provide an open window into the soul. We become our choices; every decision made from the day we come into this world forms us into the people we are today.
It takes only one step to begin a thousand mile journey. Each following step leads us closer to our goal and further away from where that first step was made. At the end of any physical, emotional, or spiritual, journey, I am not who I was at the first choice or beginning. The experience of the journey has created a new person, one who can never completely return to the start and choose another direction.
Something to contemplate as we start a new year. Who am I today? What new venture can I begin that will enhance the person I have become?
A Blessing for the New Year!
My prayer for each of you is that your life will exceed your expectations.
May your days be filled with perfect balance.
May your Blessings keep you humble and grateful.
May your Joys be a never ceasing spring flowing from within.
May your trials all become victories. And May this New Year be filled to the brim with possibility. –Dara Dietz
Positively hundreds of instances could be cited to prove the deleterious effects of the application of inorganic matter and the positive curative effects of the intelligent application of nature’s great store of organic remedies– Herbs– in the treatment of pathological conditions of the human organism. —Advanced Treatise in Herbology, by Dr. Edward E. Shook, pg. 16
Inorganic Iodine
We will take a cursory glance at one more important item of evidence showing the incalculable injury that can be done to the human organism by the administration of inorganic substances, more especially, those elements which have been artificially made or separated from organic matter by the action of violent acids, alkalies, or reduction to ashes by burning.
This universally-used and insidious poison is commonly called iodine. this element is found naturally combined with sodium, potassium, calcium, and manganese, in seawater, mineral springs, and marine plants and animals, but in exceedingly minute quantities. There are only 37 parts of iodine in 100,000 parts of cod liver oil.
the commonly used iodine is obtained from the ashes of burnt kelp, dissolved in water; the solution is then evaporated. The iodine is liberated by the action of chlorine aided by heat, and then condensed.
taken internally, this form of iodine acts both as a local irritant and as a true poison. It slowly decomposes water stealing hydrogen to form hydrogen iodide. This in turn gives off white fumes on contact with air and has a powerful acid reaction. Mixed with oxygen, it decomposes in the dark forming water, and liberating iodine, which again carries on its devastating effects upon the gastric organs and fluids producing a long chain of disasters.
The gas previously mentioned under sulfur; namely, sulfur anhydride, is decomposed by iodine, once more forming hydrogen iodide, and freeing sulfur; and we have seen what sulfur does.
This inorganic iodine is a most insidious and injurious substance that upsets and disorganizes all the digestive fluids producing various forms of dyspepsia, severe gastric pain, indigestion, foul gaseous eructation, and inability to assimilate food. this so-called specific disease is named, Iodism. it by no means confines its disruptive action to the gastric organs, nor does it have to be taken internally to poison the body; for if it be painted on the throat or any other part of the body, it can be traced in the urine in from 30 to 40 minutes.
Organic Iodine
Now to the difference manifested in the action of organic iodine; and what a vast difference there is.
Every saline aquatic plant contains iodine in combination with sodium, potassium, calcium, and manganese; also phosphates, sulfates, chlorides, bromides, ect.
They are all nonpoisonous, nutrient foods, antiscorbutics and vulnerary plants of the highest order.
Here are two in particular that for thousands of years have been used successfully in the treatment and cure of chronic disease.
Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosis). It is an alterative of great virtue, especially in obesity, reducing fatty acids, and tending to rid the system of useless waste matter.
Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus), a remarkable demulcent, nutrient, and dietetic providing the organism with what are loosely called vitamins, in the form of chlorides, iodides, bromides, phosphates, and sulfates of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. all of them are positive organic salts, absolutely necessary to the healthy metabolism of the human body. This whole family of herbs is fully described, together with their therapeutic application. —Advanced Treatise in Herbology, by Dr. Edward E. Shook, pg. 15-16
Read more on the subject of Iodine from the first chapter of Dr. Shook’s text book.
Nothing is more frustrating than to invest good money and time into a project just to discover what you are doing is making the problem worse. When the project is healing or clearing congestion from the body the result is often more than frustration, it can also include added discomfort and pain.
Knowing what herbal aids will do the work needed to clear an issue is only half the answer. The body must also be prepared to move the waste out of the affected area for elimination from the body. When there are any obstructions preventing the “die-off” from being removed the toxic waste will be reabsorbed causing pain and discomfort.
When beginning any healing program the Liver and Kidney’s must be cleared with a good flushing program. The Bowels must be open and working well. The Immune system needs to be boosted ensuring that there are enough immune cells to deal with the “Die-off” that will be produced by the cleansing, healing, Herbal Supports.
