US Court Rules Yoga Not a Gateway to Hinduism

Providing yoga lessons at a public school is not a gateway to Hinduism and does not breach the religious rights of students or their parents, according to a ruling issued by a California appeals court.

The San Diego court backed a lower court ruling against a family’s lawsuit that aimed to block Encinitas Union School District from teaching yoga as an alternative to traditional gym classes.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court determined, devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings," the San Diego court said.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court det

US Court Rules Yoga Not a Gateway to Hinduism

Not that I want to open up a thread with religious wrangling one way or the other, I think this is a good ruling by the court.

Yoga, although originally associated with Hinduism and Vendanta, has been largely secularized, and only the sectarians themselves, in this case obviously Christian, see any problem with yoga being taught in schools.

Though this case may be from an atheist perspective as well.

a reply to: Willtell

Well if it was Yoga then it would be religious..
It is only called yoga without people realizing what the word yoga means.

Yoga is "The Way."


That is a good ruling.

Good ruling.
It's the only way it could have gone.

a reply to: Willtell

What a waste of taxpayers dollars. But, I guess if the kids are too fat to do regular gym class, this is a way to keep them occupied.

Hatha yoga, if taught like this school is teaching it, is just learning how to stretch. An old yogi I met once told the people listening that you are as young as your spine can stretch. So good stretching exercises which include the spine, whatever the name, should and happily are taught in schools.

Raja and other yogas, on the other hand, would be hard to teach without including something that overlaps on some people's definition of religion. But Hatha Yoga, ha! tha'd ain't nuttin tha worry about.

a reply to: TonyS

Yoga is good exercise.. it's the same as anything else maybe better. I couldn't tell whether or not it was always yoga and never gym class or if it just counts as exercise for that week or whatever.. I'd want to have my gym class if I was a kid. Yoga boring for kids..

A district lawyer, for his part, assured that there were no yoga rituals taking place in the classrooms and that no one worships the sun or leads Hindu rites

..from the article

That made me laugh a little too hard. I almost started thinking I was reading the onion.. The Irony is almost too perfect. No one worships the sun.. hehe

originally posted by: KnightLight

A district lawyer, for his part, assured that there were no yoga rituals taking place in the classrooms and that no one worships the sun or leads Hindu rites

..from the article

That made me laugh a little too hard. I almost started thinking I was reading the onion.. The Irony is almost too perfect. No one worships the sun.. hehe

I guess the key indicator is...are there still beef burgers on the cafeteria menu?

Hmmm.

I wonder if the "free exercise" clause was considered?

I'm so glad these are the issues our country deals instead of the economy, out sourced manufacturing and jobs, brutal police actions and corrupt politicians.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is a train.

I don't think these people even understand what yoga is. Practicing postures is not yoga. It is simply one component of the practice. They have secularized yoga much like they've secularized Vipassana meditation. They take all the spirituality out of it so that what you're left with is a novelty exercise routine.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court determined, devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings," the San Diego court said.

Then it isn't yoga (in any form). Stop calling it that.

Oh wait, they can't. Then it would be just a bunch of weird stretching that no one would buy into. But say "yoga" and everyone recognizes it as something legitimate, even though it couldn't be further from.

...yoga is taught on a secular basis and the purpose is to build students’ strength, flexibility.

Yeah. Just call it "calisthenics" or something, please. It's not a novelty workout. There is a deeply spiritual component to the practice that the West not only (largely) rejects, but disrespects at the same time.

They hijacked the name and turned it into a brand. Like everything else.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

I guess the key indicator is...are there still beef burgers on the cafeteria menu?

I was making a reference to christianity marking the crossing of the Sun in Easter and Christmas..
The lawyer assuring the christians that no one was worshiping the sun in class made me chuckle a bit.

And Holy Cow I want a Hamburger.

hehehe.

originally posted by: NthOther
I don't think these people even understand what yoga is. Practicing postures is not yoga. It is simply one component of the practice. They have secularized yoga much like they've secularized Vipassana meditation. They take all the spirituality out of it so that what you're left with is a novelty exercise routine.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court determined, devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings," the San Diego court said.

Then it isn't yoga (in any form). Stop calling it that.

Oh wait, they can't. Then it would be just a bunch of weird stretching that no one would buy into. But say "yoga" and everyone recognizes it as something legitimate, even though it couldn't be further from.

...yoga is taught on a secular basis and the purpose is to build students’ strength, flexibility.

Yeah. Just call it "calisthenics" or something, please. It's not a novelty workout. There is a deeply spiritual component to the practice that the West not only (largely) rejects, but disrespects at the same time.

They hijacked the name and turned it into a brand. Like everything else.

Meh. Words change over time. Karate as it's taught in the West is probably pretty far off from actual Asian martial arts as well. French fries aren't remotely French. I don't see the problem, people are getting healthy doing it. Plus, yoga pants.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: KnightLight

A district lawyer, for his part, assured that there were no yoga rituals taking place in the classrooms and that no one worships the sun or leads Hindu rites

..from the article

That made me laugh a little too hard. I almost started thinking I was reading the onion.. The Irony is almost too perfect. No one worships the sun.. hehe

I guess the key indicator is...are there still beef burgers on the cafeteria menu?

I like those criteria.

So when a school teaches about the Quran is alright as long as they’re not serving Falafel for lunch!

I've heard religious complain that Yoga teaches you to go "into your own body and mind" and that is putting God second.

You are listening to your own mind, not God.

Kinda pathetic IMO.

a reply to: KnightLight

The Mayans worship the sun, don't they?

originally posted by: xuenchen
Hmmm.

I wonder if the "free exercise" clause was considered?

OK, so sometimes you are actually funny

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: Willtell

What a waste of taxpayers dollars. But, I guess if the kids are too fat to do regular gym class, this is a way to keep them occupied.

A complete waste of money,and senseless that this case had to go to court.
Only crazy people would take offence at the practice of Yoga.

Only in America huh?

Or maybe Suadi as well.

Is kung fu a gateway to Taoism?
God forbid.

originally posted by: Willtell

Providing yoga lessons at a public school is not a gateway to Hinduism and does not breach the religious rights of students or their parents, according to a ruling issued by a California appeals court.

The San Diego court backed a lower court ruling against a family’s lawsuit that aimed to block Encinitas Union School District from teaching yoga as an alternative to traditional gym classes.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court determined, devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings," the San Diego court said.

"While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court det

US Court Rules Yoga Not a Gateway to Hinduism

Not that I want to open up a thread with religious wrangling one way or the other, I think this is a good ruling by the court.

Yoga, although originally associated with Hinduism and Vendanta, has been largely secularized, and only the sectarians themselves, in this case obviously Christian, see any problem with yoga being taught in schools.

Though this case may be from an atheist perspective as well.

My daughter took yoga in her public school. It was very good for her ADHD and never once did I feel threatened in the religious area. She LOVES Yoga. It also helps to calm her with her autism and I actively sought classes outside of school when she was beginning to get violent because her dad refused to call her during our separation throughout our divorce, when he took it out on her.

The World could do with a gateway to the very advanced and ancient spiritual techniques and traditions of "Hinduism".