Christian Heritage

Christian children have, for centuries, been taught the Anjoli Mudra, a yogic mudra that raises the life force up the spine, focuses mind in the higher centers and the forehead, and puts one automatically into the devotional (bhakti-yoga) attitude. In the Catholic churches they are also taught the yogic austerities by long kneeling and standing, which is equivalent to many yogic asanas and designed to make the body impervious to discomfort, which helps the mind separate itself from bodily distraction and enmeshment and paves the way for later yogic development including the samadhi of the Christian saints. Setting children into beautiful churches also stimulates the attitude of reverence, highly auspicious for bhakti-yoga, teaches them about God's first creation of space (akasa), etc. Christian are also often taught repetition of prayers or prayer formula (mantra). This should be continued. Many huge flagstones of later mystical development are laid in the early mind by the great heritage of Christian bhakti-yoga. Continuing to teach a few simple yogic mudras to Christian children is highly advised, because it benefits them, and the Christian bhakti-yoga should be better understood.