Parents, offended by the ‘Far East religion’ of yoga, get it banned from school

[Tennis]

“We need to direct our attention inward and connect to the breath,” yoga instructor Rachel Brathen writes in her New York Times best-selling book about the practice. “Focusing on our breath keeps us present, calms the mind, and allows us to develop the awareness of the body we need to practice with care and compassion.”

Since the ancient discipline with roots in Hinduism and Buddhism became a popular exercise in the West, yogis have inundated popular culture with their pursuit of that elusive “calm” in a rapidly spinning world.

“Mindfulness,” the meditative state associated with yoga, has likewise been adopted as a way to clear the mind.

So when administrators at Bullard Elementary School in Kennesaw, Ga., implemented yoga and other mindfulness practices in the classroom to reduce students’ stress, they probably envisioned peace and relaxation in their future.

Instead, they received a flurry of complaints — from parents who felt yoga represented the encroachment of non-Christian beliefs.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bullard’s principal, Patrice Moore, sent parents an email last week announcing changes to its yoga program.

“I am truly sorry that the mindfulness/ de-stressing practices here at Bullard caused many misconceptions that in turn created a distraction in our school and community,” Moore wrote. “While we have been practicing de-stressing techniques in many classrooms for years, there have been some recent practices associated with mindfulness that are offensive to some.”

Among the elements of the program that will be eliminated: the Sanskrit greeting “Namaste,” placing hands “to heart center” and coloring pages with the symbol of the Mandala (a spiritual symbol in Indian religions representing the cosmos).

Moore noted that a rumor had also spread about using or teaching “about crystals having healing powers.”

“We will ensure that nothing resembling this will be done in the future,” she said.
Christopher Smith, whose sons attend Bullard, shared a similar sentiment on Facebook.

“Now we can’t pray in our schools or practice Christianity but they are allowing this Far East mystical religion with crystals and chants to be practiced under the guise of stress release meditation,” he wrote. “This is very scary.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...national_pop_b

How ignorant can you be? I am embarrassed.
So much hate in some people.

[Beruis]

Huge bait post. There's a lot more to it than that. The parents were super okay with kids stretching and shit.

Quoting from the Reddit Thread,

"There's a lot of information missing from this. My SO is a teacher at this school. The vice principal owns a gem shop. It goes wayyy deeper than just yoga. She is making the students carry around rocks and stones that increase your energy and other crazy stuff. If you ask the woman her occupation she says she owns a crystal store and moonlights as a vice principal. No one cares about the yoga. It's the crazy hippy Stone stuff that she's forcing on the staff and students that people are upset about. Sorry for any typos, I am posting this on my phone."

No hate, just no tolerance for dumb shit.

Also kek tennisace is my spirit animal.

Edit for further clarity:

"Ok so I know this is going to get buried but wanted to try & shed some light on this just in case. I know one of the parents that was upset about this & they said it's more than just this. The principal knew GA is getting some heat b/c of some other dumbass laws & spun it a bit.
Basically, the people teaching the class were teaching the kids about healing crystals & having lessons about what color crystals should be applied to which parts of the body, were taught that the instructors were "spiritual healers", that yoga can heal diseases instead of modern medicine, etc.

Basically, most the parents brought up the issue, "hey, are you guys teaching our kids this stuff as fact? Cause they're running around thinking this bullshit is fact."

TL;DR: the actual parents weren't mad about saying "Namaste" they were mad that quacks were teaching their 7 year olds that magic medicine exists."

[Lillyth]

The bait post is real. Thank you for the clarification, Beruis.

Yoga and worthless rocks healing diseases instead of real medicine.

Yeah, right.

[May90]

The way they worded it reminded me the infamous "Strong" promo of Rick Perry.

[Beruis]

The bait post is real. Thank you for the clarification, Beruis.

Yoga and worthless rocks healing diseases instead of real medicine.

Yeah, right.

I just remembered reading the reddit thread this morning. :^)

I also don't like people being painted as hateful when they aren't, like how the media paints Trump. But that's another thread in and of itself.

