Two Yoga studios in the city of Nizhnevartovsk recently received a letter from local officials to stop hosting the Hatha yoga as it is known to be linked to religion cultism. The two studios, Aura and Ingara are well known for their hosting of the Hatha Yoga, the most popular Yoga practise in Europe.
The move was said to be crucial in preventing the spread of religious cults and movements.
In another letter sent to the heads of the departments for physical culture and education, refers to Hatha Yoga as "inextricably linked to religious practices" and as having "an occult character," .
Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that encompasses physical exercises and a focus on deep breathing. It was started by the Shiva, one of the deities of Hinduism and passed down through the disciples.