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A yoga teacher has been barred from using a church hall after being told her classes were 'not compatible' with Christian beliefs - despite a local VICAR taking part.

Atsuko Kato, 54, has run classes at a range of venues for 25 years and has a string of loyal clients - including from the clergy.

But she said she was shocked to be told she could not use a church hall due to religious reasons.

The church at the centre of the row says yoga cannot be allowed because it does not acknowledge that "there is only one God and that...Jesus Christ is God himself".

Yoga originated in Northern India and has connections to both Hinduism and Buddhism.

But Atsuko hit back and described the stance as "out-dated" and claimed yoga had evolved into an exercise for everyone to enjoy.

She had been trying to book the church hall at Pilton in Barnstaple, Devon, last week when she was given the rejection.

She said: "In one of my classes I have a female vicar and they don't seem to have concerns so I struggle to understand what the problem is.

"I had never done a class in that hall before but I was looking for a new venue and when I phoned around I spoke to Pilton Church Hall.

"They asked me what I wanted to hire it for and I said to teach a yoga class.

"They said they can not tolerate it if it was for yoga and claimed yoga was not suitable for a church.

"They said they weren't allowed to host yoga classes because they were a church and it was not compatible with Christian beliefs. No other explanation, that was it.



"I was very surprised by this attitude, yoga is so mainstream now."

Atsuko, of Bideford, Devon, said the last time she encountered this "attitude" towards yoga was more than 20 years ago.

She added: "This did happen to me about 25 years ago when I was running a class in the Salvation Army hall and was told within a few months I would have to close.

"Someone complained that yoga was a cult. But that in 1997 and I would have thought we had moved on in our views since then.

"These are narrow-minded views. Yoga as it is practiced now is an exercise class yet they are banning it on religious and spiritual grounds. Just because it originated from India.

"It is a crazy situation.

"I have spoken to other yoga teachers and some have had similar experiences. For them the reaction was not a big surprise - but more of a disappointment.

"But I think my yoga students are very surprised by the reaction.

"One of my students is even a vicar. I don't know the name of the church where she works but it just shows how yoga is for everyone."

Atsuko says she teaches classes all over North Devon, including some in other church halls in the area.

She said: "I have even taught yoga a class which included a vicar - so not everyone shares these beliefs, some are more open-minded.

"Yoga is widely practiced these days and some doctors even tell patients to give it a try to help with flexibility.

"Since Pilton church said no, I am still looking for a venue in Barnstaple."

The Reverend Nigel Dilkes of Pilton Church explained why the church feels it cannot accommodate yoga.

He said: "Pilton church hall is a church property and under the terms of the Trust Deed it is to be used for activities which are compatible with Christian faith.

"The test of this is whether a belief or world view underpinning the activity acknowledges that there is only one God and that the New Testament person of Jesus Christ is God himself.

"Yoga is one of several activities that claims to confer physical benefits for flexibility and balance but also claims a spiritual connection which doesn’t stand this test.

"So we say why not enjoy, for example, Pilates instead. We would welcome Pilates classes to our church hall."