Modified yoga causes controversy in schools
Earlier this month I wrote a post about a group of parents who wanted yoga banned as part of the physical education curriculum at a small town school. I was surprised that yoga could cause such controversy.
But now there is further controversy swirling around the ancient practise and its appropriateness for schools.
A Denver teacher convinced of the benefit of yoga for students crafted a program dubbed as "Yoga Ed". In response to Christian fundamentalist protesters, the program's founder stripped out all chanting, meditation and religious connotation out of the yoga. More than 300 physical education instructors have now been trained in this unique brand of yoga, and it's been implemented in 100 American schools.
Teachers say it helps to calm students with ADHD, may reduce childhood obesity, and serves to calm nerves before tests. Critics say that even stripped down "yoga lite" has religious and spiritual connotations and should be kept out of schools.
I'm not particularly religious so perhaps I'm off-base here, but man, I can think of so many more things that should be of focus and controversy in schools. Bullying, for example, and the meager wages teachers are paid. As a stressed out teenager prone to freaking out before exams, I would have loved a program like this in my high school.
What do you think?
But now there is further controversy swirling around the ancient practise and its appropriateness for schools.
A Denver teacher convinced of the benefit of yoga for students crafted a program dubbed as "Yoga Ed". In response to Christian fundamentalist protesters, the program's founder stripped out all chanting, meditation and religious connotation out of the yoga. More than 300 physical education instructors have now been trained in this unique brand of yoga, and it's been implemented in 100 American schools.
Teachers say it helps to calm students with ADHD, may reduce childhood obesity, and serves to calm nerves before tests. Critics say that even stripped down "yoga lite" has religious and spiritual connotations and should be kept out of schools.
I'm not particularly religious so perhaps I'm off-base here, but man, I can think of so many more things that should be of focus and controversy in schools. Bullying, for example, and the meager wages teachers are paid. As a stressed out teenager prone to freaking out before exams, I would have loved a program like this in my high school.
What do you think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kimberly 1-31-2007 @ 8:09AM
I think this is ridiculous. I teach with a Catholic school board in Canada. Yoga is part of the phys. ed curriculum in many schools. Parents really don't have a problem with it.
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Raquita 1-31-2007 @ 9:50AM
I agree these people simply need something constructive to do with thier time, becuase clearly they need new hobbies or something.
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sweetsalty kate 1-31-2007 @ 10:12AM
This is right up there with burning Harry Potter books and outing gay teletubbies.
Why can't these people channel all this apparent energy into something REAL - to your point - like keeping drunk drivers off the road... finding a cure for cancer... taking everyday steps to curb global warming... etc etc etc. I could go on and on.
It makes one weep for the future that these kinds of fluff issues even get any press. Attention and media coverage makes a wildly overestimated minority of laughable fanatics appear to have some reason to be taken seriously.
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AdrienneB 1-31-2007 @ 10:34AM
The people who are complaining probably have the fattest kids.
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SKL 1-31-2007 @ 3:12PM
Yoga is great - I think it is probably the best exercise program in existence.
Public schools should just come up with a course title that doesn't include the word "Yoga" and describe it without reference to its religious origins. How about "stretch your limits" or something catchy like that?
Using the term "Yoga" unfortunately invites resistance from certain groups. Like we exclude the word "Christmas" from public schools' winter musicals, rather than ban the musicals outright, why not just exclude "Yoga" from the exercise program? In its stripped-down version, it's just movement, after all.
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School Teacher 2-01-2007 @ 2:01AM
Yoga is taught to some of the autistic kids at my school. I haven't heard of one complaint yet and I wish it was available to the entire school. Staff included!
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marc 2-04-2007 @ 9:12AM
i would love to have yoga in my school because it would help me in my martial arts class called tkd.
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