Click to play videoNew Delhi/ London: Two vicars in England have refused to allow yoga classes in their churches saying the ancient exercise method is un-Christian.
The Silver Street Baptist Church and the St James's Anglican Church in Taunton, Somerset, turned down Yoga instructor Louise Woodcock’s request to allow her to organise yoga classes in their churches for children.
"I couldn't believe it when they suddenly said I couldn't have the hall any more because yoga is against their Christian methods. It's crazy because we're talking about kids pretending to be animals and doing exercise routines to rhymes," Woodcock told The Times.
"I explained to the church that my yoga is a completely non-religious activity. Some types of adult yoga are based on Hindu and Buddhist meditation but it's not a part of the religion and there is no dogma involved.
"This is a class for mums and children, which has yoga-inspired moves—but as soon as I mentioned the word yoga the church staff completely changed their attitude. They have completely misunderstood and are being narrow minded," she said.
Woodcock was given permission originally to use the hall at Silver Street Baptist Church for a children's activity group. The Rev Simon Farrar withdrew his consent after discovering it was for yoga.
She was then turned away from St James's Church for the same reason. Defending the decision Farrar said: "We are a Christian organisation and when we let rooms to people we want them to understand that they must be fully in line with our Christian ethos".
"Clearly, yoga impinges on the spiritual life of people in a way which we as Christians don't believe is the same as our ethos," Farrar said.
"If it was just a group of children singing nursery rhymes, there wouldn't be a problem but she's called it yoga and therefore there is a dividing line we're not prepared to cross," he said.
The Rev Tim Jones, vicar of St James's said: "Any alternative philosophies or beliefs are offering a sham–and at St James's Church we want people to have the real thing.
"The philosophy of yoga cannot be separated from the practice of it, and any teacher of yoga, even to toddlers, must subscribe to the philosophy.
"Yoga may appear harmless or even beneficial, but it is encouraging people to think that there is a way to wholeness of body and mind through human techniques - whereas the only true way to wholeness is by faith in God through Jesus Christ," Jones told The Times
Worked up on yoga
An eminent church leader in India and yoga guru Baba Ramdev said yoga, as a physical exercise, must not be associated with religion.
Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, said the two vicars’ view must not be regarded as the church’s view.
“This is the view of two vicars and not that of the entire church. Yoga is a physical exercise and it is practised all over the world but it’s also important to realise that it has a philosophy behind it. That philosophy has been deeply rooted in Hindu traditions and ethos—it has a Hindu element in it. If yoga is presented as a mere physical exercise no one has an objection to that. But if it’s presented as a form of religious exercise then people may object, Joseph told CNN-IBN.
Ramdev said associating yoga with religion is “ignorance” and erroneous. “Yoga is a lifestyle in itself and it’s based on science. Yoga is mentioned in Hindu religious texts but rejecting it for that is ignorance. It’s like somebody saying ‘I won’t take foreign or allopathy medicines because they are made by Christians',” he told CNN-IBN from South Africa.
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