Warning, Practicing yoga is anti-religious (Page 5)

Yep.

Much longer story here.

Suffice to say that I communicated with them much as I communicate on CoJ, like a mule with inertia. They didn't necessarily agree with me, but couldn't show me where I was wrong.

My son no longer had to practice yoga in this teacher's class. 
Neither do any other kids.
The teacher just stopped doing it.

She also now backs her car into her parking space
so as to not display her anti-christian bumper sticker during school hours on school grounds.

Assuming you believe in god does anyone doing a yoga stretch really think it changes your belief in God or what he thinks of you?

The stretching is not the issue is what I believe he is saying, but the stretching wrapped in the beliefs...

I would have zero problems with my kids doing stretching, but I would not like them being taught Yoga in school. (And based on the article in the OP, I think elementary school having Yoga classes is.... well I think they could use that time in other ways as I stated in earlier pages)

In matters of eternal damnation, you should err on the side of caution.

This reminds me of the difference or similarities of a dead bird, cut up into pieces, boiled in oil until it changes color & Southern Fried Chicken.

@ Don while I disagree with your stance/belief on the subject, I respect your right to have it. I do appreciate and thank you for the way you dealt with it and did not attempt to have it removed from the school.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster knows your heart.  You should err on the side of pasta.

They removed it on their own.

My concern was only with my son.
I only asked that he not be involved.
I didn't ask that the school stop the practice. 

In fact, I emphasised that I thought they had a right to do that if they wanted to,
but that they needed to make it known up front.
We hadn't signed up for that. 

This was a secular school.
My argument was that they were engaging in spiritual and religious formation.
They had no counter argument that was reasonable. 
I think they saw that. 

I am still not sure where the beliefs figure in - perhaps some time ago but as mentioned most 'western yoga' imposes no religious beliefs.  Having practiced many many times I am still scratching my head over this very notion because I wouldn't even know what religion you are talking about.  

Aside from a good workout i take away messages about 'staying in the moment' and focusing on what's going on with me and not comparing myself to others ... that's about it...

Still head scratching ...

But to each their own

Every yaga class I have been in they just say the moves, have calm music on, and have a quiet time at the end. None of that would change my relationship to god but thats just me.

Well with religious formation for young children,
think of it as learning through doing.

Young children don't necessarily grasp high theological concepts,
but they can come to understand God through liturgy.

Movement is a part of liturgy.
At Mass, all of the sitting and standing and kneeling has theological significance.
That's over the head of young children, but yet they learn through sitting and standing and kneeling.

Later, they may begin to connect the dots.

If you use yoga for mere stretching and relaxation, terrific.
However, it does come from a serious Eastern religious tradition.
Many people take it farther, into that serious realm. 

I'm happy for my children to learn about other faiths and practices.
To actually practice them though is another matter.

For young children, body movement practice is a form of learning through liturgy.
I have a natural right as their father to determine whether or not my children will do that. 
I don't want them preconditioned to Eastern religious practices.

Just have then pray while they are doing the stretches problem solved.

When I wrote that I was being sincere (I know it's hard to tell where I'm coming from at times) I had not seen your post on the top of this page prior.

Thanks for expanding on how this transpired.

I figured you missed the other one and that our posting crossed.

Big Appa - Just have then pray while they are doing the stretches problem solved.

See, I thought a good solution would have been to have all the kids sit, stand, and kneel
while holding rosary beads. The ones who wanted to could chant "Om mani padme hum".  

I haven't read through all the posts but every yoga class I've been to (3 different places) start and end with chanting and this weird thing at the end where you raise your hands (in a prayer position) to your head, your heart and then they do this weird bow while chanting and saying Namaste.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I just want to stretch.  The places also tend to have Buddha heads and photos of the Dali Lama which makes me less uncomfortable but (without having read the article), I can see where some forms of yoga may make people feel uncomfortable.

I went to the classes at 24 hour fitness so I guess it's a little different.

Yeah that's totally different than any class I've been to (multiple classes at 4 different YMCAs, 2 different classes at XSport and 1 at an independent local gym).

I guess I'm the type of person where I look at the overall value of the class, not focus on say one thing I'm not interested in. And I'll just abstain if there's something I'm not comfortable with (for example if I was uncomfortable with saying Namaste - which is simply a customary salutation for greeting or departure, nothing more) I just wouldn't participate in that aspect, no worries, no offense taken on my part. Kinda like in spin class when they do jumps or other stuff I don't like, I just don't do them but still enjoy the rest of the class. 

But if it truly makes you uncomf - by all means opt out.

That's never been part of the yoga classes I've attended.  I can definitely understand being uncomfortable with that.

I beleive it was the great philosopher Homer J. Simpson who asked "what if we are worshipping the wrong god, and every time we go to church it just makes him madder and madder?"

The thing I find funny about this whole topic is that (a) yoga in and of itself is not some sort of religious practice, anymore than lighting candles at a dinner on a Friday night means you are celebrating the jewsih Shabbot; and (b) one of the original ways yoga was used was as part of a sexual cult (i.e. the Tantric tradition) within the hindu tradition. If you want to be upset about your kids doing yoga, be upset about THAT, not the general eastern connection. Seriously - the whole thing is silly - it's like saying they shouldn't give kids pretzels at snack time since pretzels are formed into the shape of hands in prayer to reward christian children for prayer.

Adding that one to the list.

Don't forget that men's neckties are a symbol of the cross.

Silly?
Hardly.

For me it's a serious subject, especially when it comes to my children.
If anyone, Christian or otherwise, wants to practice yoga in any form, be it from simple stretching to tantric yoga, go ahead. I don't care.

Just don't do it with my kids in any way shape or form.

Here's a link to the vatican website regarding  
Presentations of the Holy See's Document on "New Age" 

Topics covered include:

• Loss of a sense of personal God
• Neo-pagan religions
• Rise of Eastern spiritualities
• Age of Aquarius
• Distorted vision of Christ
• New Age as a false utopia

Agree with the documents conclusions and concerns or not,
it certainly not silly.

Regarding pretzels, are we talking hard or soft?

A question for you Don, and I don't mean any disrespect by this at all - I'm genuinely interested... did you ask your son if didn't want to participate?

No. 
That wasn't a six year old's decision to make.

There was concern of course that he would feel left out of some activity,
but we worked it out so that everyone involved was good with it, including him.

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When I made my first post on this thread I said that I didn't want to debate the issue.
I understand that a lot of people here practice yoga for the goal of health benefits.
Some may also practice it for spiritual reasons.
Of course you all have a right to do that for yourselves or with your children,
and I support that right.

However, the original point of the OP was the issue of backlash against yoga in the public schools.
Count me in as part of the backlash, although in our case it was a secular private school.

That's all I got on this subject regarding yoga and schools.

Maybe another day a broader thread could look at the issue of the popularity of Eastern spiritual
practices in the West and its effect on Christianity:

• Why has it become so popular
• What are its theological foundations
• How does it either add to or take away from traditional Christian practices and beliefs
• Is it a good development, bad development, or neutral

I've also never had the chanting experience you describe - though admittedly I've done most yoga classes either at my gym or at a hot yoga studio.  Neither of which have asked me to start chanting or praying.   I agree with Lisa, if something about the class made me feel uncomfortable, I either wouldn't participate in that aspect or I'd get up and leave the class, which I've done before. 

If you enjoy the stretching aspect of yoga then I would suggest maybe finding either a different type of yoga to try, or find a different place that offers it - and hopefully you'll find one that's a good fit for you.