Yoga

Here is an article sent in by Robynn: I think the association between Yoga and religion is pretty far fetched considering all the RCs I know practicing Yoga and then running off to daily Mass. I have even done Yoga at Mass. Sacriligious? No, I'm hyperactive and I just have to always be moving. Yoga allows me to focus, to balance, to stretch, to stand, to bend without anyone noticing, and that's a huge advantage for someone who cannot sit still. Anyway, here's a delightful article; thanks, Robynn.

Yoga in Schools

Yoga might help children with Attention Deficit Disorder focus and might help reduce the rate of childhood obesity, but parents are questioning whether it has any place in public schools. Critics complain that even yoga that has been Westernized still encourages students to explore its Hindu roots—therefore violating the separation between Church and State.

Laurette Willis, who wrote an exercise routine called PowerMoves Kids Program for Public Schools and PraiseMoves: The Christian Alternative to Yoga, told the AP,

“I’m not here to say that yoga is necessarily bad, but it is counter to what I think the public education system is for: It should have programs without any form of religious overtones whatsoever.”

But many Americans who practice yoga are interested in its health benefits—not the spiritual benefits. And, as Boston-area yoga studio-owner Baron Baptiste pointed out (in what source? The AP in the same article), kids often take yoga much less seriously then adults.

“We adults need to be reminded to lighten up, breathe in the joy and have some fun,” he said.

Full disclosure time: I practice yoga, and hope to someday share it with my daughter. I think it’s a great way to focus the mind, to relax, and, of course, to improve strength and flexibility. Not to mention that it’s generally more confidence building then, oh, say, dodgeball. But whether or not I would be comfortable with her learning about it in school really would depend on the course curriculum and how it’s presented.

I think it’s a parent’s job to open the whole world to their kids and let them experience different cultures. As my daughter grows up, I want her to explore on her own, but I also want to have a hand in guiding her, and be there to answer her questions or help her to seek out answers. As it turns out, my child’s education is a participatory sport.