YOGA IN U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DRAWS OPPOSITION FROM PRIESTS, LAITY

YOGA IN U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DRAWS OPPOSITION FROM PRIESTS, LAITY

by Mindy Sink, August 2, 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/08/national/08RELI.html ; http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://gk.    

Yoga has become as trendy as this glamorous ski hamlet, so it would not seem surprising that some local schools have added it to the students' day. But some parents and religious leaders here are objecting, saying that teaching yoga in school violates the separation of church and state. "We anticipate that the yoga classes will provide them with some skills to learn how to better focus and be more attentive," said the Aspen Elementary School principal, Barb Pitchford. "More and more kids seem to have trouble with their attention spans — which is about as long as TV commercials."

Leah Kalish, an author of the curriculum being used in Aspen, said opponents took issue with any Sanskrit words. One was "namaste," a word that she said was used in yoga classes to say, "The light in you is the light in me," or more generally, "to acknowledge our common humanity." The students end class here by saying "peace" rather than "namaste."

Mr. Grant said yoga had become so commercialized that it no longer was truly yoga. "Yoga has become an enormous fad and is completely adrift from its mooring as an ancient and classical tradition that has always been taught face to face with a master," he said.

A Roman Catholic priest in Aspen also objected to yoga in the schools. "The ultimate goal of the yoga is to balance the body, the mind, the soul and the spirit," said the priest, the Rev. Michael O'Brien of St. Mary's Catholic Church. "When you are talking about the soul and the spirit, then aren't you in the realm of religion? And if so, which religion?"

Mr. Woodrow, a father of four, said that even watered-down yoga incorporated aspects of Eastern religions that believe in reincarnation and pluralism, which conflict with his beliefs. "It's not fine, it's Hinduism, and it's a completely different value system," he said.