Recently school officials from Bullard Elementary school in Georgia held meetings with parents over concerns that new de-stressing techniques being employed in the school were pushing non-Christian beliefs upon the children there.
“While we have been practicing de-stressing techniques in many classrooms for years, there have been some recent practices associated with mindfulness that are offensive to some,” the email states.
As a result, the school is making changes. When yoga moves are used in classrooms, students will not say the word “namaste” nor put their hands by their hearts, according to the email. The term and gesture are often used as a greeting derived from Hindu custom.
Now, you may have feelings about people using the word “namaste” in passing but technically, it’s a traditional greeting. That being said it is a foreign word—like “nuance.” In an email sent to the parents in the community one of the clear fears is that kids doing “breathing” exercises is one step away from those very same children finding a chakra or growing a third eye.
Moore also wrote that, although teachers have “never used nor taught about crystals having healing powers during these breaks, we understand it has become a belief. Therefore we will ensure that nothing resembling this will be done in the future.”
These are not things that were happening int he school. These are the fears that parents had concerning yoga and meditation. Creating a less stressful environment anywhere, be it at work or at school, is such an obviously good thing. Hopefully this information will help assuage these parents’ fear of the unknown.