Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 6/25/20 Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 6/25/20

The Encounter of Friendship as a Spiritual Path

Far from shutting ourselves off from others, the practices of yoga and meditation liberate us from the enclosure of our ego in order to encounter the other in a mutually transformative way.

Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 3/12/20 Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 3/12/20

Encounter with God, as described by Jean Marie Déchanet

The following passages strike me as beautiful articulations of the pertinence of yoga to the Christian’s life of prayer. Before all else, this is an experiential discovery for Déchanet. He then goes on to connect his experience with the Christian contemplative or mystical tradition.

Allyson Huval 2/27/20 Allyson Huval 2/27/20

Christians Practicing Yoga through Thomas Merton

This is an introduction to Merton and his influence on Christians who practice yoga today. This post will be followed by three others that dive deeper into Merton’s impact on Christians practicing through mysticism, contemplative prayer, and interreligious dialogue.

Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 10/21/19 Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn 10/21/19

Thanksgiving for My Teacher: A Christian’s Guru Purnima

Rev. Kevin Flynn shares his first experiences with yoga — a little book long out of print — written by Fr. Jean-Marie Déchanet.

Fr. Tom Ryan 10/10/19 Fr. Tom Ryan 10/10/19

Déchanet and Holistic Spirituality

In the second half of the 20th century, the Benedictine monk and yoga practitioner Jean-Marie Déchanet was an active proponent of holistic spirituality.

Christians Practicing Yoga 9/12/19 Christians Practicing Yoga 9/12/19

Introducing Fr. Jean-Marie Déchanet

The teachings of Jean-Marie Déchanet are little known in the United States. We believe they have great significance in our time. CPY is dedicated to researching and preserving the lost teachings of The Father of Christian Yoga.

Dana Moore 7/24/19 Dana Moore 7/24/19

A Video Interview with Researcher and Curator Dana Moore

In this video, Bobby Karle of Ignatian Yoga and Dana Moore discuss the life and teachings of Fr. Déchanet.

Renee Aukeman Prymus 5/12/19 Renee Aukeman Prymus 5/12/19

From Déchanet's Letters to Thomas Merton

As contemporaries, Thomas Merton and Jean-Marie Déchanet exchanged letters, discussing contemplative prayer and the life of William of Saint-Thierry, topics of interest to both priests.

Christians Practicing Yoga 8/7/18 Christians Practicing Yoga 8/7/18

Fr. Déchanet Teaching #1: "First, Learn to Breathe."

Fr. Déchanet instructs new practitioners to focus first on the breath.

Christians Practicing Yoga 10/12/16 Christians Practicing Yoga 10/12/16

Video Overview of Fr. Déchanet's teaching

Fr. Déchanet’s teaching have been out of print for 50 years. We bring you some of our favorites here.

Dana Moore 8/11/15 Dana Moore 8/11/15

from Déchanet's letters to Thomas Merton on Contemplation

Dana Moore 7/24/15 Dana Moore 7/24/15

Christian Yoga: The Lost Teachings of Jean-Marie Déchanet

Dana Moore 6/24/15 Dana Moore 6/24/15

Jean-Marie Déchanet: the Father of Christian Yoga

If you search for "Christian" and "yoga" in a library database or Google, you'll inevitably run across a book called Christian Yoga by Fr. Jean-Marie Déchanet. Originally published in French in 1956, Christian Yoga is one of the oldest books available considering the intersection of yoga and Christianity, and in many ways, Fr. Déchanet became the Father of today's movement of Christians practicing yoga.

So who was Fr. Déchanet?

Explore our Writers’ Perspectives