Is it permissible to practice relaxation and meditation exercises that involve postures similar to yoga, intending to benefit from these postures without the intention of imitating disbelievers, knowing that there is no specific order to the exercises or intention behind them to imitate, but simply because they are the best and most comfortable?

Practicing yoga is not merely a physical sport; rather, it is a pagan worship for its adherents, by which they direct themselves towards the sun. Therefore, it is impermissible to practice it unless it is stripped of its pagan rituals and words, free from turning towards the sun and bowing to it, and by altering the sequence of yoga postures by introducing new ones to prevent resemblance, and by not performing it at times when Hindus practice it, such as at sunrise. If these conditions are not met, then it is impermissible to practice it, even if the person does not intend to imitate the pagans. Imitating disbelievers occurs simply by conforming, even without the intention of resemblance, and this is to block the means (to evil) and decisively cut off the material (of corruption).