Parents fear school yoga program might be teaching religion.

[powderman]

Parents fear school yoga program teaching religion, consider legal action  Published October 22, 2012
Associated Press    ENCINITAS, Calif. –  A group of parents is bent out of shape by free yoga classes at schools in this San Diego County beachside community, fearing they are indoctrinating youngsters in eastern religion.
"There's a deep concern that the Encinitas Union School District is using taxpayer resources to promote Ashtanga yoga and Hinduism, a religion system of beliefs and practices," the parents' attorney, Dean Broyles, told the North County Times.
 
In an Oct. 12 email to district Superintendent Tim Baird, Broyles called the yoga program unconstitutional and said he may take unspecified legal action unless the classes stop.
The lessons are funded by a $533,000, three-year grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Asthanga yoga. Some schools began classes last month and others will begin holding them in January.
 
The classes involve traditional eastern breathing techniques and poses. The district chooses teachers and sets the curriculum while the foundation trains the teachers.
The district has removed any religious content from the twice-weekly classes, Baird said.
"I think that they really would like to think that, but I don't think that, in actuality, it has been done," said Mary Eady, who removed her son from the classes. "There's really a lot of unease among a lot of parents."
 
The superintendent said only a few parents have pulled their children from the yoga classes and he did not expect district trustees to cancel the program.
"Our goal is that kids get a really healthy workout, that they get a chance to relax and reduce stress and yoga's perfect for that," Baird said.
 
"Yoga is a worldwide exercise regime utilized by people of many different faiths," he said. "Yoga is part of our mainstream culture."
Jois Foundation Director Eugene Ruffin denied the group is religious and said the board of directors includes people from various faiths.
"These therapies are headed toward trying to find solutions for some of the stress that these children find themselves in," he said. "We're trying to solve problems."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/22/parents-fear-school-yoga-program-teaching-religion-consider-legal-action/?test=latestnews#ixzz2A4NHDmCP

[Conan The Librarian]

Unconstitutional? Good luck with that argument!

[BBF]

There is no question that yoga has religious underpinnings and so do oriental martial arts.

[Shu]

Yes, there could be some religious teachings. Highly doubtful though and a Christian does not need to worry about being "tainted" by eastern religions. It would be horrible of course if the concept of treating others as you want to be treated would be brought up.
 
I have studied martial arts for almost 40 years. I am a Christain and in my martial arts training the only religious references brought up were do unto others as you would have them do unto you meaning don't be bullying people around becuase you think you can and You cannot put new wine into old skin meaning you have to be able to grow and learn as life itself causes changes.

[powderman]

The whiners were probably afraid that somebody might mention the word Jesus. Oh my, what a terrible thing to expose kids to. What morons, just don't take yoga. POWDERMAN. 

[lakota]

I think its ridiculous. It looks like the kids can opt out so whats the problem? But no! A small group doesnt like it so no one should be allowed to participate! I wish I could get free yoga lessons somewhere. Promote strength, flexibility and clarity of mind and stress reduction. Thats pretty evil stuff right there!

[Shu]

Lakota,
Exactly my thoughts. Learning to manage stress before it manages you.
 
If the instructor talks about some weird mystic type stuff you don't have to agree or even try to.
A bit of excercise for the nintendo generation might be a good thing.

[powderman]

Much ado about nothing, like most everything else liberals whine about. POWDERMAN. 

[Shu]

Yoga exercise is very beneficial anyway. As we get older some strength and flexibilty would go along way. Besides there are always nice looking young women in the class.

[nw_hunter]

Yoga exercise is very beneficial anyway. As we get older some strength and flexibilty would go along way. Besides there are always nice looking young women in the class.

'You devil you" Know we know the rest of the story lol! I've been keeping up with an MMA female champion (Ronda Rousey) She is a bad girl in the octagon and nice to look at as well. Those big old MMA bad boy's love to be thrown around by her in the gym.Don't blame-em

[Shu]

You caught me.
 
I also teach a womens self defense class about once every three months at the local Aikido school. (Yes there are lots of good looking young women there also.) I teach them the brutal stuff eye pokes, slaping the ears, crushing the berries anything you can do to escape. I teach them self awareness is better but if you have to protect yourself do it with everything you got and then some. You would be suprised at the number of house wives and single moms that show up. I mention religion of course, as in when you escape your attacker should be saying "Oh God I hurt so bad if I live through this I promise never to do it again".

[BUGEYE]

I don't remember the name of it, but that exercise that old chinese folks do, seems to contribute to better health and a longer life.
maybe us westerners overdo our exercise with all the running, jogging, lifting and other mind-numbing follies.

[BBF]

Would Tai Chi be what you were thinking about? FYI there is a martial arts element to Tai Chi as well.

[Shu]

Tai Chi is a martial art. It has slow rythimic movements that promote strength and flexibility. Practioneers often have a much lower stress level. Reducing stress seems to be a key component for good health.
 
One of my good friends whom I had trained with for years simply would not participate in sparring or competitions. One day when I asked why, he said he felt it was wrong to hit someone didn't matter if it was sparring or not. He thought competitons would make him an egomaniac. He had no judgement on those that sparred or competed. To each his own.

[BBF]

The folks that I knew that practiced Tai Chi were mostly Chinese. The Martial Arts element was either not mentioned or downplayed, for what reason I wasn't told.

[Shu]

Tai Chi is mostly done for exercise today. It's movements can be used to defend yourself. You just speed up alot. Bruce Lee studied Tai Chi, and Wing Chun Kung Fu before moving on to Kenpo Karate and creating his own style. I mention Bruce becuase he was probably the most famous practioneer.
 
It is difficult to apply the basic Tai Chi forms  to self defense without a very good instructor. I would reccomend Tai Chi to anyone who needs to develop strentgh, flexibilty or just needs a form of low stress exercise. The slow movements allow for time to clear your head and relax.
 
If studying a martial art seems to be a bad thing consider wrestling and boxing are martial arts also.

[BBF]

Those two items do not have the religious undertones. For myself I would not have been concerned with my offspring taken yoga classes but would have preferred them doing Tai Chi.

[Shu]

Not sure what religious undertones you are speaking of, perhaps if you had an example. Unless of course you are talking about the old TV series Kung Fu in which the main character was a Shoalin monk from the temple. There at the Shoalin temple there would be some religious teachings, just as if you were wrestling or boxing at a Christian school.
It is true that Bhuddists, Taoist etc practice the martial arts but so do many devout Christians.