Namaste removed from Yoga practice in Georgia school

Parent concern over a yoga activity in classrooms at Bullard Elementary in Kennesaw, Georgia have led school and district officials to enact changes to the way the school administers the activity, Marietta Daily Journal reported.

In an email sent to Bullard parents on Friday, Principal Patrice Moore said concern over the yoga activities and some “misconceptions” about them had “created a distraction” in the school and its school community.

“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,” Bullard wrote.

As a result, Bullard wrote, students while they perform yoga moves will not be directed to say the word “Namaste” — a respectful greeting in Hindu culture — nor put their hands to heart center, which can be construed as a symbolic gesture

In a related activity, students doing coloring activities during “brain breaks” — breaks between or after learning activities — will not color on pages featuring mandalas, which are geometric figures or designs that can serve as spiritual symbols in religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Bullard also wrote that officials would ensure that teachers would not use nor teach students about “crystals having healing powers” during the classroom breaks, even though the school’s teachers had never done so, adding that some in the community had believed such activities had taken place.

Deputy Superintendent John Adams said district officials found no wrongdoing in the school, and officials at Bullard had been proactive about responding to the concerns of parents and community members.

“When we became aware of the parent concerns about two weeks (ago), we looked into it, and have discussed this with the principal, and made sure that going forward, that we’ve taken in the parents’ concerns and we’ve adjusted our practice going forward,” Adams said.

Adams added that Moore had assured district leaders that she would vet student activities with further scrutiny in the future- the report said