A children's group has been banned from a church hall after their yoga lessons were denounced as "unchristian".
Teacher Louise Woodcock from Taunton, Somerset, was told the Yum Yum Yoga classes for pre-school children did not share the church's Christian ethos.
The Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton said its hall was not suitable since yoga promoted other spiritualities.
Mrs Woodcock said: "There's nothing religious about yoga for babies."
Christian spirituality
"We're talking about kids pretending to be animals and doing exercise routines to rhymes – there is nothing that could damage their minds," said 41-year-old Mrs Woodcock.
"I thought the church hall would be ideal and I told them I wanted to use it for a children's activity.
"But when I came to book it I told the woman from the church office, it was for baby yoga, and she went all strange.
"I got a letter from the minister a few days later saying I couldn't have the hall, with no reasons given.
"I rang the church office and the woman said it was because yoga was related to a spirituality, unrelated to Christian spirituality, which is ridiculous."
Minister Revd Simon Farrar admitted toddler groups did use the church hall, but said they did had to meet certain criteria.
"We're a Christian organisation and when we let rooms out to people we want them to understand that they must be fully in line with our Christian ethos."
