Re: Should Yoga be taught in all American Public Schools?
I think yoga is okay (at best) if all the religious (Hinduism-related) content is extracted from it (much like the thread says)...
however, mainly the Hinduism part is the "mantars" and your "inner relief," the latter of which you can in fact accomplish better by doing yoga for - say - an Islamic reason perhaps: You want to do it to keep yourself fit so you don't get sick, because of which you don't miss your religious fulfillments. Taking this in an even more liberal context, you can alter the name "yoga" to say - "Stress relief exercise" or something.
Also I'd prefer most Muslims to refrain from public yoga with male, females in same sessions > some of the more advanced movements can get "hot" looking, and the recommended clothing too matters.
Re: Should Yoga be taught in all American Public Schools?
At the moment, I have three ADD children in the class, it’s a non-denominational middle state school. So I’ve been thinking to bring such stress relieving exercises in the class, however, already know some of these so we performed together. It really calms down those three students with attention-deficit disorder.
I arranged all 18 students on the carpet in class, with legs and arms crossed, and then asked them for closing the eyes. I was prompting thinking on certain issues of behaviour/anger management among them. There are already plenty of breathing/focusing, child and culture friendly exercises integrated in schools.
“Yoga” in a school, it’s just like as last year Muslim parents has withdrawn their children from the “Mass” in a Catholic (denominational) Primary School as a protest. They are also allowed to withdraw their children from other religion teaching in non-denominational schools.
I don’t see it could be integrated into such schools that have children from all faiths, though if it’s a faith (denominational) school or private school then obviously parents don’t have choice.
Two of the steps are exercise and relaxation, and Americans heartily supports yoga – which involves stretching exercises, deep breathing, and meditation – as an approach to both.
The teenagers in Chryssicas’s classes already know this. “I have a very busy schedule,” said Caroline Baumann, 14, of Wellesley, who participates in field hockey, basketball, and theater. “I was really stressed out all the time and then I came here and it was really, really fun, and what we learn is really helpful. I had to take a really big test the other day and during the break I did yoga and it calmed me down.”
National statistics bear out Chryssicas’s concerns. Adolescent depression is on the rise, as is the prescription of antidepressants to teenagers. Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg , who advises the American Academy of Pediatrics on teenage stress, calls today’s youths “the most anxious, stressed, sleep-deprived generation ever.”
“We don’t know if the rate of teenage anxiety is truly going up or if it’s just recognized more. But what we do know is that on college campuses counseling centers are overflowing . . . and that more and more people are talking about stress among teens,” he said.
Re: Should Yoga be taught in all American Public Schools?
Swami Ram Dev ka mu*n *to vahi terre ka terra hi hai aur jism intehai naazuk aur kamzor sa itna lamba arsa Yoga karney ke bavujood bhi.. Aur kisi ko kya khaak faaeda hoga???
For most in the west it’s just a gym exercise, the mantras just make it appear more exotic for the culture-starved westerner but nobody thinks of it as anything spiritual…
It’s the stretching and breathing exercises which cleanses the body of excess lactic acid and release endorphins in your brain which makes you feel good, lol it’s nothing to do with being close to Ishwar, that same feeling can be achieved with any good exercise…
Re: Should Yoga be taught in all American Public Schools?
yup, a 2 mile run is MUCH better then doing yoga. yoga is pretty much overglorified strectching excersices which humans all over the world have been doing for ages after a healthy workout(such as stretching hamstrings, quads etc)
Re: Should Yoga be taught in all American Public Schools?
I feel the same way, but I don’t think there’s any harm. It does help – though it’s not the only way to get the physical and mental benefits that its advocates reference.
