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Actually, I have heard this before.

Yoga does usually have a spiritual component. It may be harmless surface stuff (in fact, I think it usually is in the U.S. because most yoga instructors don't have the background to get heavily into the psychic end. Even those who try are usually pretty ignorant.)

But yoga theory does involve religious practices which are incompatible with Christianity. So you could have a very heavily religious yoga class (probably one taught at a Hindu temple - there's one around the corner from us.) I would not take a yoga class there, because that would be clearly incompatible with my beliefs.

However, your average YMCA yoga class probably is taught by somebody who has only a superficial acquaintance with the spiritual aspects of yoga. And worrying about occult influence in that sort of class is right out there with worrying about Harry Potter. There are far more important occult influences to worry about.

When I read this article last week, I thought there was probably some info missing - it didn’t seem to make any sense. But now that I have read the more detailed account above, it looks like “war of the flakes” to me.

What’s with this laywoman creeping around the church sprinkling holy water and “blessed salt,” whatever that may be? And what’s with the pastor letting anybody conduct any exercise class of any kind in a chapel next to the altar? Maybe he’s going to put in a swimming pool next? Or let them have acqua aerobics in the baptismal pool, if he already has one?

I think both he and the concerned parishioner are wrong. The class shouldn’t be there because any kind of exercise class is inappropriate in that space. And as for yoga, while it can be a form of Hindu meditation, in Florida it is a form of low-impact exercise and stretching for older ladies. Believe me, there’s nothing demonic about it.

I can’t stand it, personally, but it does appear to have good physical results for people who go regularly.