Johanna Burke: Practicing Yoga as a Practicing Christian

One of the most popular questions I get asked is, "Can I practice yoga as a Christian?"

The short answer: YES!

There is of course much more to it than that, but my friend and beloved yoga teacher, Johanna Burke, is here today to help us untangle this question.

In this episode, we dive deep into the history of yoga and its roots in India. Johanna teaches us about how yoga is not just asana, or "physical practice," but a way of being; not unlike our Christian faith. While yoga itself is not a religious practice, it is spiritual in its roots and, having developed in India, it is largely connected to the practice of Hinduism. There is often a fine line between honoring yoga and its roots while connecting it to our faith, and co-opting and appropriating yoga into Christian/western culture. We dig into all of this, really working to untangle how we can both honor yoga's and honor the ways it can deepen our own spiritual, faith-based practices.

Johanna also eloquently addresses the issue of the way many yoga practitioners claim that yoga can "cure" things like depression and anxiety. Jo tells her own story of coming to realize why saying things like this is harmful, and offers us a  healthier way of understanding the benefits yoga offers in terms of our mental and emotional well-being.

Whether you are a seasoned yoga practitioner, or someone who has never set foot in a yoga studio, this one is for you.
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Johanna Burke is a 500 hour ERYT Certified Yoga Teacher and Reiki Practitioner. Johanna started practicing yoga to relieve stress, but it became so much more. She became a teacher to bring to others what yoga gave her—self-confidence and a physical and mental strength that she didn’t realize was there. In her classes, you’ll work hard and get a nice, long savasana. Naturally quiet, teaching brings out a playful side in Johanna where she loves to laugh and have fun. When she’s not teaching, you can find her with her nose in a book or writing. She loves to spend time with her pup, Molly, and her family. You can find Jo online at her website or on Instagram.