A ban on yoga in Alabama state schools is set to stay in place for now, after conservative pressure groups continued to express objections to lifting it.
At a public hearing on Wednesday, two figures from conservative groups stated concerns that it would lead to advocacy towards Hinduism or meditation practices. As a result, the bill did not move forward in the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee.
Jeremy Grey, a Democrat who has been attempting to lift the restrictions since 2019, said, âThis whole notion that if you do yoga, youâll become Hindu - Iâve been doing yoga for 10 years and Iâm very much a Christian.â
The subsequent vote on the bill resulted in a tie, as two members were not present. The committee chairman said he intended to bring the bill back so they could vote on it too.
In 1993, the Alabama Board of Education voted to disallow school staff from âusing any techniques that involve the induction of hypnotic states, guided imagery, meditation or yogaâ.
Greyâs bill would enable schools to offer yoga as an optional activity and it reads, âall instruction in yoga shall be limited exclusively to poses, exercises and stretching techniquesâ and all these techniques shall use âEnglish descriptive namesâ in lieu of the more traditional Sanskrit names.
Chanting, mantras and saying ânamasteâ would still be banned under the legislation.
Becky Gerriston, director of Eagle Forum of Alabama said the bill was not needed as students are free to do stretches in school.
âIf 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 itâs outside their parentâs view. And we just do believe this is not appropriate,â she said to AP.
Grey says he first learnt about the ban after he tried to teach yoga in schools. He says it should be allowed to give children âthe ability to breathe, meditate, practise mindfulness and learn exercises that will help them both physically and mentallyâ.