Parents in the small rural area of Quesnel in BC’s interior are upset that their school has introduced yoga as part of physical activity classes. Parents feel that yoga is a religion and shouldn’t be taught in schools, but educators counter that it is no such thing, but rather that it is only stretching.
Local rancher Audrey Cummings doesn’t believe Christian children should be doing yoga at all. “There’s God and there’s the devil, and the devil’s not a gentleman. If you give him any kind of an opening, he will take that.”
While yoga may contain elements of eastern religions, it is not a religious practice. Yoga moves are simply exercises and stretches that include elements of philosophy that attempt to connect the individual back with their body.
A school program to fight childhood obesity that includes yoga is drawing complaints from some Christian parents in the area.
They say yoga is a religion, and shouldn’t be taught in public schools.
Chelsea Brears, who has two children in the school system, said her son was asked to do different poses and “to put his hands together.”
Brears, a Christian, said she doesn’t want her children exposed to another religion during class time.
I have been doing some basic Yoga for years. I used to suffer from Tall Skinny Man Syndrome (yes, I made that syndrome up!) and I have not suffered from one twinge of back pain since I started…
Nor have I been drawn to Satan… I mean…
anymore than usual!
Yes, I do some of the basics from the various Yoga books I have.
No, I know nothing of any of the basic Yoga teachings or Sutras
I figure – in a World dominated by junk food, television and general slothfulness, anything that gives kids a leg-up in the battle against obesity is a good thing.