Catholic schools under the patronage of the Diocese of Water-ford and Lismore have been told by their bishop not to do yoga in the classroom because it is not Christian. In a letter to schools sent on 10th October, Bishop Phonsie Cullinan said yoga was not suitable for a parish school setting, “especially not during religious education time.”

Explaining to school staff that he had been asked by several people to speak about yoga and mindfulness, the bishop indicated that schools need to incorporate Christian mindfulness which he said was “not mindlessness but is meditation based on Christ.”

Elsewhere in his letter, Dr Cullinan reminded staff that October is the “month of the Rosary” and he encouraged principals and teachers to pray the Rosary and help children to spend time with Jesus in adoration or in quiet meditation in the classroom.

The Bishop also referred to a homily given by Pope Francis in 2015 in which he said: “Practices like yoga are not capable of opening our hearts up to God.” The Pope continued: “You can take a million courses in spirituality, a million courses in yoga, Zen and all these things but all of this will never be able to give you freedom.”