Well, imagine that... someone got a yoga curriculum into some public schools as a physical education credit.
Lo and behold, some parents object because they see this as a organized religious indoctrination, in the public school system!
Imagine the horror - kind of like the rest of us felt about prayer in school, except, there is nothing intrinsically athletic, or physical about prayer. But I digress...
So, in Encinitas, Califorinia, it's come to a head and gone to court. I follow these things, curiousity gets the better of me. I open my email this mornign, and in the news feed, this sensational headline!!
Lo and behold, some parents object because they see this as a organized religious indoctrination, in the public school system!
Imagine the horror - kind of like the rest of us felt about prayer in school, except, there is nothing intrinsically athletic, or physical about prayer. But I digress...
So, in Encinitas, Califorinia, it's come to a head and gone to court. I follow these things, curiousity gets the better of me. I open my email this mornign, and in the news feed, this sensational headline!!
Expert Witness Testifies Teaching Yoga is a Conspiracy
"From the classroom to the courtroom, teaching yoga in public schools has come under fire in Encinitas and now a judge must decide whether or not yoga is a religion."
Well, well... the story is basic, we've all seen a courtroom drama, where they hire the 'expert witness' (who has probably never even taken a yoga class before) who comes and touts what they know as the facts, and make some bombastic statements.
Folks, this isn't Jody Arias, and I sincerely doubt it's pernicious. I think some well intended folks are taking an exercise and wellness regimen, that is well-suited towards creating more optimal brain states, better self-esteem and higher executive function, and hoping to introduce it to a bunch of kids - who we all know could benefit from any of the former points.
Do some folks take the spiritual philosophy and create a religion around its trappings - indeed. Is it a spiritual pursuit - indeed, for many. Its a philosophy that can be a religion (I see the distinction being that philosophy has a love for questions that can't be answered and religion has a love for answers we should not question...).
Well, timing is what it is - so I was teaching on this anyway, had this theme, and then comes the headline - so you know what - I agree. Yes, it's a total conspiracy - best.word.ever!
Conspiracy - comes from:
conspire (v.) late 14th century, from the Old French conspirer
this comes from the Latin conspirare "to agree, unite, plot,"
literally "to breathe together,"
from com- "together" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)).
There you go - that's what we do, this band of rebel yogis, these plotters and subversives. We conspire, we come together and breath in unison. It makes us better and feel better. We thought we'd share it.
Give thanks and praise!
Folks, this isn't Jody Arias, and I sincerely doubt it's pernicious. I think some well intended folks are taking an exercise and wellness regimen, that is well-suited towards creating more optimal brain states, better self-esteem and higher executive function, and hoping to introduce it to a bunch of kids - who we all know could benefit from any of the former points.
Do some folks take the spiritual philosophy and create a religion around its trappings - indeed. Is it a spiritual pursuit - indeed, for many. Its a philosophy that can be a religion (I see the distinction being that philosophy has a love for questions that can't be answered and religion has a love for answers we should not question...).
Well, timing is what it is - so I was teaching on this anyway, had this theme, and then comes the headline - so you know what - I agree. Yes, it's a total conspiracy - best.word.ever!
Conspiracy - comes from:
conspire (v.) late 14th century, from the Old French conspirer
this comes from the Latin conspirare "to agree, unite, plot,"
literally "to breathe together,"
from com- "together" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)).
There you go - that's what we do, this band of rebel yogis, these plotters and subversives. We conspire, we come together and breath in unison. It makes us better and feel better. We thought we'd share it.
Give thanks and praise!
