The Functional Nurse Academy Podcast

Yoga: Wellness Routine or Spiritual Practice?

• Episode 28

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This episode is brought to you by Functional Nurse Academy

Is yoga really just stretching—or is there more beneath the surface? While it’s widely promoted for stress relief and flexibility, its origins are rooted in a spiritual system that raises important questions for Christians. Some believers feel comfortable using yoga purely as exercise, while others avoid it due to practices like kundalini and its underlying spiritual framework. These differing perspectives highlight the need for biblical discernment in today’s wellness culture. Ultimately, the question isn’t just what yoga does for the body—but what it may influence spiritually.

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https://www.rachelpopern.com

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This show is also syndicated every Tuesday at 10am EST on The Nurses Report on America Out Loud Talk Radio 


SPEAKER_00

Hello, and welcome to the Functional Nurse Academy podcast. This is your host, Melissa Schreibfetter, owner and founder of the Functional Nurse Academy. Welcome everyone. I have another great show lined up for you guys. I'm always thinking about okay, what is the next thing that I should cover? And something that's been on my mind a lot is yoga. And I really wanted to discuss this today and discuss is yoga just a wellness practice or is it actually a spiritual practice? And how should we view yoga through a Christian perspective? So joining me today is another one of my wonderful graduates from Functional Nurse Academy, Rachel Pope, who was just just like I used to be very much into yoga. Rachel was very well versed in yoga. And uh she recently has opened up her own practice and aligning pathways, which is based out of Mount Juliet here in the great state of Tennessee. She has over 15 years of experience and brings a holistic, faith-centered approach to her practice. She is grounded in her values as a devoted wife, mother, and follower of Jesus. Rachel views health through a whole person lens that honors the mind, body, and spirit. After witnessing the limitations of conventional medicine firsthand, Rachel was inspired to pursue a more comprehensive approach to healing. Her journey was shaped not only by her own personal health experiences, but also as her work as a registered nurse. She is a board-certified functional medicine practitioner and works collaboratively with medical providers and helps her clients to uncover root causes and support lasting wellness. And with God at the center of her practice, she integrates functional and conventional testing, nurse coaching, limbic system rewiring, and soul care to guide women through meaningful and sustainable health transformation. Welcome, Rachel. It's so great to have you back on the show. Thank you. I'm so glad to be here with you today. Oh, absolutely. And Uda, I was reading your bio. I just love it. I love it when I see people that are putting God in the center of their practice. Cause as you all know, that's just the way I think that healthcare needs to go. We need to put the creator in the center of all that we do. So I know it was um, you know, because I we're we're both local to the Middle Tennessee area and we actually met for lunch a couple of months ago, and then somehow we ended up talking about yoga, and I was thinking, okay, we need to do a show on yoga because it is such, it is such a hot topic. And I wanted to ask you, because you were very, very into yoga, just like I was. Um, you can probably find pictures of me on the internet doing goat yoga. But anyway, there's all kinds of yoga. There's um holy yoga, there's goat yoga, there's hot yoga. I mean, it's just it, it really, it really is everywhere. And can you tell me about your experience with yoga and why you decided to discontinue the yoga practice?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes. So thank you again. I'm just so happy to be here and excited for our discussion today. Um, so I, like you, loved yoga. I defended it, I practiced it, I found um peace in it. I loved the stretching piece of it, I loved hot yoga. Um I loved it so much that I became an instructor and um taught holy yoga. And um it yoga, it it is a part of my healing journey. Um, and so what I'm gonna speak on is my experience and what happened to me. So um I had this long journey with it, I loved it, I felt like it kept me flexible, and every time I went to a yoga class as a student, I felt like I met Jesus on my mat. I did feel like that. Um, I have had a strong relationship with Christ for a while now, and um yet I still practiced yoga and um had no idea um what the Lord was gonna reveal to me about it until um one day I went to a yoga class and it was a small yoga class, and I it was like the end of the class, and this woman had a sound bowl, and um my eyes were closed and I was feeling calm, and she hit that sound bowl, and I've always been really sensitive to frequencies. Um and so when she when she hit that sound, I was like, oh no, what's happening? And um, and I I noticed that I lost my peace. And as the day went on, I just started praying to the Lord, like, Lord, can you tell me more about this? Can you reveal to me like what happened? Why, why did I just leave this yoga class and why do I not have peace? And um God is so patient with us, He's so patient with our relationships and um our processes. But what the Holy Spirit revealed to me was that this particular pose, this particular posture that I did in this class was a form of me bowing to a false god. And when that was revealed, it was like my eyes were opened, and I have no longer been able to practice it. Um I did some research. The the particular pose that I'm mentioning was goddess pose, and when I did some research on this pose, um the um the practice of this posture is to basically bow to this false god, and in Hindu in Hinduism, um that's what they do. That's what they do to to honor and to bow. And in the Bible, you know, it says you cannot have you can't serve two gods, you can't serve two masters. And um I don't know, it was really eye-opening. That was my experience, and you know, before that, I was like a defender of it, but um since I've had that encounter and that experience, I'm not able to continue to do that. And I think there are things that Christians do unknowingly.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. And I also I loved yoga, and it is something I, you know, it's like I finally found something I was good at, and I was going probably three, four times a week. So I was spending more time in yoga practice than I was at church. And the way I thought about it as a Christian, because I knew it was like, you know, this originates um from India, and I knew that there may have been some Hinduism roots. But the way that I looked at it is I was like, well, I'm not practicing Hinduism. And then when I go to yoga, I am incorporating prayer, and I, my intention is on Jesus when I do my yoga practice. But then as I, because you know, before I would go to church one day a week, but did I actually open up my Bible and read my Bible? No, I wasn't doing that. And since I have been reading through the entire Bible, I am learning from scripture, and there's so much in the Bible that can help us to discern as Christians what we should and shouldn't be doing. Um, but the Bible, uh, you know, back before the Israelites were exiled, they one of the reasons why they were exiled is because they were participating in the worship of false gods. And some of the Israelites they were worshiping Yahweh, but then they were also worshiping the goddess of heaven, which is a false god. And then they also were making sacrifices to false idols, and these things are detestable to the Lord, and it is a it's very clear not to have any other gods besides him. And I I wanted to read something to you, Rachel, because I do think it's important to see what Christians are saying that you know, say that are in favor of yoga because there seems to be kind of a movement of like, okay, yes, maybe there's some things rooted in Hinduism, but it's all about your intention. But then it kind of reminds me of the saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You know, it's like just and and again, also talking about just biblical history, when the Israelites made the false idol, the golden calf. They were worshiping it because they thought that by having this idol that they could bring about Yahweh, but they were doing that in a way that was spiritually forbidden. So their intention was to worship Yahweh, but they were in spiritual violation. So it's kind of one of those things like we shouldn't be doing things our way. We should be doing things his way. But anyway, I want to read this to you. This is from Christianity.com, and he says yoga offers numerous physical benefits that can enhance well-being, include improved flexibility, strength, balance, and stress relief. Similar to martial arts, also deeply connected to Eastern mysticism, Christians can participate in yoga classes that emphasize physical practice rather than the spiritual or philosophical teachings. By concentrating on the health benefits, Christians can use yoga as a tool to care for their bodies, which they view as temples of the Holy Spirit. Avoiding the spiritual elements involves avoiding yoga styles and classes that incorporate chanting. Meditation focused on Hindu deities or spiritual teachings, contrary to Christian beliefs. Instead, Christians can seek out instructors in studios that respect their desire to focus solely on the physical aspects of yoga. They also can practice yoga at home using resources that align with their values. I would love to hear your feedback on that article.

