I think I have the whole thing copied below.
A ban on yoga in Alabama public schools is expected to stay a little longer as conservative groups raised objections to a bill that would have reversed the current restrictions.
At a public hearing on Wednesday, representatives from two conservative groups said they were worried it could lead to the promotion of Hinduism or guided meditation practices. The bill did not advance in the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee.
Yup. There it is. Promotion of Hinduism.
As to the guided meditation practices...just cut them out. That doesn't need to be part of yoga practice but I will tell you what, in today's society and the stress that children incur, they'll end up using guided meditation when they go to therapy in their teen years. Just a heads up.
Democratic representative Jeremy Gray of Opelika, who has been trying since 2019 to get the ban revoked, sponsored the bill. “This whole notion that if you do yoga, you’ll become Hindu — I’ve been doing yoga for 10 years and I go to church and I’m very much a Christian,” he said.
Yeppers. Yoga is the new Harry Potter. Usta be the Beatles and before that, Elvis.
The vote on the bill ended in a tie. With two members absent, the committee chairman said he would bring the bill back for another try when more members are present.
The Alabama Board of Education voted in 1993 to prohibit school personnel from “using any techniques that involve the induction of hypnotic states, guided imagery, meditation or yoga.”
Hypnotic states? I dare anyone to practice yoga while in a hypnotic state. Guided imagery and meditation are perfectly fine and not non-Christian.
I know tons of Christians including myself who practice meditation of one sort or another as part of mindfulness.
Chanting, mantras and “namaste” greetings would be prohibited, the proposed legislation says.
No one is chanting in yoga practice. Can't you people just offer normal yoga practice without the frills? Figure it out folks. It's not that hard.
The bill received push back at the public hearing on Wednesday.
Becky Gerritson, director of Eagle Forum of Alabama, told the committee that yoga is a very big part of the Hindu religion and the bill is not needed because students can do stretches now in school.
Dear Becky, you are an idiot. Yoga isn't about the stretching. Yoga isn't about the balance. Yoga is about
the breathing. Take a class, it won't kill ya.
“If this bill passes, then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise, and it’s outside their parents’ view. And we just believe that this is not appropriate,” the Associated Press quoted her as saying.
No, guided meditation is not a spiritual exercise. It's therapeutic. Take a freaking class and stop living out your superstitions. (Watch an Atheist will pop in here to discuss superstitions). Yeah hey, and Becky? I've taught yoga to preschoolers. So far as I know none of them got sucked into Hinduism and neither have I.
Mr Gray learned about the ban by chance. During a visit to a public high school in 2019, teachers told him that they had been unable to arrange yoga exercises for their students. “That’s how I learned it was banned,” Mr Gray said.
The bill to override the ban was passed by the state’s House of Representatives last month. Mr Gray said he expects the bill to come up again before the committee next week.
Fight the stupid ban. Educate the people. Drop the guided meditation if you need to. Again, who the hell is chanting during yoga practice? I've never had that introduced not once not ever in a yoga class and I've had oh heck...maybe 5 instructors? Remove the unnecessary dressing and just eat the salad.