Re: Yoga is controversial

Posted by S. Bolden on 1/14/08

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Hello,
Her reaction was inappropriate and unprofessional. If she
had an issue with the book then she should have taken her
child out of the class and spoke to you after class. I feel
sorry for the young students who beared to witness that type
of behavior. I teach high school P.E. including 3 aerobics
classes. Yoga happens to be one of the units I teach in
aerobics. Although I discuss the different types of yoga at
the beginning of the unit, I steer clear of any religion (as
I'm sure you did) when introducing it. I promote yoga to
the students as an excellent way to exercise to increase
strength and flexibility, improve posture, and encourages
focus and concentration to name a few benefits. Yoga also
addresses many components of fitness (which help to meet
state standards). It sounds like this woman needs to
research more than just an article before passing judgement
and embarassing herself, not to mention confusing the
students. I'm sorry you had to endure this attack about
such a wonderful form of exercise.

Sincerely,
S. Bolden

On 11/07/07, Houston teacher wrote:
> Ok. So I don't know if anyone here also teaches movement
or
> dance or anything like that,but I needed a place to tell
> the this story- I will also posted on the fine arts board.
> I teach a motor skills/movement class to young children (
> under 2) with their parents. I see that this subject could
> get controversial so please for the sake of my sanity- if
> you want to flame or fight go somewhere else- I have had a
> tough day and just can't take it. I just need to vent and
> see if there is anyone else that has shared my experience.
> thanks.Here's my story...Today, I was very excited to
bring
> my Yoga baby book to class for the kids to be animals. All
> the kids gathered around for the story and were staring at
> me wide eyed and then out of no where a mom flips out on
> me. " No, don't read that!" " Put it away!" Well, I just
> stared in amazement as did everyone else. Then she says
> well go ahead and read it to the others,but I don't want
my
> kid doing yoga- I will explain later. At this point, I
feel
> as if I am about to read about vodoo and all the kids are
> staring at me. I wasn't sure what to do. So the rest of
the
> class I was shaken and to be honest offended. The book
> seriously is just posing like animals and her little boy
> wanted to be an animal. So she did at the end say " Oh he
> can be a frog" I just didn't know what the book was. So
the
> mom( oh by the way someone I have known since high school)
> explains to me that she is sorry that she embarrassed
> me,but she doesn't want anything to do with Yoga b/c it is
> based in eastern religions( I knew that,but we weren't
> doing anything prayer related) and that most people don't
> know that and that it is a form of worship and that doing
> yoga is a offensive to god. She then goes in to tell me
> that another mom in the class also thinks that( she didn't
> say anything) and I felt awful. I see both sides of the
> story( some forms could be worship,but now most of it is
> completely fitness based and is totally secular. It NEVER
> occurred to me that it would offend. Of course, she goes
on
> to say that her daughters school( VEry religious) had even
> done Yoga and so had her husband before she read " this
> article" and once they read it they too stopped. Now, I
> feel like she has forgiven me for offending her( Clearly I
> had no idea),but that she is going to be offended that I
> still teach yoga( Not in the class any of her kids are
> in!!). I teach kids yoga classes weekly. I now feel like I
> have walk on eggshells about the subject. Of course, I am
> still a bit miffed in how she reacted- I think she could
> have just said " can i see your book before you read it?"
> Or hey, could you just say the animal names and not the
> word Yoga( as I did). I had a new student/parent in the
> class and I was worried as to how I would be judged after
> that. Although, I kind of think she came off a bit loony
in
> her dramatic reaction. Has anyone else had anything like
> this happen to them??

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Yoga is controversial, 11/07/07, by Houston teacher.
• Re: Yoga is controversial, 11/13/07, by Triocd.
• Re: Yoga is controversial, 11/15/07, by greg bert.
• Re: Yoga is controversial, 1/14/08, by S. Bolden.
• Re: Yoga is controversial, 3/20/08, by LAN.
• Re: Yoga is controversial, 3/25/08, by Vickie.