122. Can Orthodox Christians do Yoga | The Spiritual Dangers | Occult to Orthodoxy Series (Part 8)122. Can Orthodox Christians do Yoga | The Spiritual Dangers | Occult to Orthodoxy Series (Part 8)
Raised & Redeemed
Michaela Nikolenko, a former yoga instructor turned Orthodox Christian, shares her journey from new age practices to Orthodoxy while examining the spiritual roots and risks of yoga. She contrasts Hindu yoga’s goals with Orthodox teaching, presents differing priestly views and suggests faith-aligned alternatives for movement and inner healing.
27:16•1 Apr 2026
Orthodox Faith, Yoga, and the Spiritual Risks Michaela Won’t Ignore
Episode Overview
- Yoga is presented as an eightfold Hindu spiritual path, with physical poses acting as a gateway toward union with an impersonal divine consciousness.
- Common yoga postures such as sun salutations and warrior poses are described as being linked to specific Hindu deities and violent mythological scenes.
- Orthodox clergy warn about self-deification, pride and spiritual deception, stressing that mystical experiences in yoga can be demonic rather than divine.
- Opinions among Orthodox priests differ, with some emphasising the role of intention and others advising avoiding yoga altogether due to spiritual risks.
- Listeners are urged to discuss their specific situation with their spiritual father and are offered alternatives like pilates, mobility work and Orthodox ascetic practices.
“"What I didn't know then was that yoga was not just a healing practice. It was a path to somewhere, a spiritual gateway, if you will."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and faith? This episode of Raised & Redeemed takes a brave swing at a topic many Christians quietly argue about: yoga. Host Michaela Nikolenko, a former certified yoga instructor and now an Orthodox Christian, shares her long history with yoga as a traumatised young adult who was told it would heal her through chakras, breathwork and presence in the body.
She explains how what began as "just stretching" became, in her words, "a spiritual gateway" into tarot, white witchcraft, astrology and darker occult practices.
Her turning point came when she encountered a demon and realised, as she puts it, "I needed Jesus to heal me, save me, and protect me in the spirit realm." From there, the episode breaks down what classical yoga actually is: an eightfold spiritual path aimed at union with an impersonal "universal divine consciousness", with the physical poses sitting only on the third rung of that ladder.
Michaela walks through how common postures like sun salutations and warrior poses are tied to specific Hindu deities and violent myths, and why Orthodox clergy warn about self-deification, pride and spiritual deception. She also shares contrasting opinions from Orthodox priests: some stress that "human bodies are not magical spells" and that intention matters, while others remain wary even of "just exercise" classes because of the spiritual context and subtle formation they bring.
Michaela then offers suggestions for spiritually neutral alternatives such as pilates, mobility work and church-approved movement practices, and highlights the Orthodox ascetic path—hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer and prostrations—as a Christ-centred route to true inner healing. Rather than handing out one-size-fits-all rules, she repeatedly urges listeners to "talk to your own spiritual father" and bring their specific stories into honest, accountable conversation.
If you're wrestling with yoga, new age practices and Christian faith, this candid episode might give you plenty to think and pray about. Where might your body work and your spiritual life be quietly pulling in different directions?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.