SPEAKER_01

So I once believed all that. I mean, I once believed that it was about my intention. I once believed that it had amazing health benefits. And I can't say that the stretching and the breathing has no health benefits, you know. Um, there's great benefit in stretching. There's great benefit in meditation, meditation. There's great benefit in breath work, you know, for the limbic system rewiring and um for people who really need to calm their nervous system. However, I and let me just preface and say this there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation. There is no condemnation. God revealed this to me because I believe He wanted to pull me out of it and open my eyes to an open door in my life. And so I would encourage anyone who is listening to this podcast. I would say, you're probably listening for a reason. And it might be a, I don't know, a good idea to spend some time with the Lord and ask him what he has to say to you about it. Um, God is so merciful and so patient with us, and I've done so many things, and he has been so, so gracious. Um He can use anything. For me, he used yoga as a part of my healing journey, and I was just like that person in that article, like defending it. Like Christians can practice yoga. I can't tell you how many conversations I had with people where I had that same viewpoint, and then I had this experience, and and what was revealed to me that um open doors, open doors um allow opportunity for the enemy in your life. It opens you up um in a way that you have no idea, you may have no idea. And it can affect you, it can affect your mind, your body, and your spirit. Um it's like I I was praying about this this morning and I was asking God, like, okay, what do you want me to say? You know, and I had this thought of people going to a yoga class, me, myself in the past, going to a yoga class, being like, Well, I don't practice any other religion. I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian, I worship Jesus, but I'm here doing all these poses. So I was going to the yoga class, participating, and professing my faith and and the Lord has shown me that what I was doing in in certain postures was bowing to false gods. Okay, so it would be like someone similar, different, but kind of similar, coming to church and taking communion. You know what I mean? Like they come to church, they don't say they don't believe in God, but they are there and they're taking communion. That's a part of a religious spiritual practice, you know what I mean? Regardless if they said they weren't a Christian or not, right? Does that make sense at all?

