The Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has decided that yoga has no place in the life of Christians because it is a fundamental part of the religion of Hinduism, reports Greek Reporter.
The official decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting of the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, chaired by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens.
The Church of Greece was expressing its reaction to widespread media reports suggesting yoga techniques as a way of dealing with stress during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the context of respect for religious freedom guaranteed in Greece, but also of the pastoral responsibility of the Church for avoiding creating religious syncretism, the Church of Greece reminded Orthodox Christians that yoga is a fundamental part of the religion of Hinduism, not just simply a “kind of exercise.”
Therefore, the Standing Holy Synod pointed out that yoga is “completely incompatible with our Orthodox Faith and has no place in the lives of Christians.”
