Family bent out of shape over a public school yoga program sues Calif. school district

[haele]

15. They're not teaching religious spirituality, unless stress relief, basic breathing exercises and

non-denominational meditation techniques (the type of meditation where the instructor says "visualize a peaceful, sunny meadow in the spring...&quot are religious.
I've been to public-education type yoga classes, and the kidlet took one when she was in high-school as a PE alternative - it's primarily stretching and getting into the right frame of mind and breathing to hold the yoga position.
Instead of talking about "chakhras", what little spirituality - if you can call it that - they talk about feeling "energy" or "strength" from a part of your body. "Now imagine a green ball of energy forming at the base of your spine...feel it moving slowly up your back, loosening up the knots in your muscles as it moves up to your shoulderblades..."
The yoga taught in public schools is about concentration, confidence, and personal empowerment. It's like Tai-Chi. Other schools in the area down here teach the same yoga classes, and the parents of those kids who are taking the classes are generally happy and have seen improvements in their children's concentration.
I find this situation is similar to many of the other programs that deal with coping in schools - there is a very vocal subset of parents who feel that schools are not supposed to teach children anything that might lead to the child perhaps questioning their authority or the social environment around the home - programs in arts and art appreciation, comparative literature, ethnic viewpoints or even anti-bullying programs.
These are the same type of parents who freak out at fifth-graders being taught the time-tested adolescent hygene classes because they think children should be kept pure of mind when it comes to their "dirty parts" until the child gets married. The ones who are so fearful of a world full of corruption and satanic influences that just the word "yoga" conjurs up Hindoo deamons ready to drag their children down to the pits of hell.
It's a frivolous complaint, and it shouldn't be getting the attention it's getting. My opinion - one of the many mega-storefront churches is cheerleading it on.

Haele