SPEAKER_00

It does. And and again, just like as a Christian, that is a big no-no, is not only like, okay, so you're not going to w worship other gods, you're not, you're also not supposed to, and and again, it is pretty much the same thing like worshiping other gods and as well as participating in other spiritual practices that for a Christian that are not Christian. So, and if you actually go to the I I would say the most official website to really learn up about yoga and the history of yoga, it's actually the government of India's website. And I'm gonna put that in the show notes. And on this website, it says that yoga is a spiritual discipline. Okay. So we know it is a spiritual practice, and but I think, again, I think many Christians are deceived because they're like, okay, well, you know, it's rooted in Hinduism, but I can just kind of modify it, you know, for Christianity. But the Bible is really, really clear, you are not to just be combining your worship of our Savior Jesus Christ with other religions. And something else that I think is interesting, and I just did not, I absolutely did not know this when I was doing yoga, and I did yoga for years. And um, yoga actually means um the word yoga means to yoke yourself. So in the Bible, we are supposed to be yoking ourselves with Jesus Christ. Okay. So um when the word yoga says to yoke, um, you're kind of coming into agreement with something else that is not Jesus. And again, a lot of the poses, they are and just an example, the sun salutation, which is a very common yoga pose, um, that actually is a pose that is used to honor a ancient Hindu deity. So, so yeah, yeah, again, like I I really for years I just thought that this was like a harmless wellness practice. And it is true, it is true that there are health benefits to slowing down your breathing, to stretching, but there's so many other ways that we can support our bodies and exercise in a way that is not rooted in the worship of false gods. So, one of there's just a couple of examples going out, walking in nature, meditating on the word of God, stretching. There's actually an alternative to yoga. I think it's called praise moves. And I mean, there's so many, there's so many exercises out there. Like you could go do rowing, you could go do cycling, like there's so many ways that um we can exercise that are that's not rooted in this way. I'm also hearing of other healthcare professionals, even medical providers, that um maybe they have someone who maybe they have like um back injury or they have a history of PTSD and things like that. And in the healthcare um field, they are saying as part of like a care plan that for their patients to go do yoga. What do you think about that, Rachel?

SPEAKER_01

I think that there is a need for um for people to slow down. I think there's a need for people to um sit and meditate and breathe. We live in such a hurried, you know, society where um it's all about productivity and um so I can see why that would be recommended, but again, if if you don't know, you don't know, no? I mean, if you don't know what you're saying yes to, then um you're just gonna do what the doctor says. And that's kind of like with any recommendation that the doctor makes, you know, and um so um I think what I have um created in my practice is something called soul care and stretching, and um, and it's all about meditating on the word of God. I read the the Bible over my clients and lead them through some simple stretching, teach them breath work. Um, there's such a need for all of that. Um, I want to go back to where you were talking about what yoga means. And um, when I was in school learning and becoming a yoga instructor, I was taught that yoga was yoking your breath to movement. And that's what they teach you as a yoga instructor, not that you're yoking to, you know, this false god in this posture or anything like that. Um, but it's yoke, what they teach is that it's yoking breath to movement. And there is, you know, you can go to a workout class and they they talk about that, like, okay, on this move you're gonna inhale, on this move, you're gonna exhale. And so um, that's a whole different thing, truly, than some sort of posture where um, you know, like the one posture that was revealed to me was goddess pose. And when I looked it up, it's like there is this false God or fallen spirit, and um what this this false god represents. And um, and I was just my eyes were open and I can't unknow it, you know. And so um, I think that there are lots of people doing things unknowingly, just unknowingly participating in. Practices that are not of God. You know, I have been a Christian, I would say I was a Christian all my life. And at one point in my Christian walk, I was practicing witchcraft. And I, but I was telling people I was a Christian. And I had, you know, one foot here and one foot there. At one point, you know, I was one of those people that carried crystals around, Melissa, and like had them around my neck and believed in the power that they, you know, they were gonna do something. And it's like, that is not of God. It's not of God. And he opened my eyes to that. And um, and when you become aware, you can't, like I said, you just can't unknow it.

