Kosher Yoga?
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Yoga and meditation are not Jewish practices, and presenting them as such distorts both their origins and the integrity of Judaism’s own distinct tradition.
These disciplines come from Hindu and broader Dharmic systems, where every posture, breath technique, and meditative method is tied to concepts like karma, dharma, moksha and having a direct experince with the divine. The Yoga Sūtras, Vedic teachings, and centuries of Hindu philosophy define what yoga and meditation is, and none of this comes from Jewish theology.
Reframing yoga should be avoided if people want their own traditions respected. For comparison, taking tefillin, removing its Jewish meaning, and rebranding it as a generic “mindfulness strap” would clearly erase its identity. The same principle applies here: respecting yoga and mediation means honoring it within its Hindu lineage.
India welcomed and safeguarded Jews for more than 2,000 years; honor that history and don't misrepresent their traditions.
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Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment. I want to clarify one central point, because some of the discussion here is based on a misunderstanding of what I actually teach and what the Lubavitcher Rebbe called for.
What I teach is not yoga and not a Chassidic mystical meditation aimed at spiritual ascent. It is a simple, neutral, therapeutic relaxation technique designed solely to reduce stress and help people function better in daily life by triggering the body's natural relaxation response. Nothing more. No mantras. No visualizations. No kavana toward divine unification. No Eastern philosophy. No borrowed spiritual frameworks of any kind.
The Rebbe was already calling for this type of kosher therapeutic meditation as early as 1962, and even more urgently in later years. His position was explicit and consistent: Jews were being drawn into TM, yoga, and related systems in massive numbers because they were suffering from stress and anxiety and needed relief.
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Could this be worth considering? For a practice to be truly kosher, any stretching exercise or meditative practice should incorporate spiritual kavannah, embracing the body, spirit, and soul. Removing all kavannah and spiritual elements from a Jewish stretching or meditative program would likely make it more fitting for the secular arena rather than for those in a Jewish religious community. Reply
Yoga is not a Jewish practice; it originates from the Patañjali Yoga Sūtras which is from the Vedic Hindu tradition. Please stop appropriating Eastern practices or presenting them in a Westernized way that forcefully disconnects them from their cultural roots. It remains a Dharmic practice, not an Abrahamic or Jewish one. Reply
The distinction between Dharmic and Abrahamic traditions are important. To address the concern of appropriation, how about if we reframe this entirely: We can replace the label "yoga" with "Jewish Embodiment Practice" or "Kosher Movement and Meditation." The goal would be to take the physical techniques (stretching, breathing) and intentionally connect them to Jewish spiritual concepts (e.g., Kavannah, connecting to the G-d-given Neshamah, or preparing the body for mitzvot).
Is it the physical stretch (the form) or the entire spiritual context (the meaning and intent)? If two people are performing the exact same physical stretch—one chanting a Hindu mantra and the other reciting a Hebrew prayer (e.g., Psalm 150)—is not the difference due to the words being uttered, or are the physical benefits being fundamentally altered? Is it not the spiritual context that is paramount?
Is this not what Aryeh Siegel is trying to accomplish?
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Comment continued:
The Rebbe requested that a fully kosher alternative be developed so that Jews would not need to turn to practices rooted in avodah zarah or foreign religious systems. He insisted that not even a trace of Eastern religion remain.
For that same reason, the Rebbe was firmly opposed to yoga as a spiritual system. If a Jew wants the physical benefits of stretching, that can be achieved by ordinary exercise, physical therapy movements, or self-created stretches. There is no need to adopt or rebrand yogic systems to get basic physical benefits. The Rebbe wanted a complete break from those lineages, not a reframing of them.
To those concerned about cultural appropriation: I agree with the principle that religious systems should not be misrepresented or stripped of their identity. That is exactly why I do not teach yoga, do not teach Eastern meditation, and do not repackage Hinduism in Jewish language.
