Yoga still banned in Alabama.

[arthwollipot]

I don't remember the details and didn't really follow it that much, but I think he ended up with just owning the name Bikram Yoga, and people who want to use the name (for instance, opening up a Bikram Yoga Studio) have to go though him, but I think his plan to copyright his sequence didn't hold up in court. I may be wrong about that though.

I believe this is correct.

Oh, and just to add: My understanding is that Bikram still makes most of his money from teacher training courses, partly because people using the Bikram name have to hire teachers who were trained in one of his courses.

This is absolutely correct.

 

[PhantomWolf]

I don't think so. The First Amendment right to free speech doesn't apply to teachers in public schools. They do not have the right to teach whatever curriculum they want. This extends even to religious instruction.

You are aware that there is a lot more to the First Amendment than Free Speech, right?

I have no opinion about that. I was addressing PhantomWolf's incorrect claim that it would be unconstitutional to ban Hindu instruction in public schools.

Yeah, that's not actually what I said, but I guess it's a useful strawman for you.

However, I would point out that allowing Christian religious instruction and banning Hindu religious instruction would indeed be a violation. You can't allow what is essentially state-sponsored teaching of one religion and not another without violating either the "no law respecting an establishment of religion" or the "prohibiting its free exercise" part, possibly both.

 

[PhantomWolf]

Begs the question that public school PE teachers are qualified to conduct yoga sessions.

Probably it would be interesting to see who exactly wants to teach yoga in public schools, what qualifications they possess, and whether they're committed to a dispassionate, non-mystical curriculum of stretching and breathing.

Honestly I think yoga in public schools would be bad for yoga. Like all of those books that are required reading, and generations of students graduate with a deep hatred of those books.

The last thing the practice of yoga needs is high school gym teachers trying to make kids do it right. You wanna do yoga, or have your kids do yoga? Find a yogi that fits your personality and outlook, and have at it. Leave those poor public school kids and their PE teachers alone. Dodgeball is already bad enough, don't you think?

I think you are totally missing the boat here. No one is suggesting that every single student in Alabama must be trained in yoga, that's not the argument or the issue. The issue is that even if a school has a trained instructor who can teach it in a totally non-religious way and the school has students who are interested and happy to learn it, they are prevented from doing so by law, a law that was put in place from a fear that students might not get the right religion. Not only is that unconstitutional because it is banning something to protect a specific religion, but it's also stupid.

 

[LondonJohn]

I think you are totally missing the boat here. No one is suggesting that every single student in Alabama must be trained in yoga, that's not the argument or the issue. The issue is that even if a school has a trained instructor who can teach it in a totally non-religious way and the school has students who are interested and happy to learn it, they are prevented from doing so by law, a law that was put in place from a fear that students might not get the right religion. Not only is that unconstitutional because it is banning something to protect a specific religion, but it's also stupid.

Oh, I don't think anyone could fairly accuse the Southern States of a history of amoral/immoral & unjust legislation on their statute books.....

 

[Emily's Cat]

Alabama fails to reverse ban on school yoga as conservatives say they fear rise in Hinduism
Bill to lift ban on yoga in Alabama schools – which would still prohibit ‘namaste’ greetings and chanting – will be brought back for another try after a vote ended in a tie

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alabama-yoga-ban-school-hinduism-b1825334.html

From the title, I assumed this was going to be an Onion article.

The world really is the Twilight Zone.

 

[BobTheCoward]

I think you are totally missing the boat here. No one is suggesting that every single student in Alabama must be trained in yoga, that's not the argument or the issue. The issue is that even if a school has a trained instructor who can teach it in a totally non-religious way and the school has students who are interested and happy to learn it, they are prevented from doing so by law, a law that was put in place from a fear that students might not get the right religion. Not only is that unconstitutional because it is banning something to protect a specific religion, but it's also stupid.

I'm an atheist and I oppose yoga in school

 

[arthwollipot]

I'm an atheist and I oppose yoga in school

Why?

 

[psionl0]

Why?

Because real men don't do yoga.

 

[arthwollipot]

Because real men don't do yoga.

Fun fact: before yoga was introduced to America in the 70s, yoga was largely a male pursuit. While female yogis existed (yogini), most of the lay practitioners were male.

It was America that made yoga a girly thing. At the Bikram studio I went to, the mix was about half and half.

 

[psionl0]

Fun fact: before yoga was introduced to America in the 70s, yoga was largely a male pursuit. While female yogis existed (yogini), most of the lay practitioners were male.

It was America that made yoga a girly thing. At the Bikram studio I went to, the mix was about half and half.

Real men don't complicate the issue with facts.

 

[arthwollipot]

Real men don't complicate the issue with facts.

Congratulations, psionl0. You've finally made a post that I cannot for the life of me work out a way to argue with.

 

[psionl0]

Congratulations, psionl0. You've finally made a post that I cannot for the life of me work out a way to argue with.

It's hardly an original saying. It's been around for decades.

If you are really stuck you could always do a Judge Judy and say, "YOU'RE AN IDIOT!!!!"

 

[quadraginta]

It's hardly an original saying. It's been around for decades.

If you are really stuck you could always do a Judge Judy and say, "YOU'RE AN IDIOT!!!!"

Real men don't do a Judge Judy.

(Real anybody, for that matter.)

 

[Emily's Cat]

Real men don't do a Judge Judy.

True. Real men do Gary Busey: Pet Judge.

 

[quadraginta]

True. Real men do Gary Busey: Pet Judge.

Gary Busey is far more palatable in every way to any sort of man, or woman.

In spite of ... or perhaps even because of ... the brain damage, cocaine, and giant brain tumor.

Of course, to be fair, nearly anyone or any thing is more palatable than Judge Judy. Despicable people look to her for pro-tips.

 

[BobTheCoward]

Why?

I don't find it sufficiently secular for public school.

 

[psionl0]

I don't find it sufficiently secular for public school.

That doesn't make sense. It's just stretching and breathing with (in some versions) a few mystical sounding words thrown in as euphemisms for more ordinary expressions.

I see no evidence of praying.

 

[BobTheCoward]

That doesn't make sense. It's just stretching and breathing with (in some versions) a few mystical sounding words thrown in as euphemisms for more ordinary expressions.

I see no evidence of praying.

Doesn't make sense? You are not the arbiter of what standard I need to employ. I have a particularly high standard in this situation. My main gripe is it isn't really stretching, because they do things like hold stretches longer than necessary as designed by the religious faith.

I see it similar to if a school used e-meters for secular activity.

 

[psionl0]

Doesn't make sense? You are not the arbiter of what standard I need to employ. I have a particularly high standard in this situation. My main gripe is it isn't really stretching, because they do things like hold stretches longer than necessary as designed by the religious faith.

I see it similar to if a school used e-meters for secular activity.

That's an explanation?

 

[LondonJohn]

That doesn't make sense. It's just stretching and breathing with (in some versions) a few mystical sounding words thrown in as euphemisms for more ordinary expressions.

I see no evidence of praying.

Many forms of yoga are a LOT more than just this though - but it's a very common misconception about yoga, particularly among men who've never tried it or looked into it*.

But your overall point is well-made and correct.


* And I know this from direct experience: if the subject of my yoga practice ever came up in conversation, a significant majority of my male friends and work colleagues would make an observation/criticism along just these lines.