SPEAKER_00

So that that's so interesting that you mentioned witchcraft. So, as you all know, I also I moderate uh a relatively good-sized Facebook group for nurses. And sometimes when people request to join the group, you can actually view what other groups that they're in. It'll pop up like they're also a member of this, this, this. I have seen nurses that will request an invitation to the Facebook group, and they're in groups like um witchcraft for beginners. And when I first saw that, I was like, oh, it's probably a satire group, whatever. And I looked it up, and throughout Facebook, there's all kinds of like, it's like white magic, um, and then it's like, you know, healing light, you know, things like that. And then they also have like occultic, like black magic witchcraft groups on Facebook where people are learning these spells and chants and things like that. But I've seen this many times with nurses because we are entrenched in the conventional model, guys. And then we're so fed up or so sick of it. So then we go full on holistic, okay? And but then there's so many, there's these wonderful holistic modalities that I think work and are getting people well. But then something that is really intertwining with holistic medicine are new age practices and even things like witchcraft. So um, well, we're about halfway through the show, but I would love if you'd like to talk about the witchcraft piece and then how that is occurring as well. That would be amazing. If you are a nurse listening to this show, I can absolutely train you. At the Functional Nurse Academy, we are the leading functional nursing program in the country. Our students receive the most comprehensive functional nurse training on the market. And also, when they graduate, they receive 90 nursing CEs and multiple pathways for board certification in functional medicine. And I also throw in six months for free of business mentorship. So be sure to check that out at functional nurseacademy.com. This show is also syndicated on America Out Loud Talk Radio on the Nurses Report Radio Show and Podcast. So you can also find me there on any major app. This is Melissa Schreib Satter. I am joined today by Rachel Pope, who is also a functional medicine nurse. She is the owner of Aligning Pathways, and she puts Jesus at the center of her practice, which I just I think is great. And today we are discussing the hot topic of yoga. And we also wanted to go want go into some other, you know, kind of new age practices that are going on in, you know, holistic medicine. Welcome back, Rachel. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you. Thank you for all that you do, Melissa. Thank you for all the work that you put into this academy and the podcast and just all that you're doing. It's it's truly making a difference. I mean, thank you. Doing amazing work.

SPEAKER_00

Amazing work. Well, it really is God, you know. Um, because I really think about it. I'm like, I'm I'm really not, I am not that special, like like not doing all of this on my own. And I really do think it, it is him that is giving me this understanding of functional medicine in a way that I can break it down and teach it to others. And and then also the growth of FNA. I did not do that on my own. You know, I remember I was working with the um the course platform that we use. Um, they kind of do some business sessions and they were like, okay, this growth is unusual. So I definitely, I definitely attribute it to God. But I also think that having this platform now, I want to be responsible with the platform. And there are some things that when you talk about it, you're gonna get backlash. Like I know when I talk about vaccines, backlash. When I talk about yoga, backlash. But sometimes you just have to like talk about things that may be uncomfortable, that maybe other people will not like if you feel led by the Holy Spirit to talk about these things because we need to bring about his will on this earth. And and we lot, this is how we lost our way in medicine. I mean, there's so many things going wrong in healthcare today, especially when we talk about like medically assisted suicide. And the US literally, there are states in the US where it is legal to get an abortion up to nine months. I mean, how is that happening in healthcare? And then all these other things of just the mismanagement of patients in the healthcare system. And then you and I leaving that system, and then we go into functional medicine, holistic health, and then we see all these other things that we know are not from the Lord that are infiltrating holistic healthcare. And I think just like we need to call it out in conventional medicine, we need to also call these things out in holistic health care because I think that people are being deceived. So, so yes, when you when you mentioned witchcraft, uh can you tell me a little bit more about that? Were those like chants or what what was going on with that?

