Yogi hops into first place

Press, 22 June 1987, Page 9

Yogi hops into first place

Even in this awkward tuck, Ken Thomas hopped his way to first place in the high jump at the national yogi flying championships in Glenfield, Auckland. . ■ The Hamilton < : computer engineer, shown here in a warm-up session, managed to hop up to a platform 39cm high, in what followers of Transcendental , Meditation believe is the first stage of Jevitation. Five ‘ competitors hopped their way through the championships, though no-one managed any hovering, the second stage of development, according to the national director of Transcendental Meditation, Mr Bryan Lee.' Mr Thomas was placed first in the high jump, first in the 25m dash, and third in the long jump. That event was won by an Auckland meditation teacher, Mr lan Smillie,

with a 14Scm leap while in a full lotus position. Mr John Bird, a Christchurch computer programmer, was second in both the long jump and the high jump. Mr Lee said Transcendental Meditation followers were often dismissed as nuts by people they talk to about their flying beliefs. “What people do not realise is that it is very deeply embedded In Western civilisation. There have been more than 2W recorded instances of Christian saints and holy people flying, down through the ages in Europe,” he said.