Yoga is banned!
A few years ago, my Dad jumped into a pretty heated Facebook debate with his cousin. She was stating that anyone who practiced yoga was bound to go to hell. Dad took it upon himself to step in and tell her she was out of line and had a lot to learn about understanding yoga. Dad doesn't even really practice yoga, he was just defending me in the family.
He's kept track of yoga headlines ever since and shared the following headline with me this week:
"Alabama fails to reverse ban on school yoga as conservatives say they fear rise in Hinduism"
Yup.
To summarize, in 1993, the state of Alabama placed a ban on teaching yoga in public schools. Basic stretching exercises could be taught, in English only, and there could be no meditation, no guided imagery, no history or philosophy, and no mentioning of how or where yoga was developed. In March 2021 there was a vote to lift this ban and it did not pass. An article in Upworthy explained that Alabama is concerned: "letting kids do yoga or meditation in school might lead them to do something terrifying...like becoming a Hindu, or being attracted to Hinduism, or looking into Hinduism."
It would be inappropriate to say that yoga is completely unassociated with religion. It certainly is more than just stretching. Yoga can be considered a spiritual practice rooted in the Asian religions of Hindu, Jainism, and Buddhism, but Hinduism and yoga are not interdependent. But it is also wrong to say that yoga is a religion, or that if you practice yoga you automatically become a Hindu (or Buddhist, or Jain). In fact, the Hindu religion does not proselytize.
I teach that yoga is not a religion, but rather a lifestyle philosophy aligned with a code of ethics. Usually, I save the deep history and philosophy of yoga talk for people who decide to become yoga teachers.
I think the real problem with this ban isn't the question of whether or not yoga is religious or if practicing yoga will convert you to any religion. The real problem is centered around fear, ignorance, and racism.
These are the questions burning in my mind:
Why can't we teach the full history and culture of yoga practice in schools? Isn't school about sharing knowledge?
What do we fear about children understanding world cultures and world religions
Many Hindus live in America—what is the impact on them of "fearing the rise of Hinduism"?
When we make decisions and take actions based in fear and ignorance (literally the lack of knowledge and learning) we perpetuate harm, hatred, and violence. In order to build strong communities, we need to learn, understand, and appreciate cultures other than our own. Appreciation of cultural diversity is an essential partner of a just and equitable society.
Considering the many physical, mental, emotional, and cultural benefits that yoga offers, it seems to me that teaching yoga to children in public schools might be the very thing needed to move us towards a more peaceful and just planet.