SPEAKER_01

So it looked like um going to metaphysical stores and buying whatever oils that they had or crystals that they had, um, practicing some spells and different things like that. Um it also makes me think of a practice called Reiki and like an energy healing practice, um where you know they're doing like hands-on, you know, healing, um not with Jesus. Um and for me, um some of my new age healing practice or one of mine was the emotion code and body code. And so I went through training and learned how to become certified in this, and it deals with releasing trapped emotions. And I just thought, okay, this is great because people need healing from PTSD and trauma and all these things. And I was learning muscle testing or kinesiology, and I would work with people um remotely. They would call it by proxy. So I would be here and you there, say, you know, someone would be over the phone or over the computer, mainly over the phone, and I would um ask them if I could connect to them energetically and um pray. And I tried to do it two different ways. Um, so before I'll just go back to how I initially started. So I would do this muscle testing and I would get a response that I was connected to them energetically, okay? And I would ask yes or no questions. And this theory is that you're connected to the subconscious mind, okay? Their subconscious mind. You're asking yes or no, working through a chart to see what needs to be released. And what the Lord has made me aware of um since uh since then is that that was a form of divination. And I want to read this. The Bible strictly condemns divin divination, labeling it as detestable sin and a form of spiritual infidelity, according to Deuteronomy 18, 12, uh, 10 through 12. And that is it involves seeking hidden knowledge, guidance, or power from spirits, horoscopes, mediums, rather than relying on God. And so when I first started doing that practice, um I I was just unknowingly participating in this. I thought, okay, people need to be free. They need to be free. But you know what the Bible says about freedom? I'm gonna tell you, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3, 12, 3, 17, for the Lord is the spirit, and wherever the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. You know, it's not in a session where you have to go to that person to find freedom. That then that person can become your idol or your God in a sense, you know what I mean? So the Lord was just showing me that people were coming to me to receive healing, and I'm not that powerful. You know, all glory to him for anything good that I can do because I'm just not that amazing. But but that was me practicing divination unknowingly. So that's just one example.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I pulled up a Bible verse, uh, so it's from Deuteronomy 18, 10 through 12. There it shall be, there shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a necromancer, or one who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. So this is really serious, especially what you know when you're going to an individual for, in a way, spiritual knowledge that does not come from the Lord. That is so, so dangerous. And also in the New Testament, one of the books that Paul wrote, uh I think this was in Acts, and it is Acts chapter 13, 6 through 12. He basically, uh, Paul is telling a story about a sorcerer named Bar Jesus, and he was doing all of these great signs and wonders and even healing, but it was not through Jesus that he was doing these things. And so that is something else when you mentioned, when you mentioned Reiki, so that was something that when I got into holistic health, and of course I was going to a yoga studio three, four, I just lived at the yoga studio because I loved it so much. And at the yoga studio, they also had Reiki practitioners and and these people, the the yoga, the yoga instructors, the Reiki practitioners, they were very nice people. And I find a lot of people that are involved in New Age are very nice. And I do think that their intentions are genuine, but I think that they are being deceived. And I don't think that they realize how dangerous these things are, and that you're in a way, you're you're opening doors to things that we should not be messing with. But anyway, with Reiki, I I actually was owing to go to a class to get Reiki certified, and I ended up getting so sick that I couldn't go. And I am like, thank the Lord, because I I didn't under I didn't understand this because I thought because you know how in Christian prayer, which again, this is scientifically validated, that the um hands-on the um proximal intercessory Christian prayer has actually been studied in peer-reviewed studies to have tremendous health benefits and healing benefits. And when I learned about Reiki, I was like, oh, that's the same thing, right? Well, with Reiki, um, it is energy healing. It's kind of like you're using the practitioner is using energy to heal the body. However, where does that healing energy, where are they getting that healing energy from? And and I later learned that when you go to become a Reiki practitioner, that that healing energy, that the kind of like permission to heal other people, um, the like Reiki master that you received that training from is unlocking that within you. And then they're also using like symbols and things like that. Um, what is what's your feedback up about Reiki and about how they are getting that? I I guess what what would you call it? Would you call it like a spiritual power or like how would you describe it?

