Yoga classes in school has been the topic by several news outlets in Southern California this week.
“Parents of two children in the Encinitas Union School district in San Diego County sued the district because they claim the Ashtanga yoga classes being offered in place of more traditional physical education instruction indoctrinate the children. But on Monday afternoon, Judge John S. Meyer ruled in favor of the school district,” reported San Diego’s NBC News on July 2, 2013.
Despite the judge’s ruling, one can expect that the parents’
lawyer will continue to fight even though the Yoga classes and the whole program
is being funded completely by a $500,000 grant from the K.P. Jois Foundation.
The yoga program is not taking away money from other school funds.
But more than that, the parents are missing a point.
As a writer, I prefer not to write news in the first person
but since this is a personal experience, it is necessary.
After I adopted a rescue horse, I found a Farrier who could
finally take care of my horse’s feet since they had been neglected for a long
time. For non-horse people, a Farrier is a Blacksmith who takes care of a horse’s
feet and who makes a horse’s shoes.
My Farrier Jason looked like a Blacksmith from the Old West,
strong, heavily build, rugged, and a no-nonsense guy. He could make my horse do
anything whether she wanted to or not. And she is a stubborn Arab girl.
Jason was, like many rough guys, not much of a talker.
However, after taking care of my horse’s feet, he told me one time that being close to
60 years old, he is glad he didn’t have to deal with his back pain anymore.
To
make a long story short, being a Farrier takes a lot out of one’s back because
lifting horses’ feet all day takes a lot of strength and a lot of bending over.
Having been a Farrier for most of his life, Jason dealt with
a lot of back pain and no medication and no doctor could help him. Until one
doctor recommended taking a yoga class.
Jason attended a yoga class for weeks and it took care of
his back pain completely. Unfortunately, when his wife discovered that he was the only guy
in a yoga class that consisted of some skinny girls in tights, she made him
stop.
Jason’s experience with yoga, however, made all the
difference in dealing with his back pain and his overall well-being that he
continued to do yoga at home with “my little yoga mat,” as he called it.
I wonder if the parents who are fighting against the yoga
classes in school would hear what an almost 60-year-old tough guy has to say
about yoga, if it would make a difference to them.Additional information about yoga and the benefits of yoga classes at ExplorationInternational.com:
"The United States Institute of Health continuously conducts research about the 'Functional MRI of Relaxation Response Training in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).' It also conducts research about the benefits of meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques for adults and children with ADD or ADHD."
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