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Even if you change the terminology or add Jewish spiritual framing, it remains appropriation because yoga’s physical forms, meditative methods, and underlying philosophy come from a distinct and continuous Dharmic tradition. All major yogic systems are rooted in the Patañjali Yoga Sūtras and the broader Vedic worldview. Without that spiritual foundation, what remains is simply stretching or breathing exercises, not yoga. The postures and breathwork are not neutral techniques; they were developed within, and stay inseparable from, Hindu understandings of mind, body, and liberation. Removing or replacing the original philosophy does not transform them into something new. Rebranding yoga as a “Jewish embodiment practice” simply overlays another theology onto a living Hindu lineage and obscures its cultural and religious origins. Appreciating yoga is welcome but reframing it to fit another faith erases the tradition that shaped it and treats an entire Eastern philosophy in a degrading way. Reply
Intention takes precedence over labels and technique. Reply
This was very interesting, but the conclusion was different than I expected and hoped. Tanach talks quite a bit about meditation and it is very different from how the word is used now. God’s method of meditation is meditating on Torah and all of God’s written messages given to Israel through the prophets. In Joshua 1:8, Joshua is told to meditate on Torah day and night. David talks repeatedly about meditating on God’s words. The kind of meditation God wants us to do is thinking about Him, His words, His standards. It is not making our minds blank.
I don’t know what kind of “meditation” this man is promoting. I’m thankful he sees the danger in TM, but I would not spend time in any kind of “meditation” other than what Tanach promotes, which is focusing on who God is, what He has done, and what He has written for our learning.
Sometimes while working, I think about passages of scripture I have memorized. I would like to do more of this, but my mind wanders.
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Thank you for sharing your comments. I want to clarify something important, because what you are describing is not the kind of meditation being discussed or promoted here.
You are absolutely correct that in Tanach the word “meditation” refers to focused contemplation on God’s words, His will, and His Torah. Nothing I teach replaces or competes with that in any way.
What the Rebbe was specifically calling for in the 1970s was not spiritual contemplation, but a clinically effective, fully kosher therapeutic method to help people who were overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, trauma, and the inability to function in daily life. At that time, tens of thousands of Jews were being drawn into Eastern systems like TM purely for stress relief. The Rebbe saw the danger and urgently asked mental-health professionals to develop a neutral, non-religious, non-idolatrous tool for calming the nervous system, as that was needed. As an added benefit, people seeking relief would not turn to foreign practices
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Very enlightening.
Thank you!
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Thanks for sharing such a testimony; I did get interested, and, I did buy the book!
Glad to know that sometime, we need to go on a path that can make us useful somehow later on...
roland_
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May not be best, but here’s what I do. 1. Take a hot bath for relaxation and increased blood flow to my head. 2. Sit or lie with my eyes rolled upward while quieting my mind but keeping it very active, especially in the forehead. 3. Focus OUTWARDLY; experience INWARDLY! Must transcend the self, avoid all inner wants and needs, and always keep the mind relaxed but active. I often focus intently on a person, religious concept, or spiritual things from afar. This alone often results in a great sense of pleasure. I notice things I have never observed before. Seeing and experiencing the good in others as opposed to the good in me, which allows that good to become integrated into me. All can become profound in unexplainable ways. My contemplation can get deep, producing great insights and reaching high spiritual states of awareness. 4. Performing good deeds, being humble, and engaging in prayerful thoughts outside of this practice are essential, as all the above depends on grace from G d. Reply
Two recommendations for a non-Jewish audience practicing meditation or other mystical practices, which I believe align with Aryeh Siegel's valid concerns: 1. Approach the practice from a religious perspective, remaining well-grounded in prayer and devotion. This is necessary to address the real risks of suffering psychological or spiritual harm and is essential for receiving the grace required to achieve its ultimate fulfillment. 2. Keep the mind active but relaxed during the practice, as if welcoming a subtle voice from afar.
This is how I first started, and everything else fell into place from there.
A related note: Many religiously oriented people believe that we must actively seek the Divine, and there is truth to this. However, I believe that the greater truth lies in staying well-grounded in prayer and devotion—by doing so, the Divine will come to find you. When such events occur, mystical practices like meditation will become rather spontaneous, requiring little effort.