SPEAKER_01

Uh I think so. Um it this is where I believe we really have to know what we need to be careful and we need to know what we're saying yes to, what we're coming into agreement with, what we're allowing. So I've had Reiki done on me, unknowing, you know, when I wasn't aware of all of this. And this person who did Reiki on me was not a Christian. So they didn't believe in God, they didn't honor God, so they were getting their power from somewhere else. And um, God doesn't have a counterpart, but there is a spirit realm. And as a nurse that worked in the ICU and watched many people pass and cared for them in those moments, it was very evident that there is a mind, there is a body, there is a spirit. We we know this. And so it is, I would say Reiki is a spiritual hands-on practice that it's like they are channeling energy, and if they're not channeling it from Jesus, then they're channeling it from something else. And um, and there is a spirit realm, and the Bible talks about the heavens, you know, and um I was I was thinking about this verse when you were talking earlier about um like non-believers, and it says in 2 Corinthians 4 4, Satan, who is the God of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, they are unable to see the glorious light of the good news, they don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God, and so people are their their minds are blinded. I believe that people who don't know Jesus and these people that you know Satan, who's a god of this world, has blinded their minds, their minds are blinded, and so they don't know. And um, so yeah, I would say that you're partnering with someone or they are partnering, partnering with something, someone, some um spiritual force. But if they're not believers, then and they're doing this practice, and even you know, if you are a believer, I would say if you're a believer and you you're practicing Reiki with someone who is a believer, I would proceed with caution because it is open, it's it's an opening to a spiritual realm, to a door in the spirit realm. Um, I went to a breath work class one time and it was a group session, and I didn't know anything about this person. I just heard that this was an amazing breath work. I get there, there's different cards that you pull, candles lit, everybody's laying in a circle, and we're all breathing at the same, like being instructed how to breathe. And I opened a door there. Like, there are so many different ways that we just unknowingly do these things or come into these situations. And so I I really just encourage believers, do your research and and ask the Lord, like, God, what do you want to say to me? Because He's always talking and He wants to speak to you, and He'll reveal truth to you.

SPEAKER_00

He's a truth teller, you know, and the Bible also warns about counterfeit signs. So in uh, let's see, John, first John four, chapter four, verse one, beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. And uh uh two Thessalonians, second Thessalonians, chapter two, verse nine. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders. And I wanted to circle around to yoga real quick because I meant to bring up the kundalini spirit, but then I um forgot to bring it up. But anyway, we know that in the Bible, the serpent is usually a deceiver, you know, the serpent tends to be a symbol for the devil. And I think this is really interesting because um there is something called uh kundalini yoga, which is described as serpent energy, okay, that lies coiled at the base of the spine through practices like yoga, the mantras, the meditation, the certain breathing techniques, this energy, the serpent energy, the goal of this practice is to awaken the serpent spirit that is supposedly coiled at the base of your spine. And um, then after it wakes up, it then rises up through the body, through the chakras, which are the energy centers. And again, God, God made energy, okay? But it goes through the chakras along the spine until it reaches the crown of the head. And then when it does that, it's supposedly supposed to lead to enlightenment or union with the divine. And then it is also reported that once people reach this state, it can lead to intense psychic experiences. But this practice in origin, it is a pagan origin that is tied to idolatrous systems. And kundalini yoga is something that is still used today. And, you know, when when we uh when you do read the Bible and you learn about putting on the armor of God, you know, it's all about guarding yourself, protecting yourself from the enemy. And it's kind of like when you are participating in these types of practices, what is that opening doors to?

