Jean-Marie Déchanet was born Gabriel Roth Vladimir Déchanet in 1906 in Isches, a small village in northeastern France between the rivers Saone and Meuse. He was born with epilepsy, a condition for which there were few treatments at the time. His saving grace was his intelligence, determination to fulfill himself in life and his single desire to live out his days as a humble monk.

This photo features Saint-Brice d'Isches where Fr. Déchanet was baptized as a child.

Fr. Déchanet was Benedictine monk of Saint Andrew's Abbey in Bruges, Belgium. He entered the Order of St. Benedict in 1924, though he was originally denied entry due to his epilepsy. He was ordained a Catholic priest on May 22, 1948.

Dutch for “abbey”, this sign directs visitors to Saint Andrew’s Abbey in Bruges.

This artwork adorns the door to the church at the St. Andrews Abbey, Fr. Déchanet’s home from 1924-1957

When he was about 40 years old, Pere Jean began receiving medicine for his epilepsy, which allowed him to explore exercise, gymnastics and swimming. He was finally well enough to be ordained.

He became a member a holistic health program in Paris. He benefited greatly in body, mind and spirit from the program but still felt the exercises didn’t fit in very well in his monastic life.

This is the magazine Pere Jean says once “crossed my desk” — featuring an article on Hatha Yoga. This is where he read the word yoga for the first time.

Published in 1955 by Fr. Regamey, this article explores whether a Christian can do yoga. This was one year prior to when Fr. Déchanet’s book on the topic of Christian Yoga would be published.

This is a first edition (1956) copy in Saint Andrew’s Abbey library signed by Pere Jean. Within a few years of publication, La Voie du Silence (The Way of Silence) was translated into 7 European languages and sold over 100,00 copies.

This note was found inside the Abbey’s copy of “Christian Yoga,” a gift from Fr. Déchanet to the monks.

In 1956, possibly because of his publications on yoga, the monastery sent Pere Jean to the Belgian Congo, which was in the middle of one of the worst disasters in human history.

Valjouffrey is a small town in the Southern Alps, and Pere Jean’s hermitage is about a 15-20 minute hike away, up into the mountains.

Fr. Déchanet with Br. Jean Remy outside the Hermitage, 1969. In this case, “hermitage” is just a fancy word for a small one-room house made of wood, with a loft for a mattress.

View descending from Fr. Déchanet’s hermitage to the town of La Chapelle in northern France.

In 1965, Gerard Charrier became Pere Jean’s first visitor. Every summer thereafter, Gerard and Madé visited Pere Jean at the hermitage, camping with him all summer long. Here, Déchanet and Madé Charrier can be seen outside the hermitage with Pere Jean’s dog, Chirpie.

Gerard and Pere Jean celebrating the anniversary of his ordination.

A great community was born at the hermitage. Guest instructors would come — other priests, dance instructors, etc. Here, guests are practicing yoga out on mountainous grassy plains, learning what it is to live in this way of silence.

For 30 years, the hermitage near Valjouffrey became something of a summer yoga commune where Pere Jean, Gerard, Madé, and others would practice yoga, partake in Mass, hold sessions on hatha yoga, theology, whole foods, and other complementary topics, and simply be together as Christians practicing yoga.

For 30 years, the hermitage near Valjouffrey became something of a summer yoga commune where Pere Jean, Gerard, Madé, and others would practice yoga, partake in Mass, hold sessions on hatha yoga, theology, whole foods, and other complementary topics, and simply be together as Christians practicing yoga.

Home of Gerard and Madé Charrier, where Fr. Déchanet would visit many times.

This old postcard shows La Chapelle, the small village in Northern France at the base of the Hermitage. Fr. Déchanet assisted the parish priest at the church. Gerard and Madé were married there in 1969.

Fr. Déchanet celebrating mass at the parish church where he served as an assistant pastor from 1964 - 1990.

A day’s hike from the hermitage

This is the village near the hermitage

Built at the hermitage in 1965.

Pere Jean occasionally did leave the hermitage. He served as a member of the yoga council of Leon, as the spiritual advisor to the council. Here, he is giving a lecture in Paris.

Here, Fr. Déchanet (on right) attend an international yoga conference held in France in the late 1960s.

A group from CPY visitors at the oratory on a recent retreat to the Déchanet hermitage.

A group of Christian’s Practicing Yoga visited the hermitage in the summer of 2019.

Pictured with Dana Moore on a recent trip to the hermitage, summer, 2019