Christian Yoga, Christian Mysticism

“However strange it may appear, I was led to Yoga by William of Saint-Thierry.” This sentence began the preface of Jean-Marie Déchanet’s English translation of his mid-twentieth century book titled La Voie Du Silence later translated as Christian Yoga. In the text, Déchanet argues the aim of both William of Saint-Thierry, a French Benedictine mystic,  and Christian Yoga is the union and balance of anima, animus, and spiritus. For him, Yoga creates an “openness [toward the] mystical life,” “quickens the life of faith, the love of God and our neighbor,” and “sharpens our sense of duty and responsibility as men and, above all, as Christians.” While he argues yoga supports the Christian spiritual life, Déchanet enforces parameters on what type of yoga a Christian should practice. This paper examines Déchanet’s argument for a Christian Yoga through his historical context and scholarship of William of Saint-Thierry.