Yoga in schools?

[PepperElf]

I can understand the issues. While to some this may simply be an exercise - same as how it was when I did it - it does have roots in religion.

I personally think this should only be optional. Because, to those who feel it IS religion, to have a mandatory class is pretty much forcing children into doing it and can be extremely offensive.

Think of it like … making the class practice sit/stand/kneel and making the sign of the cross. Even if you say "it's just exercise" would it be approved practice in a public school?

That's why I think it's better to just make it an optional class, rather than a mandatory exercise.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Originally Posted by PepperElf

That's why I think it's better to just make it an optional class, rather than a mandatory exercise.

As far as I can tell, it is an optional class. Children elect to take it.

[Gravekeeper]

Considering Yoga is wildly considered a purely physical / mental exercise in the west I don't see what the problem is. You would be hard pressed to find a yoga studio that even teaches any religious aspects.

Doesn't make much more sense than accusing someone of Buddhism for meditating, Christianity for kneeling or Islam because they wash their feet in the shower.

Yoga is essentially on par with a martial art in the west.

[fireheart17]

Originally Posted by Gravekeeper

Considering Yoga is wildly considered a purely physical / mental exercise in the west I don't see what the problem is. You would be hard pressed to find a yoga studio that even teaches any religious aspects.

Doesn't make much more sense than accusing someone of Buddhism for meditating, Christianity for kneeling or Islam because they wash their feet in the shower.

Yoga is essentially on par with a martial art in the west.

Agreed on all three forms, although I'd probably refer to yoga more as an exercise, not a martial art

Slight nitpick: Muslims wash their feet before prayer and it can be done anywhere where there's clean water (a line from a book about a Muslim girl wearing the hijab full-time in a private school made me laugh. She's doing the wuduh (anointing) in the toilets and this bitchy racist girl walks in. Bitchy Racist Girl comments on the fact that she's washing her feet and the main character goes "Yes BRG. So that means that five times a day, my feet are cleaner than your face!" )

I'd see no problem with doing yoga in schools full stop. Some schools I know are starting to provide qigong as a "calming" exercise for the start of the day. Are they going to accuse that school of promoting Taoism/Confucianism?

[Gravekeeper]

I wouldn't say it IS one, just that as a combination of physical and mental training, its similar.

Originally Posted by fireheart17

Slight nitpick: Muslims wash their feet before prayer and it can be done anywhere where there's clean water

That's The Joke(tm) >.>

Originally Posted by fireheart17

I'd see no problem with doing yoga in schools full stop. Some schools I know are starting to provide qigong as a "calming" exercise for the start of the day. Are they going to accuse that school of promoting Taoism/Confucianism?

Yes, I mean think of all the horrible things children might learn from Taoism and Confucianism! Like compassion, humility or God forbid, tolerance.

[KabeRinnaul]

Originally Posted by Gravekeeper

Yes, I mean think of all the horrible things children might learn from Taoism and Confucianism! Like compassion, humility or God forbid, tolerance.

Good god, man. If you teach them tolerance, then that could make them intolerant of other people's intolerance!

Why do you hate free speech?

[PepperElf]

Originally Posted by AmbrosiaWriter

As far as I can tell, it is an optional class. Children elect to take it.

where did it say that? on the second link i didn't watch the vid but i read the article the only 'optional' part i saw was that you can opt out. However it's unclear if it's one that students are automatically enrolled in or if it's something they specifically have to pick.

and the parent in the link who did opt out, specified she did it because the teacher was including stuff such as "thanking the sun" etc.

“They were being taught to thank the sun for their lives and the warmth that it brought, the life that it brought to the earth," she said, "and they were told to do that right before they did their sun salutation exercises."

To some that may seem a bit "meh, who who cares" but that *can* be close enough to make it questionable.

To some... stuff like this can be seen as indoctrinating children to adopt other beliefs contrary to that of the family.

[Panacea]

Originally Posted by Gravekeeper

Considering Yoga is wildly considered a purely physical / mental exercise in the west I don't see what the problem is. You would be hard pressed to find a yoga studio that even teaches any religious aspects.

Yoga is essentially on par with a martial art in the west.

I've never equated Yoga with the martial arts. Tai Chi maybe, but not yoga.

But I'll agree that among westerners it's seen as good flexibility training and strength training . . . which it is when you take out the religious aspects of it. I don't know of any yoga program in my area that teaches the religious connections of it. But people do tend to be suspicious of it because it is foreign and the mental discipline aspects of it can seem to "replace" religious devotion to those who really don't understand what it is.

Originally Posted by PepperElf

To some... stuff like this can be seen as indoctrinating children to adopt other beliefs contrary to that of the family.

And that scares some people to death, the idea they might be exposed to a different way of viewing faith.

Personally, I found that exploring how other people worship just redirected me back to my own Christian faith. I simply could not get into Buddishm, Taoism, Hindusim, Wicca, or any other non-Christian religion because I couldn't make a spiritual connection through those paths. But I value the experience of looking at other spiritual points of view.

Too bad a lot of people are too insecure for this. They just make themselves look foolish.

[Gravekeeper]

Originally Posted by Panacea

I've never equated Yoga with the martial arts. Tai Chi maybe, but not yoga.

Tai Chi is a martial art. Yoga is both a mental and physical discipline. Just like a martial art. I never said Yoga IS a martial art. Just that in the west, its in the same sort of category. It's a mental / physical discipline you go to classes to learn that benefits your health.

But there's no connotation of religion or philosophy in the average Yoga class any more than taking the average Kung Fu class would end up indoctrinating your children into Taoism or Buddhism.

Originally Posted by Panacea

And that scares some people to death, the idea they might be exposed to a different way of viewing faith.

And that's ultimately what its all about. The fear that someone else will break the indoctrination they're forcing on their children themselves. They don't want their children exposed to the world until they've finished brainwashing their children on how to view the world.

[Aethian]

If I had choice between yoga and regular gym I would have taken the yoga every chance I could. The year I did a after school class of yoga cause a friend dragged me there I had the best season of varsity swimming ever.

As far as the religious aspect, we have one yoga studio in KZoo that offers a early morning religious aspect of the yoga. I hear its very intense but it ends after I have to be at work.