Using the Salves, Hydrotherapy and herbal supports allow the congested areas to be saturated with the healing, detoxing herbal supports. Flooding the damaged, congested areas with the nutrients to rebuild, heal, and strengthen speeds the detoxing, healing process.
Using the “First Week” Flushing programs the body will be enabled to clear the congested areas of the body allowing you to use the Salves and Herbal supports without the worry of a back-lash detoxing issue.
Clearing the Liver with an ELF will ensure the internal vacuum is able to pull the waste from every part of the body, clearing the toxins out of the system for elimination through the bowels.
Clearing the Kidneys will ensure these two filters are able to effectively clear toxins from the blood without the backup of puss and gravel which can cause, edema, painful joints, (urea crystals); and not least of all, the blood pressure to be elevated.
During the healing process it may be necessary to repeat the ELF and Ultimate Kidney Flush several times. Anytime the herbal supports that were working, stop working, its time to clear the Liver and Kidneys again.
Keeping the bowels open and working well ensures all the toxins the Liver is dumping onto the bowels is being removed from the body. If the toxic waste is reabsorbed while sitting around in the bowels waiting for elimination, this can cause flu like symptoms, which can manifest as a toxic headache, over body aches and inflammation.
The best advice when clearing any issue from the body is: Keep the Bowels open and working well, the Liver flushed, and the Kidneys clear with regular flushing.
Hobbies are important, they create an outlet for our talent and provide countless hours of enjoyment doing something that expresses our creativity. Over the years I’ve continued to develop my love of cooking, gardening, painting, needlework and more recently Lamp refurbishing.
Before
The lamp refurbishing hobby began when my husband said he wanted to decorate our new space with some old vintage lamps. So we went looking at yard sales and junk stores for vintage lamps which required me to make the outside magnificent, while Michael replaced the inside with all new parts.
It became so much fun for both of us seeing something used up and discarded made over into something pleasing and attractive, we just kept picking up old lamps and shades to make them into something sensational.
After With Shade
Before
So now, of course we have to get rid of some of these great new creations so we can make more. (Isn’t that the way life goes) Since neither of us wants to drown in beautiful lamps we decided to start selling our works of art. Its amazing how hard it is to part with something you have created.
I also realized I should do a blog on how I redo the outside of the lamps & shades. It really is a lot of fun making something ready for the dump into something beautiful. Hopefully I’ll find the time to make a video of the process at some point. Today I just wanted to immortalize a few of our creations here on my blog. Enjoy the before and after pictures.
Before
Set one already painted Black
After with Shade
Before
After with shade and light on.
There are just a small sample of the lamps we have worked with. It has been fun and time we have spent together on a project.
This past week I received an early morning call from a distressed member. Throughout the night he had found it impossible to fall asleep. Every time he would begin to dose off his body was emotionally jarred back to wakefulness. He described it like a gunshot going off in the room causing his pulse to shoot up, throwing him straight into an anxiety attack. He used the Nerve Food formula he had on hand which aided in calming the anxiety but was not able to stop the body from sending out the alarm signals throwing him into “Fight Or Flight” mode.
The fight or flight response is an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. The perception of threat activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers an acute stress response that prepares the body to fight or flee.
His description of events brought to my mind an herbal remedy my father, Dr. Carlous Mason Dsc, had used when his patients had been stuck in an Adrenal spin, (aka Fight or Flight Mode) unable to calm down. His specialty was Low Blood Sugar and Diabetes. I remember he used Uva Ursi, as an herbal support that worked very effectively.
Uva Ursi, an herb that is commonly used to support the renal system. It’s valuable in any formula supporting the Kidneys, Bladder or for men, the prostate, it is also an excellent support herb for any diuretic formula. Uva Ursi, is not a nervine herb, which are the herbal supports used as sedatives, calming to the nerves, and food to rebuild nerve tissue.When dealing with a body unable to calm down the first thoughts would be to use a calming blend of herbs to settle them down. I’m so grateful our member already had my “go-to” favorite blend of nervine herbs on hand for emotional support and anxiety attacks, allowing both of us to know nervine herbs were not the answer for ending the adrenal spin he was in.
Uva Ursi is not a detoxing herb, it is extremely uncommon to have any detoxing backlash from using the high dose of 6 to 8 capsules, Dr. Mason, recommended to shut down the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated when the body is unable to calm down from the “Flight or Fight” Mode.
