BERLIN, Md. - Sonrise Church Pastor Daryl McCready says he disagrees with a new morning routine at Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin after being invited to the school to see it demonstrated.

Mindful Moments are a video series of breathing and stretching exercises that students follow along with at the start of each day. Jayme Mahoney and Berkleigh Diaz lead the videos. They say they hope to give extra emotional support to students that need it through these moments.

"The understanding that social, emotional education is a vital part of our curriculum. And if we aren't to address that, we will not, I don't believe, be really addressing the tragic recent happenings in schools," Mahoney said.

But McCready says the new demonstration is based on yoga practices that he does not agree are appropriate for public schools because of its background.

"Clearly there's some practices under the name of yoga, of seeking spirit guides and Buddist practices and Hindu practices and new age teachings which are all what we believe to be false religions and not in line with the Bible," McCready said.

He recently said during a sermon before his congregation that he's worried for the potentially underlying messages with the program.

"False philosophies are teaching people that you are part of God and if you can access this part in your inner being, you can raise it up and you can be as God. And it's a lie," McCready said.

Mahoney says the mindful moments program within Buckingham Elementary are secular and only meant to provide calmness to students. She says it is largely focused on bettering the mental health of youth.

"It is a mental health issue first and foremost. There is no aspect of this that is a spiritual or religious issue. It's a mental health and well-being issue," Mahoney said.

At this time Worcester County Public Schools officials said they will not be changing the program at Buckingham, in a statement to WBOC.