By IANS
London : Two priests in southwest England have banned a yoga instructor from using their church halls for her children’s classes because they think yoga is “un-Christian”.
Tim Jones and Simon Farrar of Taunton, Somerset, have banned yoga instructor Louise Woodcock from using the halls saying the ancient Hindu and Buddhist meditation and exercise is a “sham” and “un-Christian”.
The Daily Mail quoted Woodcock as slamming their position as “ridiculous” – particularly as her Yum Yum Yoga classes involve music and movement with no spiritual teachings.
“The church has completely misunderstood it and I think they are being narrow-minded,” Woodcock said.
Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice that has its roots in India. It is becoming increasingly popular in the West because of its curative and preventive abilities vis-à-vis modern medicine.
The yoga instructor was originally given permission to use the hall at Baptist Church in Taunton for a children’s class, the Mail reported.
But the Reverend Simon Farrar withdrew his consent after discovering the class was yoga. Days later she was turned away from the town’s St James church too.
Woodcock said: “I explained to the church that my yoga is a non-religious activity.”
Farrar defended his decision: “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. If it were 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 added.
Tim Jones, vicar of St. James, said: “Any alternative philosophies or beliefs are offering a sham – and at St James 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.
“As Christians we believe that this philosophy is false and not something we wish to encourage. 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.”