After sharing Dr. Mason’s herbal suggestions with our member he decided to pick up a bottle of Nature’s Way, Uva Ursi capsules. I received a text from him later that evening. He shared that an hour after he had taken 8 of the capsules he was finally able to fall asleep. He slept deeply for four hours. When he awoke he felt calm, all the anxiety was gone. He decided to use the herbs again that night and has no issues to share with repeated use of the high dose.
Herbal common sense would suggest using this herbal support when the body needs the help to shut down the sympathetic nervous system. It is not a nervine herb to be used to settle the nerves or induce sleep on a regular basis.
With the permission of Dr. Tim Jennings I have posted two articles from his blog that explain the changes in the body when the Sympathetic Nervous System is activated. Which by the way shuts down our ability to reason clearly. Living in fear prevents us from being able to make good decisions.
Does it really matter whether we give thanks to others, live lives that express our gratitude outwardly, or whether our thanks is a more inward experience focusing on how we have been blessed and relishing our gains and advances? The answer is a resounding Yes! – it makes a huge difference.
Medical science1,2,3,4,5 has shown that those who experience an outward focused thankfulness experience a greater sense of wellbeing, happiness, optimism, satisfaction with their lives, greater sense of feeling loved, greater success in achieving life’s goals, and lower incidence of stress and depression when compared to those who don’t express outward thankfulness.
Grateful people also live healthier lives, they exercise more, engage in healthier lifestyles, experience more fitful and restorative sleep, have healthier immune response, lower rates of headaches, stomach problems and pain, and are more alert, mentally sharp and efficient in their activities.
The thankfulness that results in all these positive changes is the thankfulness which moves one toward actions of appreciation. It is when we recognize our appreciation, develop a sense of goodwill toward those to whom we are thankful and then express our gratitude in meaningful ways that we experience positive mental and physical outcomes. Further, expressing thankfulness has positive impact on social relationships resulting in greater sense of cohesion, connectedness, and bonding within one’s social group. We are more valued and loved and we love and value others more when we are thankful.
Those who tend to focus on self, who are thankful for what they get, rather than for those who are gracious in giving, fail to express genuine thankfulness. The verbal expression of “thanks” mumbled as someone opens the door, or as one birthday present after another is opened, is not the healing, life transforming thankfulness. It is when we take time to allow ourselves to genuinely care about and appreciate others and then take purposeful action to express that care that we experience mental and physical wellbeing.
Our thanks should also extend beyond the people in our lives to our amazing Creator God who has provided so much and sacrificed so much for our health and eternal well-being.
If you are not already living a thankful life, then I encourage you to begin today. Each day purposely examine the events of the day and choose 3-5 things you are thankful for. The only requirement is that the items on your list are meaningful to you. It might be a new toothbrush, the fact it didn’t rain after you washed your new car, the umbrella you had with you when the storm hit, a friend who shared a lunch, the person who stopped to help when your car broke down, the pastor whose sermon touched your heart, or your family members who love and care for you. Whatever it might be take time each day to purposely reflect on what you are thankful for in that day. And then consider how to express that appreciation in meaningful ways, a phone call, letter, email, text, gift, cookie, or whatever is meaningful in your life in order to show someone how their kindness brightened your day.
Remember, offerings given from a thankful heart are the only acceptable gifts to God. Why? Because God wants us to experience the blessings of living the thankful life and He knows if we return tithe and offerings from a sense of obligation we don’t experience the healing and life changing benefits that thankfulness brings. Therefore, God loves the cheerful giver because He loves it when His children are healthy and happy. Finally, one of the best ways to give thanks to God is to remember what Jesus said, “as you have done it unto one of the least of these you have done it unto me.” When you recognize how God has blessed you, when your heart is warmed with gratitude and appreciation for His love in your life, go and give to someone in need, seek to share with another the love and joy you have received from God. Let this be your thank offering to God.
1. Wood AM, Joseph S, Maltby, J. Gratitude predicts psychological well-being above the Big Five facets. Pers Individ Diff. 2009;46(4):443–447.
2.; Sheldon KM, Lyubomirsky S. How to increase and sustain positive emotion: the effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves. J Positive Psychol. 2006;1(2):73–82.
3. Froh JJ, Sefick WJ, Emmons RA. Counting blessings in early adolescents: an experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. J Sch Psychol.2008;46(2):213–233.
4. Kubzansky LD, Sparrow D, Vokonas P, Kawachi I. Is the glass half empty or half full? A prospective study of optimism and coronary heart disease in the normative aging study. Psychosom Med. 2001;63:910–916.