SPEAKER_01

So um oh go ahead. I was just gonna say it's it is opening doors to false religion. It's opening doors to false religion and sometimes to um uh like spiritism, you know. Um yeah, it's something to really consider before you just do what other people are telling you to do. Um just really I don't know, I just hear for the longest now. I'm like, God, what do you want me to do? You know, what do you have to say about this? Because he'll he'll reveal it to us. You know. And he can use anything. He can use anything to bring people back to him. And um and I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the awareness. I'm thankful that he opened up my eyes to see that I was bowing, you know, I was bowing to a false God. I wasn't bowing to him. And that I can't participate in that. I have no desire to do that. Um Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And something else that's interesting is uh you you know, and and and I hear from Christians are like, well, I'm not bowing to a false God. I'm thinking about Jesus. But it's like if you are like contorting your body in this pose that was originally created to worship false gods, I mean, what what what is that? You know? And and then also some of the other most popular poses like Warrior One, Warrior Two, that is actually depicting a ancient death scene. Like these things mean, you know, these things mean things. Like the movements of our body mean something, just like the words that we speak, the thoughts that we think, there's all meaning behind to that. And again, um, when you get up in the morning and you are stretching, uh, there's there's no problem with stretching and with exercising, but when you are intentionally putting your body in these specific poses that have these types of origins to them, I do like it's my opinion that there are spiritual consequences to this. And like you mentioned before, seeking the Lord. Oh my goodness. Like, I cannot tell you how important it is just to turn off your electronics every now and then to where it is quiet. Cause I think like the busyness of life, I think gets in the way between us being able to seek and hear the Lord. Yeah. Deuteronomy uh 429 says, but from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and all your soul. So when you seek him like this, you will find him. And I think that sometimes people have difficulty hearing the word of the Lord because maybe they are intertwined with practices like this. And again, sin is something that separates us from God and um also the constant busyness, you know, we find God in the silence, you know. So it's so important just to like put time, uh put away time just that you can dedicate to God. Like I recently have actually been being intentional about honoring the Sabbath. And I take on Saturdays, that's why like if anyone tries to reach out to me on a Saturday, you're not gonna hear back. I I actually will like I turn my work things into my husband because I have workaholic tendencies. So I give him like my work phone and my computer, and he is not allowed to let me have it. No matter what I say to try to get it back, I'm not allowed to have it because that's me taking my Sabbath. Um, well, this was great. Um, thank you so much for sharing your experience. And and again, you know, um, these things kind of can be hard to talk about, especially, you know, when you have friends and family that are that are really, really involved in these types of practices. But it's always important to get this information out there, you know. I mean, just like in in healthcare, giving informed consent. I mean, you know, this this is not just, it's not just a wellness practice. It is a spiritual practice that does happen to have health benefits to it. And we should be explaining this to people, you know. So um, can you tell me? I want to hear some updates about the good, the great work that you are doing in your practice. So can you tell us a little bit about your practice and um what and where our listeners can find you?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, thank you. I want to say one more thing really quickly about the yoga, and that is that when people say, Well, I'm not worshiping, even though I'm in this posture, you know, there is there is power in community doing the same thing together. If you go into a group of believers and you're praying together and you're worshiping God and putting praise and worship music on together and praising the Lord together, there's power, you know. If you go into a yoga studio and you're all practicing a certain pose that was intended to worship a false God, it is it's there, it's uh it's powerful. So, anyways, I just wanted to kind of give that picture too. But um, my practice is um in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and I work with clients in person and remotely. And I specialize in women's health and mental health. Here lately, I've been offering a lot of um, I've been doing a lot or ordering a lot of Dutch tests. So a lot of women want to check their hormones. Um, they a lot of them will tell me, oh, I've gone to my doctor and had my blood work done. And I'm like, well, your hormones um they travel in and out of your bloodstream, and that's not the most accurate measure of your hormones. Also, the time is very important. And so the Dutch test is amazing. So I've had a lot of women um order that recently. I've worked with some people with um Lyme disease recently, and that has been really, really interesting, and and they're they're making improvements, and that's that's a longer process. My favorite um my favorite thing to do is to help people um lose weight and rewire their limbic system. So our limbic system is where our emotional brain, you know, our emotional processes are, and it helps when we can rewire that, so to speak. Um it's um helping us to regulate our nervous system and regulate those emotional things. And you know that, but I'm just speaking for the people who might be listening, but um, but I love helping people do that, and I do that with the Lord. I do that by reading scripture over them, by praying with them, by sitting with them and and helping them learn to meditate on the word of God and do breath work and do these different things. So um, so that's a little bit about my practice and and where I'm at. And if you are interested or you know someone who who is, um, feel free just to send them to my website. And that's just www.rachelpope rn.com.

SPEAKER_00

Wonderful. Well, I am just so excited about the success that you were having in your business. And and again, you know, the need, there's such a high demand right now for well-qualified functional medicine practitioners. And I mean, nurses, I'll I say it all the time, we are so, we are so suitable for this. And I'm just so excited that you're helping so many people and that your business is going as well as it is. So I think you're doing a tremendous job. So uh for our listeners, if you are interested in working with Rachel, I will put her links in the show notes. So be sure that you check out her business. That is all the time that we have today. Thank you so much for tuning in. And again, if you want to learn more about the Functional Nurse Academy, please feel free to register for our next live webinar. And you will see that link in the show notes. You can also check out Functional Nurse Academy on our social media platforms or on our website at functional nurseacademy.com. Until next time, be safe, be well, and God bless.