Indian Catholic church says Christians shouldnt do yoga

A South Indian church has claimed that Christian beliefs cannot go hand in hand with yoga.

The Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala argues that certain poses in traditional yoga might be against Christian principles and should not be used as a means to get “closer to God.”

The group claims that for non-Hindus, yoga should only be practiced for its health benefits and not its spiritual benefits.

In a report by the church, the institution claims: “The theology of yoga does not go along with the beliefs of Christianity. Yoga believes in oneness and cannot differentiate between creator and creation like in Christianity.”

“There is nothing wrong in taking yoga as an exercise but it is not a way to get salvation or spiritual experience.”

The Indian Catholic Church argues that even Hindus believe that yoga and the Hindu religion should not be seen as separate entities and must be considered as interwoven.

The South Indian church claims the issue has become a matter of discussion after the country’s government announced plans to “make yoga compulsory in school and crucial to Indian culture.”

Critics in India have responded to the reports with irritation and annoyance, claiming the church is just trying to stir up conflict.

Some branded the South Indian church “hypocrites,” while others labeled them “bigots.”

The practice of yoga dates back to the fifth and sixth centuries BC and is a common practice within the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths.

The most well-known types are Hatha yoga and Rāja yoga, with the practice often mentioned in Hindu religious texts and teachings.

Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the West, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world.

Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is considered to be more than physical exercise.

The practice has a meditative and spiritual core, with the word “yoga” itself coming from the Sanskrit word “yug” — meaning to unite.

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