I have no doubt these parents are evangelical christians who cannot distinguish between substance and symbol in religion. Language is a symbol to which we assign meaning; the substance is the same regardless of what we call it but if we call it something different it's acceptable. Whereas, before we changed the name, in our own minds, it wasn't. This kind of thinking is the product of brainwashing.

Making something an issue because you are "afraid" or "don't want" draws attention to the very thing you seek to negate...

Renaming it sounds like an expedient way to deal with parent's concerns. Students still have access to the program, and parents aren't offended.

I'm curious though - what terrible thing might happen if students are exposed to Hinduism? What's the worst that could happen? And what makes it so awful?

I think separation of church and state is very important. Since Yoginis/Yogis in America are the most powerful Yoga community in the entire world, they have lot of power to introduce mediation, kirtan, or something like that, subsequently in schools, and that may have influences from Hinduism or Buddhist scripts. But, at the same time, it is a very bad practice to rename something that exists for 5000 years, and use it as it is for the same purpose and benefits. It is a shame to rename Newton’s laws of motions just to Laws that govern motions, or Pythagoras theorem to Equilateral triangle theorem, or something like that. The name Yoga is associated with each and every Yogini or Yogi who teaches, practices, and perfecting it over time. These Yogis/Yoginis do not have a specific religious color or flavor other than that they believed the universal philosophy called ‘Sanadhana Dharma’. Yoga is not associated with any prophets, missionary, or a religious deity, though some of the poses are named after some of the Hindu deities. Moreover, it’s very definition confines it to the individual who practices it and that person’s relationship with the rest of the world.

So, what is the best way to give the benefits of Yoga to our children and at the same time avoiding conflicts with the fundamental principles of the nation? My suggestion is that all Yoginis/Yogis can do free one hour community programs to teach Yoga to our children. This can be a part of the Yoga teaching training too. In this case, it is very democratic and whoever interested only will come forward to get benefited from it.

Ganga Palakkattil

I sit on a parent council for my daughter's elementary school, and was quite surprised by the very passionate objection that was made at our last meeting in regards to the Yoga program that was started in our school. We started Yoga for grades K-6 as an enhancement to phys.ed. Parents were outraged at the fact the school was promoting the Hindu religion and rituals.
The children are enjoying the sessions, and we are also thinking of renaming the program so that it will appease the parents that were against the program.

Stretching and Bending 101?

It is very suprising that so called educated people hold on to some pre-conceived and grossly misplaced view about things. Yoga may hv originated in India and was practiced by Indian saints, but actually Yoga itself has nothing to do with any Hindu religious practice. It is a set of breathing excercises/ techniques that helps us to keep fit and is so very essential in the present times when work and social stresses are taking a severe toll on society. What difference does changing name of Yoga to something else make to the actual excercise, so long as you practice it to keep fit and healthy. Wishing all readers Good Health !

It occurs to me that my yoga teachers do say that yoga is the union of opposites. If opposition can be united in this way, does it matter what it's called?

Several years ago when taking yoga at the local YMCA we had to call the class stretching instead of yoga so as not to upset the Christian nature of the ymCa.

This is a great question. Those of us who practice yoga consider it to be part of mainstream culture and our daily lives. We forget sometimes that, to some people, it is actually a foreign concept that causes them fear and concern. I taught high school for a year and created a yoga club at the school. The administration was very supportive and the students loved it. It really gave them something to feel good about; a positive outlet. However, one of my students approached me one day and said, "I'd really like to join the yoga club, but my mom won't let me. She thinks it's satanic. I don't think that, but my mom does so I can't join." I remember thinking, "Wow. That's strange and judgmental." Then I thought, "Well, I can't think that it's strange. If I think it's strange to think that way then I'm being judgmental too." If we are able to teach yoga, does it really matter what we call it? If the name itself is holding people back from being able to participate in a beneficial practice, does it matter if we change the name? Maybe if I had called my club "The Good Health Club" a student who really wanted to practice, could have.

I say, call it whatever you have to call it in order to be able to stretch and strength train in this way. I've been athletic all my life and never have I worked so hard without realizing it as I did my first yoga session. Call it anything, just get it into the schools!!!

I graduated from that high school more than 15 years ago. I live elsewhere now and my life has been transformed by yoga. I was saddened to hear about the controversy from family and friends who still live there. Indeed, it was the growing fundamentalist contingent that called for the yoga program's suspension. The program, taught by a friend of my mother’s, was pranayama only and was taught in a way that was decoupled from the spiritual aspects of yoga, so it did not violate separation of church and state. I could have used the calming and centering effects of pranayama back in high school when I was dealing with growing anxiety that was confusing and scary and that in a few years would become a disorder. So I argued in letters to the editor of the town that they find a way to keep the program. The teachers were set to demonstrate the pranayama to the school board at a meeting in which everyone in the community could weigh in, but the compromise, the renaming of the program, pre-empted the meeting. What do I think about the renaming of yoga? While it's unfortunate, it was necessary in this town’s climate to do so in order to keep the program. For the kids. And that’s what this is really about. I'm glad the kids get the exposure to and the benefits of the practice. And we know those benefits are innumerable and particularly helpful in teen years when steadiness and equanimity are so very hard to achieve amid angst and tumult. But the name the community chose--Raider Relaxation--shocked me. The raider has been a controversial mascot off and on through the years. Massena really has no excuse for letting it stand--Massena is adjacent to a Mohawk reservation, and the mascot is offensive to a small part of the student body and entire nearby community. They couldn’t solve one problem without tweaking another. I thought--they just can't get it right.

So all the fuss about Hindu religion is gone just by changing the name from Yoga to something else. From now on I am going to call Jesus something else and Christians should not have any problem with it. Looks like it is time to patent Yoga so that dickheads don't get a chance to change its name.

What a deeply controversial issue. Yoga can easily be tied to hindu philosphy. Also, the entire aim of yoga is to educate yourself spiritually. The asana are a small component of what yoga is. I'd say why not teach "Asana". Actually call a spade a spade. Fascinating article. Keep up the good work.

John B.
www.theashramyoga.com

This kind of ignorance gives Christians a bad name. How just plain stupid is it to not be afraid of something if you call it another name. It's too bad the schools have to yield to this kind of ignorance. What are we really teaching the children when we say a dog is really a cat.

I have a tradition of never sending back an empty dish when someone leaves one after a dinner. I love the monthly recipes in Yoga Journal magazine; I am always in seach of new healthy recipes to share with friends and family. The tofu stuffed shells made it easy to refill a pan my mother left; she tends to get leary with my foods knowing I love to use a wide variety, but the stuffed shells were a big hit with everyone (my biker-husband included). Thanks so much for the great ideas.

Separation of church and state is one of the protections that allows us to practice Yoga in any way we see fit. I agree that no religion should be taught in a public school. However, it doesn't seem that that is what was happening at this school. If they were only doing Pranyama, that is not a religious aspect of Yoga. The question then arises, "Is this a battle worth fighting?" I can see arguments on both sides. I don't like the way fundamentalist bullies are warping our society to fit their warped beliefs. On the other hand, we must pick our enemies carefully, because no matter the outcome, in some ways we become like our enemies. By choosing not to engage these foes directly, the Yogis and Yoginis can teach what they were teaching, and they set an example for all to see about living the value of Ahimsa. They did no harm, even to their antagonists.

I'm glad it's still being taught, even if under a different name. I think the philosophy of yoga is strong enough to withstand being called something else...deep down, it's still yoga.

Instead of attempting to change name, do more studies on Ashtanga Yoga, Dhyana, Samadhi.
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