The yoga session in progress at Ebenezer Marthoma Church in Kerala.
The service at Ebenezer Marthoma Church had started on a usual note this Sunday -- with worship, offering and the holy communion. But what followed was unprecedented: a yoga session, during the service and inside church, with an in-house Christian yoga guru.
The chanting included "Amen" - word uttered at the end of prayer, meaning "so be it" and Yeshu (the name of Jesus Christ) giving "Om" a miss.
The church in rural Punaloor, 69 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, set itself apart from other mainstream churches by initiating its members into various asanas on the first International Yoga Day - an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The yoga guru, KK Johnson, is a practicing Christian who first was introduced to yoga in a Christian ashram in Manganam nearly 30 years ago.
Mr Johnson, 55, says he never found a contradiction between yoga and his faith.
"I follow naturopathy and hence my interest in yoga. I train schoolchildren and many others in yoga, said Mr Johnson, who has taken it up as a profession. "Yoga is spiritual but is inclusive of all religions," he said.
The priest, Revered KC Thomas, 44, who demonstrated the movements and breathing patterns to the congregation with ease, had learnt yoga at the Marthoma Seminary in Kottayam more than 20 years ago.
"I am overwhelmed by the response from everyone. We, as a church, believe our faith is in congruence with nation's progress and being an eastern church, yoga is close to culture," he said.
Jobin George, a young school teacher, was among the elated youth in the church, who was seen following the yoga guru with utmost seriousness.
"I never thought I would be exposed to yoga in church. In today's stressful situations in life, this will go a long way towards helping us," he said.