5. McCullough ME, Kilpatrick SD, Emmons RA, Larson DB. Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychol Bull. 2001;127:249–266.
Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, and an international speaker. He served as president of the Southern and Tennessee Psychiatric Associations and is president and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. Dr. Jennings has authored many books, including The God-Shaped Brain, The God-Shaped Heart, and The Aging
Winston Churchill said, “There is nothing to fear except fear itself.” Have you ever wondered about that famous statement? Imagine walking a four-inch wide balance beam placed securely on the ground, your feet only a few inches from the dirt. Now imagine walking that same beam raised 100 feet in the air. Would your ability to successfully traverse the beam be negatively affected as you look down from such a height? What changed? Fear!
When we are afraid, the brain’s fear circuit (amygdala) activates, which floods the body with surges of stress chemicals (adrenalin and glucocorticoids). We experience the classic “fight or flight” response in which blood is shunted from our internal organs to our muscles and glucose is dumped into the blood stream. This is to bring us to quick attention in the face of an external threat, like the house being on fire. However, chronic fear, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of what others think, fear of financial ruin, and chronic worry of any kind keeps the fear circuits firing, which activates the body’s immune system, increasing inflammatory factors that injure our bodies. Under chronic fear, worry, and stress these inflammatory factors damage insulin receptors, increasing the risk of diabetes mellitus, obesity, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and strokes.
Chronic fear also impairs growth of all types. A recent study documented that Iraqi children growing up in war zones were measurably shorter than Iraqi children growing up in rural safe zones. Fear impairs physical growth!
Maybe you have known someone with test anxiety or someone who froze when getting up in front of an audience. What happened? Their fear circuits fired, paralyzing their prefrontal cortex (thinking circuits). Intellectual and cognitive growth is impaired when we are afraid.
When something really frightens you, like smelling smoke as someone yells fire in a theater, where does your focus turn? Do you become more concerned with the strangers in the room or more concerned with saving self? The more fearful we become, the more self-focused we become. Fear impairs relational growth!
When we believe God concepts that incite fear, the ability to grow spiritually is impaired. It is in the prefrontal cortex (located right behind the forehead) where we reason, plan, organize, focus, concentrate, and self-restrain. It is also in the prefrontal cortex where we have our conscience, redirect inappropriate behavior, and worship. A special part of the frontal cortex, called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is our neurological “heart.” It is here where we experience altruistic love and empathy. The ACC is also the seat of the will, the place we choose right from wrong. The proverb, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7) is referring to the ACC.
Amazingly, brain research has demonstrated that people 60-65 years of age who meditated on a God of love, just 12 minutes a day for 30 days, experienced measurable growth in the ACC of their brains. This was directly correlated with reductions in heart rate, blood pressure and a 30% improvement in memory testing [ii]. Meditating on a God of love reduces fear and is healing to our being. Science confirms what the Bible tells us, “perfect love casts out all fear” (1John 4:18).
But, just as strikingly, brain research confirmed that meditating on angry, wrathful and punishing god concepts did not result in positive growth in the ACC, nor provide the beneficial reductions in blood pressure, heart rate, and improvement in memory. In other words, angry or wrathful god concepts do not heal the brain, improve love, or enhance prefrontal cortex function. Instead, believing such concepts activates the fear circuits of the brain and contributes to impairments in healthy growth, thinking, reasoning, and relationships.
Love acted out is also healing. Research documents that youth who volunteered (love others with acts of altruism) experienced greater academic achievement, civic responsibility, and life skills that include leadership and interpersonal self-confidence than those who didn’t [iii]. And adults who volunteered (after accounting for variables such as education, baseline health, smoking, etc.) lived longer, had less illness, less disability, less depression, less dementia, and lived independently longer than those who did not [iv].
Fear is our enemy, it infects us, drives us toward destructive thinking, living and reacting. Whereas, love is the only power capable of freeing our hearts from fear and bringing genuine healing to our minds, bodies and relationships. So love well. Love always.
You can download a pdf of the full article Dr. Jennings posted in 2010
Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, and an international speaker. He served as president of the Southern and Tennessee Psychiatric Associations and is president and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. Dr. Jennings has authored many books, including The God-Shaped Brain, The God-Shaped Heart, and The Aging Brain.
Please explain Fasting to me. I have never understood this topic too well. It seems that fasting is a way to make God answer your prayer when He wont answer it otherwise.
