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Yoga in Schools: The EthicalConcerns about its Religious

Connection

Maureen A. Davin, Ed.D.

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Yoga is Becoming More Popular inSchools

• Yoga Ed

• Yoga Kids – Yoga Beez and Yoga KidsGrow Up

• U.S. Yoga Association – Kids’ YogaChallenge

• Little Flower Yoga

• Yoga’d Up of London

• Yoga Bears

• Methods of Movement

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Yoga Alternative

• Yoga Alternative – Power Moves KidsProgram for Public

Schools: Thisprogram usesstretching andcharacter-building

quotes. Its founderLaurette Willis wasfeatured inNewsweek and TimeMagazine.

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 “Parents getting bent out of shape over yoga in schools. Why?”Rachel Breitman , Columbia News Service, 2006

“Yoga causes controversy in public schools: Some parents say it violatesthe separation of church and state “

 MSNBC, 2007  “Yoga in schools denounced as anti-Christian: Quesnel opponents say fitness program puts students on Satan-inspired path toward embracing Hindu gods” Ethan Baron ,  CanWest News Service January 10, 2007

“Yoga in schools: What’s all the fuss about? “ Darlene D’arezzoYoga Times, September, 2007

“Parents in twist over yoga in schools”  The Associated Press Oct 5, 2008

“Yoga controversy gaining attention”  

Watertown Daily Time Oct7, 2008

Growing Popularity Causes

Growing Controversy

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Yoga Controversy Timeline

•  1993 – Alabama religious leaders pushedfor a law banning yoga from schools.

• 1996 – American Catholic Lawyers filed afederal lawsuit in Bedford, New York.

• 1997 – Four representatives fromWashington State tried to pass a bill

forbidding yoga.

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Timeline Cont.

• 2002 – In Aspen, Colorado, Christians andsecular parents lobbied the school board.

• 2005 – Christian Law Associationcontacted Wake County School District.

• 2006 – The Alabama Department ofEducation’s State Board of Educationdecided to prohibit meditation and yoga.

• 2008 Massena High School parents askedBoard of Education to remove yoga.

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Separation of Church and State

The First Amendment states that "Congressshall make no law respecting anestablishment of religion, or prohibitingthe free exercise thereof.‚ 

The First Amendment forbids religiousactivity that is sponsored by the

government but protects religious activitythat is initiated by private individuals.

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Impermissible Speech andActions

• Engel v. Vitale (1962) Teachers and schoolofficials may not lead their classes in any prayer,devotions, or any other religious activity.

• Lee v. Weisman (1992) School officials may notattempt to compel or persuade students toparticipate in prayer or other religious activities.

• March 2, 2009 – The U.S. Supreme Court turneddown an appeal from Coach Borden of EastBrunswick High School who was banned from

 bowing his head during student-led team

prayers.

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Permissible Speech and Actions

• Students can pray voluntarily at any timeduring the day and can pray with otherstudents who want to pray. Students can

organize prayer and religious groups. Studentscan wear religious clothing.

•  In 2000 a Virginia law was passed requiring allpublic school children to participate in a one-

minute moment of silence in the morning.

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Illinois Moment of Silence in SchoolsRuled Unconstitutional

Thursday, January 22, 2009 | FoxNews.com CHICAGO —  A federal judge has ruledthat a state law requiring a moment of

silence in public schools across Illinois isunconstitutional, saying it crosses theline separating church and state.

"The statute is a subtle effort to forcestudents at impressionable ages tocontemplate religion," U.S. District Judge

Robert W. Gettleman said in his ruling.

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Yoga is banned by Islamic body

• In November 2008, Malaysia’s Islamic body banned Muslims from practicing yoga. Theleaders claimed that you can not separate the

exercise from the elements of Hinduism. ‚Yogaas practiced in the Hindu community involvesnot just physical movements but also chantsand elements of worship. Such devotional

practices aimed at becoming ‘one with god’ ofa different religion could erode a Muslim’sfaith.‛Two months later Indonesian Muslimsdid the same.

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Is Yoga Connected to the HinduReligion?

• Yoga means union orto yoke.

• Yoga is strongly

connected withHinduism.

• Trinity – Brahma (god

of creation), Vishnu(god of sustaining),and Shiva (god ofdestruction and lord

of yoga)

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Vedas

• Vedas are believed to bedivine inspiration.

• Upanishads were

written between 800 BCand 600 BC .

• They are thefoundations from whichyoga is taught.

