UK churches ban yoga group

LONDON: Two local churches have banned a group from conducting yoga classes because the ancient practice is allegedly "un-Christian". The yoga class for children was to be run by Louise Woodstock at the Silver Street Baptist Church and St James' Church of England in Taunton, Somerset. But church ministers this week banned it and branded yoga as a "sham" and "un-Christian".

Woodstock, who was turned away from the churches on Thursday, said: "I couldn't believe it when they suddenly said I couldn't have the hall any more because yoga is against their Christian ethos. It's crazy because we're talking about kids pretending to be animals and doing exercise routines to rhymes." "The churches are being narrow-minded. I explained to the church that my yoga is a completely non-religious activity. There is no dogma involved."

Reverend Simon Farrar of the Baptist Church withdrew his consent for using the hall for a children's activity group after discovering it was for yoga. St James's church also barred her for the same reason. Rev Farrar said: "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."

Rev Tim Jones, the vicar of St James' church, told The Telegraph: "The philosophy of yoga cannot be separated from the practice of it, and any teacher of yoga must subscribe to the philosophy. As Christians, we believe that this philosophy is false and not something we wish to encourage."
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com)