Yoga gurus, including a Catholic nun who runs two yoga centres, say the Syro Malabar Catholic Church’s position on Yoga is driven by its “ignorance” and that yoga is “a way of life as well as sciencem,” and it is not a “subdivision of any religion.”

The Syro-Malabar Church’s doctrinal commission report recently said that Yoga was not a medium to attain divine experience.

Meanwhile, Syro Malabar Church spokesman Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt has clarified that the Church is not in any way rejecting yoga as an exercise for mental and physical health.

Sr Infant Tresa, a Catholic nun and a yoga master, says the Syro Malabar Church’s observa- tion on yoga is due to its lack of knowledge on the subject. Sr Tresa runs Nirmala Medical Yoga Centre in Muvattupuzha.

A report by Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangattu, chairman of the Doctrinal Commission of the Church, which was uploaded on the website of the Eparchy of Mananthavady, said the theology of yoga does not go along with the beliefs of Christianity.

“As far as I know, the Church has not accepted the report. There are even bishops who practise yoga. The report by the Doctrinal Commission of the Church is mainly due to its lack of know- ledge of yoga. I don’t think those who prepared the report have practised yoga even for a week,” she says.