• The first 12 of the 200Upanishads are used for

teaching yoga.

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History of Yoga

• Ceramics dated 5,000years ago were foundwith yogic postures.They resemble Parvathi

(father of yoga) andLord Shiva (Parvathi’sfirst disciple).

• Yoga has been found

recorded in scrolls fromancient Tibet.

• Evidence of meditativepractices was found inancient cities in India.

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Yoga Comes to America

• 1850 – First introducedto the United States

• TM - Popular during

flower childmovement

• Effort made to hide thetrue purpose of yoga

• Packaged as a fitnessactivity but neverintended as an exercise

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Styles of Yoga

• Raja Yoga –eight-step path• Mantra Yoga – mantras awaken energy

• Bhakti Yoga – chants, prayers, and worship

• Karma Yoga – path of selfless action• Jnana Yoga – most difficult path of wisdom

• Tantric Yoga – extreme style of yoga using

 bizarre mixture of occult and magicalpractices, sorcery, white magic, humansacrifices, cannibalism, and sexual

perversion

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Hatha Yoga

• Most popular yoga practiced in West

• ‚ha‛ means right and ‚tha‛ means left 

• ‚ha‛ means sun and ‚tha‛ means moon 

• Brings the worlds of opposition into unity inorder to provide balance

• Releases prana or energy that is in body

• Unites person’s soul with the divine 

• Many styles of Hatha Yoga:

Kundalini, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikram, Sivananda,Astanga, Restorative, Anusara, and Integral

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Kundalini

Kundalini is asleeping serpent thatis coiled three and a

half times. She stayssleeping at the base ofthe spine. Theultimate goal of yoga

is to awakenKundalini and sendher to the crown ofthe head.

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Chakras

• The body is said tohave 6 or more majorcenters of the body,with an extra one

called sahasraralocated at the crownof the head.

• Breathing is central tothe idea of energyflowing throughthem.

• Prana travels throughthe body by way of

72,000 nadis.

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Traveling Through the Chakras

• As Kundalini risesup, she passesthrough the different

chakras.• If a student can cause

Kundalini to arise tothe crown of the head,

Kundalini will unitewith Shiva, herspiritual spouse.

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Pranayama

• Importance of breathing – releases energyand causes a cleansing

• When taking in a prana breath, students

are told that they should visualize theenergy force going throughout their body.

• Concentrate on breathing to enter

meditative state and empty the mind.• Astrial projection – step outside the body

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Mudras

• Mudras are fingermovements used in yoga.

• The prana generates from

the fingers when they arepositioned in certainways.

• Each finger is said to

release certain types ofenergy and certain fingerposition will energizedifferent chakras in the

 body.

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Meanings of Mudras

• Gran Mudra – Wisdom & knowledge(Jupiter)

• Shuni Mudra – Patience & discernment

(Saturn)• Surya Mudra – Revitalization & energy

(Uranus)

• Buddhi Mudra – Communication(Mercury)

• Venus Lock – Love & Sexuality

• Prayer Mudra – Used for prayer

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Asanas

• Asanas are postures that areused that help to change theenergy paths.

• 12 asanas make up the Sun

Salutations . Each asanaawakens a certain aspect ofthe sun’s energy – It’spower to give life; its

constant motion; its abilityto give energy; and itsability to nourish, stimulate,dispel darkness, and bring

forth remembrance ofwholeness.

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Mantras

• Mantras are sacredsounds that are saidto have psychospiritual power.

• They are directed tocertain areas in the body, many times tothe third eye point.

• The goal is to master jopa. This happenswhen the mantra issent to the cosmosand is sent back to the

person.

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Mantras have Spiritual Meanings

• ‚Om‛ – hidden creator

• ‚Ong Nama‛ – I call upon the infinite creativeconsciousness

• ‚Om Nama shiviaja‛ – Salutation to the HinduGod Shiva

• ‚Sohum‛ – I am the universal self

• ‚Om Namio‛ - Salutation to the so-called Divine

Sources• ‚Sa’ha‛ – means ‚I am‛ and this means the

person has arrived at becoming the ‚eternal‛ 

• ‚Sat Nam‛ – truth is my identity – helps yourealize you are indeed the truth manifested

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What Now???

There appears to be a strong religiousconnection in yoga. Does changing theterminology really change the meaning?

Parents and others do appear to have alegitimate concern.

What are you going to do with this

information? If you have not had to dealwith this issue, you probably will soon.