Yoga in schools?

[Mr. Anubite]

I honestly don't know what to think about this. For full disclosure, I'm a practicing Hindu, but I can kinda see how the yoga in school could cause church/state issues. Maybe if the school is careful to strip the prayer out of the exercise?

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/co...44509dbe1.html

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/jan/02...as-yoga-plans/

[Andara Bledin]

Most westerners refer to yoga meaning just the asanas.

Hell, I suspect a large percentage of westerners don't even know there's anything else.

^-.-^

[Duelist925]

Most westerners refer to yoga meaning just the asanas.

Hell, I suspect a large percentage of westerners don't even know there's anything else.

^-.-^

I'd be one of those, actually. I knew yoga had some spiritual significance, but I've never got around to finding out how, and to what amount.

[KabeRinnaul]

As an astonishingly (but sadly, not abnormally) culturally-unaware American, everything I know about Yoga amounts to "women in tight pants doing stretches" and "I tried that once, then fell over and hurt myself."

Also, yeah, I recall something about it having spiritual something one time, too.

[fireheart17]

As an astonishingly (but sadly, not abnormally) culturally-unaware American, everything I know about Yoga amounts to "women in tight pants doing stretches" and "I tried that once, then fell over and hurt myself."

I'm not THAT far off, but for the most part, I knew that yoga had some spiritual meaning behind it (why else would you refer to the "Salute To The Sun"?)

The ONLY way I can see this as being "religious" is if they include the "Salute To The Sun" as part of the program.

Otherwise I see no problem with it and would in fact, encourage it as a way to help those students calm down. (God knows I could've used it!)

[Andara Bledin]

Even as a purely physiological exercise, yoga has some notable benefits, and I would have very much enjoyed it as part of the school curriculum. It would have been a very desirable change from all of the running and active sports that I never had the endurance to enjoy.

^-.-^

[AmbrosiaWriter]

"Salute to the Sun" or "Sun Salutations" just refers to a movement/asana pattern in yoga, each movement between stances/positions (like Baby Cobra into Downward Facing Dog, DFD into Plank) carries for one inhale or one exhale and you can repeat the movement pattern.

At least it can, when my class did "Sun Salutations" we were basically focusing on making sure we didn't hold our breath, had one inhale/exhale per movement, and keeping proper form even while moving between one stance to another. Asanas can be completely and totally secular in nature.

Yoga/Asanas can be like martial arts, most martial arts have spirituality woven into them and were created around them - however when you take classes now, a lot of dojos just teach you the secular fighting style without any spiritual attachments to it.

[violiav]

When I was in elementary school (early 90s) the Phys Ed teacher had a yoga section. I think around that time is when yoga became popular in gyms and stuff, so that may have been why. Never saw a problem with it. Still don't. It's an activity they have at the gym every day.

[Mr. Anubite]

"Yoga" in Sanskrit is often translated as "to unite," as in uniting oneself with God. The modern western practice is generally an exercise and meditative system, but it has it's roots in Hindu devotional practices.

I'll just leave these here for anyone interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

Yoga Sutras of Patañjali

Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita

[Hyena Dandy]

I presume the forms of Yoga were not taught with their spiritual aspects intact. Without the spiritual aspects, yoga is simply exercise.

A cross is not inherently a religious shape. We don't keep crosses from being put at the front of the class because there's something inherently religious about a long thing with a short thing. We keep it out because it symbolizes religious beliefs.

What you're seeing here aren't words. They're weird little shapes. We imbue the shapes with meaning.

Yoga not done as a devotional practice is no more religious than a cross would be to a 14th Century Aztec king. It's meditative and exercise. It's not religion unless you're told the religious practice.

[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]

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]

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.

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

That's The Joke(tm) >.>

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.