[Tennis]

Huge bait post. There's a lot more to it than that. The parents were super okay with kids stretching and shit.

Quoting from the Reddit Thread,

"There's a lot of information missing from this. My SO is a teacher at this school. The vice principal owns a gem shop. It goes wayyy deeper than just yoga. She is making the students carry around rocks and stones that increase your energy and other crazy stuff. If you ask the woman her occupation she says she owns a crystal store and moonlights as a vice principal. No one cares about the yoga. It's the crazy hippy Stone stuff that she's forcing on the staff and students that people are upset about. Sorry for any typos, I am posting this on my phone."

No hate, just no tolerance for dumb shit.

Also kek tennisace is my spirit animal.

Edit for further clarity:

"Ok so I know this is going to get buried but wanted to try & shed some light on this just in case. I know one of the parents that was upset about this & they said it's more than just this. The principal knew GA is getting some heat b/c of some other dumbass laws & spun it a bit.
Basically, the people teaching the class were teaching the kids about healing crystals & having lessons about what color crystals should be applied to which parts of the body, were taught that the instructors were "spiritual healers", that yoga can heal diseases instead of modern medicine, etc.

Basically, most the parents brought up the issue, "hey, are you guys teaching our kids this stuff as fact? Cause they're running around thinking this bullshit is fact."

TL;DR: the actual parents weren't mad about saying "Namaste" they were mad that quacks were teaching their 7 year olds that magic medicine exists."

Riiight.
We're gonna take the word from some random person on reddit over the Washington Post.
That's really sly of you.

[Garnier Fructis]

TL;DR: the actual parents weren't mad about saying "Namaste" they were mad that quacks were teaching their 7 year olds that magic medicine exists."

I'd be fucking furious as a parent as well.

[Lillyth]

Riiight.
We're gonna take the word from some random person on reddit over the Washington Post.
That's really sly of you.

Because you have a track record of being honest.

[Garnier Fructis]

Riiight.
We're gonna take the word from some random person on reddit over the Washington Post.
That's really sly of you.

It's not that farfetched, given that the healing crystals and shit was actually mentioned in your link, albeit labeled as a rumor.

[Tennis]

It's not that farfetched, given that the healing crystals and shit was actually mentioned in your link, albeit labeled as a rumor.

Reddit isn't a reliable source. The source posted by the OP is.

[Beruis]

Riiight.
We're gonna take the word from some random person on reddit over the Washington Post.
That's really sly of you.

I can dig up the links to her website and stuff, it's actually funny and true. If you ask you'll receive.

[Garnier Fructis]

Reddit isn't a reliable source. The source posted by the OP is.

I know. I'm saying that your source lends plausibility to it.

[Zantos]

I can dig up the links to her website and stuff, it's actually funny and true. If you ask you'll receive.

I hear funny and i wanna see.

[Fawkess]

Reddit isn't a reliable source. The source posted by the OP is.

Do you have any proof as to why you think this is the case?

[Tennis]

The bait post is real. Thank you for the clarification, Beruis.

Yoga and worthless rocks healing diseases instead of real medicine.

Yeah, right.

What's wrong with yoga? I'd be concerned if a girl these days doesn't do pilates or yoga stretching..

[Spiral Mage]

I love this image and it pretty much covers the topic fairly well.

[Beruis]

What's wrong with yoga? I'd be concerned if a girl these days doesn't do pilates or yoga stretching..

Nothing wrong with yoga, unless you teach people that yoga and magical rocks can heal you instead of real medicine. Then there's a problem.

[Lillyth]

What's wrong with yoga? I'd be concerned if a girl these days doesn't do pilates or yoga stretching..

Yoga is not going to fix your heart cancer. Yoga is not going to fix your liver disease. Neither are "Magic" crystals.

[Tennis]

Yoga is not going to fix your heart cancer. Yoga is not going to fix your liver disease. Neither are "Magic" crystals.

So you think yoga should be banned from highschools is what you're saying?

[Beruis]

So you think yoga should be banned from highschools is what you're saying?

Do your arms hurt? From reaching so hard.