Somehow that doesn’t seem to fit too well with all that I have been learning about His character. I have a prayer request that I have been presenting to God with no answer and I was thinking about fasting but then I realized that the only reason I am fasting is because I am trying to convince God to answer my prayer even though He promises to give us all we need. So my question is. What exactly is fasting? What purpose does it serve? Are there different kinds of fasting? Does it change Gods attitude or mind toward us? Or does it change us toward Him?
You are not alone in your uncertainty about fasting. As a child I always wondered why abstaining from food was called a fast when it went by so slow? Many have struggled with understanding the purpose of fasting and have falsely concluded it is a work, penance, action we can take to somehow influence God. This conclusion occurs when we first believe God is the kind of being who needs to be influenced to be kind, loving, gracious and interested in our welfare. When we realize that God is exactly as Jesus revealed Him to be then we realize that, whatever the purpose of fasting, it is not to influence God.
Misconceptions about fasting have been around a long time. In the book of Isaiah we read that the people fasted as a work to somehow influence God, but simultaneously went around living selfishly and out of harmony with Him. So God corrects them and tells them that real fasting is not mere denying oneself food, but to say no to selfishness and yes to loving others. It is in living with hearts that have been renewed to be like Jesus that we can have certainty that God will answer our prayers.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:6-9.
Then what about fasting from food, what is its purpose? When we eat we shunt blood to the digestive organs, this slows the thinking and causes the release of certain polypeptides which have neurological impact. Fasting can help improve our mental focus, clear the mind, reduce distractions and allow for better contemplation, meditation and appreciation of spiritual themes. In other words, in a time of crisis fasting may help a person understand more clearly what God is trying to communicate to them and thus enhance the ability find answers to their dilemma.
Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, and an international speaker. He served as president of the Southern and Tennessee Psychiatric Associations and is president and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. Dr. Jennings has authored many books, including The God-Shaped Brain, The God-Shaped Heart, and The Aging Brain.
The topic I would like to request is a topic that I have heard good Christians support and other good Christians decry. The topic is the benefits or detriments of Yoga. I guess I would like to know if Yoga is something a Christian should participate in?
Thank you
Thanks for your question. The reason you may have heard a variety of viewpoints on yoga is that yoga has many forms and can mean different things. For example, consider the word exercise. Exercise can have many permutations. We can engage in physical exercise, mental exercise, religious or spiritual exercise. We can exercise demons, engage in military exercises and so forth. Likewise the term yoga can be applied to a range of experiences.
Traditionally, yoga refers to a variety of physical and spiritual exercises or disciplines that originated in India. In many Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, yoga is often associated with certain forms of meditation. These meditations generally do not include communion with a personal God as revealed in Jesus.
Within Hinduism yoga also refers to six different schools of philosophy. Within these philosophies a series of healthy principles are espoused, such as the five abstentions: non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality, non-possessiveness. Other healthy principles include purity, contentment, austerity, study, surrender to god (however there are many god concepts which are not healthy), mental discipline and the study of nature.
The mental disciplines of yoga trend toward an emptying of self, or self-denial, but without the focus on a real, loving, personal God as revealed in Jesus. This leaves practitioners operating under their own strength in their effort to overcome human weakness and propensity to selfishness. Without the supernatural indwelling of the Holy Spirit all such human effort will fail. In Eastern religions there is a very subtle danger. The practitioners’ agenda is to empty self, over come self, deny self, which is the very goal of Christianity. However, in Eastern religions the worshipper does this by their own effort, works and mental discipline so that while their focus is to “overcome self” they actually elevate self. Without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit selfishness cannot be eradiated from the heart.
One should not conclude however, that the Holy Spirit will not reach out to practitioners of yoga. It is not our place to judge and the Bible gives every indication that the Holy Spirit is working to reach all people who sincerely are following the truth as they know it. But without the revelation of Jesus Christ, as revealed in Scripture, Eastern religions are not the best source of truth about God and their practices can obstruct or delay a person from coming to the true knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus. Therefore, I personally do not recommend the religious practices of Eastern religions.
However, in Western society yoga is most often associated with its physical exercises and postures and it is this aspect that most westerners practice. To the degree that the practice of yoga is restricted to the physical postures and exercises it can be quite beneficial and health promoting and I do recommend people engage in routine exercise to keep their bodies as youthful and fit as possible. The exercises and postures of yoga are one means to improve our physical health.
Therefore, the next time you hear a person espouse the benefits of yoga and another person its dangers, clarify exactly what the person means when they use the term yoga.
Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, and an international speaker. He served as president of the Southern and Tennessee Psychiatric Associations and is president and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. Dr. Jennings has authored many books, including The God-Shaped Brain, The God-Shaped Heart, and The Aging Brain.