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Such valuble information! Reply
Fascinating! Thank for sharing these valuable information. I would greatly appreciate a video on kosher meditation plus some extra explanation on koshe yoga ! Or even a video how to do yoga in a kosher manner. Reply
This is so fascinating. I have the same question. What's the difference between the good and the not? You can do yoga but not use the names? Meditate how? Maybe the Rabbi wants to write an article? Reply
Check the Yoga section on KosherCalm.org
In summary:
1. Separate Exercise from Avodah Zarah
Many yoga systems are built on Hindu spiritual ideas or rituals.
A kosher approach removes all religious elements:
No Sanskrit mantras or names of Hindu deities to describe postures.
No chanting, bowing to statues, or gestures of worship.
No references to chakras, prana, or energy centers tied to Hindu metaphysics.
2. Focus on Physical and Health Benefits
Use physical movements purely as exercise, stretching, and relaxation:
Think of it as “kosher stretching” — improving flexibility, posture, and breathing.
Set your intention (kavanah) for health, calmness, and serving Hashem with a healthy body.
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what, according to judaism, actually is kundalini then. and what actually is prana and chakras. Reply
I still don’t understand what is not Jewish about meditation if you don’t include the Hindu/Buddhist aspect? I’ve been involved with zen meditation since the 80s and cannot see any reason to stop?? Reply
The Rebbe addressed Zen directly in a 1979 letter, which I reprinted in Kosher Calm. He wrote: “Apparently you are unaware that Zen, as commonly practiced now, is connected with Avoda Zara (idolatry)… The Torah, Toras Chaim and Toras Emes, strictly prohibits pagan methods and practices… for they will be of no benefit for the soul or body, but rather destructive to both. Indeed, it is precisely the external side effects and relief which such practices may bring that cover up the insidious harm and makes them all the more dangerous.” The Rebbe’s concern was not that meditation itself is foreign to Judaism, but that borrowing from Buddhist or other foreign traditions risks spiritual damage. Instead, he urged Jews to “taste and see” the depth of our own heritage. Kosher Calm offers a simple, scientifically validated method for stress reduction that is spiritually safe and may possibly produce the benefits you experience in Zen. Reply
read the book by rav aryeh kaplan called jewish meditation Reply
In response to the meditation methods of Rabbi Kaplan, the Rebbe wrote:
The methods of Rabbi Kaplan and Rabbi Polit and their aim are not at all the aim and purpose I had in mind, of which I spoke with you. The intent is not that you should teach Kabbalah or Chassidus or Torah in general, but only and exclusively teach meditation and mental concentration and the like such as are kosher and permissible according to the Shulchan Aruch—it is possible to attain peace of mind, etc. Especially to attain peace of mind by those in whom this is acutely lacking, due to anxiety in business, Sholom Bayis, health, and similar stresses. Therefore, you should not teach Kabbalah, mysteries of the Torah, Zohar and similar subjects in your sessions (or workshops). In other words, your function is that of physicians (not Torah teachers), and an essential purpose is preventive therapy.
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interesting. ok. so that's what he said to you. but for certain other people is it still fine if they use the Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan methods as described in Rabbi Kaplan's books? or was the Rebbe saying something for everyone (not just for you and your students?) Reply
This was fascinating and interesting. Reply
how do i do the breathing technique spoken about in the blue hayom yom book
where it talks about a breathing way that allows higher levels of the naranhay to be in the body
That sounds very interesting, but I’m not personally familiar with a breathing technique in the Hayom Yom that draws higher levels of the Naranhay into the body. I’d suggest asking someone with deeper knowledge of these sources.
From my limited perspective, this is a higher-level Chassidic meditative practice aimed at elevating the neshamah. The breathing must be integrated with kavana (intention), relaxation, and contemplative prayer. The breathing involves intent; visualizations of inhaling purities and exhaling impurities are better seen as metaphorical. While important, the breathing is less central than the prayer and arousing divine mercy from above.
This process is analogous to “Jacob’s Ladder,” where breathing combined with prayer ascends heavenward, allowing divine blessings to descend into the soul. Visualizations associated with inhaling and exhaling may be more effective when integrated into this ascent and descent, the process of purification, and the flow of divine blessing and infusion.
Thus, while breathing is an element of this Chassidic approach, its goal is to establish an ongoing connection with the Divine, a daily process that includes performing mitzvot with joy and intention.