Is yoga religious? An Indian court mulls mandatory school exercises

[struggle4progress]

By Vishal Arora And Anuradha Sharma
Religion News Service
Updated: Monday, October 28, 2:12 PM

NEW DELHI — ...

“Yoga, as it is currently practiced in India, is not merely a physical exercise. It has a strong component of faith to it,” said John Dayal, a Christian leader and member of the National Monitoring Committee for Minority Education ...

Mohammad Salim, national secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Sunni Muslim organization in India, said most Muslims will not accept yoga as a compulsory subject ...

... Umer Ahmed Iyasi, the chief imam of the All India Organization of Imams of Mosques, believes yoga is just physical exercise, and part of India’s rich heritage and culture.

India’s most popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev is accused of promoting Hindu nationalism alongside yoga ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/is-yoga-religious-an-indian-court-mulls-mandatory-school-exercises/2013/10/28/74117ade-3ffc-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html

[tridim]

1. Just call it calisthenics/stretching/breathing instead of Yoga. Problem solved.

[struggle4progress]

3. The actual issues for this case in India may not entirely parallel the issues in US cases

[riverbendviewgal]

2. I just finished watching a DVD - Yoga for people with arthritis

I don't consider it a religon...

There are different types of Yoga. This yoga used slow varied moves, different ways of doing it as needed per how much pain you have.


I find Yoga is very meditative in a way. After I do it I meditate. Looking within...I guess that is spiritual...but there is no God telling me what to do or how to do it.

The Kingdom is within.

[struggle4progress]

4. (Indian) Supreme Court to examine if yoga can be compulsory in schools

Utkarsh Anand : New Delhi, Sat Oct 19 2013, 02:31 hrs

... A Bench of Justices H L Dattu and M Y Eqbal expressed its quandary over issuing court orders to introduce yoga as a compulsory subject in schools ...

The court was proceeding with a petition that has demanded directions to all central and state governments-run and funded schools to include yoga as a subject in school education ...

Petitions by lawyer J C Seth and Padma awardee G L Tandon sought directions to develop curriculum, syllabus courses and textbooks for study of yoga comprising 'pranayama' (science of breathing) and also 'asans' (science of body postures) for all students from Class I to Class VIII, in terms of Section 29 of the RTE. After the Delhi High Court refused to allow their prayers, they moved the apex court in appeal.

While agreeing to examine the issue, the Bench expressed its reluctance to pass orders straightaway without taking into account possible reactions from minority institutions. "We are of the prima facie view that these things should be voluntary. We think if we ask CBSE to include yoga in its curriculum, minority institutions may come forward to complain. At the end of the day, we think you will need to implead minority institutions to get heard," it observed ...

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/supreme-court-to-examine-if-yoga-can-be-compulsory-in-schools/1184494/0

[riverbendviewgal]

7. Think of it as Gym/Phys ED in America

It is/was compulsory and should be as too many students are not moving much these days with their little gadgets that keep them from being fit.

Yoga also promotes breathing which I think helps with mental health.

India may have the right idea.

[struggle4progress]

9. I haven't seen the brief so cannot evaluate your claim. A number of schools in India

already do provide physical education, though not all do. The current case before the court, according to press reports, is a petition specifically asking the court to require yoga instruction in all schools. Yoga in India may bring with it issues not normally linked to yoga in the US: it may, for example, be associated with Hindu nationalism or other social/political currents

[northoftheborder]

5. Please tell me the name of the DVD, Yoga for arthritis. thanks

[riverbendviewgal]

6. I bought if from PBS Detroit - Easy Yoga for Arthritis DVD

for much more than listed here. It was a donation...I like PBS...I get to see a lot of music and british shows plus some good health shows

you can buy it from here.
http://store.peggycappy.net/video625.html

Retail price: $19.99
Sale price: $14.96

It looked good, even for those in big pain.You can do the exercises sitting down. I like it very much. Plus it encourages meditation.
Yoga is good because you go at your own pace...This kind anyway.

Good way to start any exercising if you have been dormant for a while .

[northoftheborder]

8. thanks

[AtheistCrusader]

10. It CAN be if associated with certain beliefs.

However, it need not be.