The yoga education system in India, which has been limited to a few breathing exercises and yogic postures, is moving towards a formalized structure.
Various yoga institutions are trying to establish a formal program that can provide yoga education to students of all levels, from the beginner to the advanced.
Holistic yoga has been confined to breathing exercises and postures by many institutes. It is actually the science of a fundamental value system that, if taught properly, can help children develop their whole being.
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Yoga teaches students more than just the basics of pranayama and asanas. It also teaches them how to live their lives. Children can learn yoga in their schools. This will eliminate the need for counselors, psychologists, and self-help books.
This value system is fundamentally a part Hindu philosophy. Will that affect a school’s secular outlook? We are proposing a basic value system, but the curriculum also includes general precepts that can be applied to all children. These include self analysis, peace and faith, co-operation, and fulfilling one's obligations.
Problem arises when these precepts come with techniques that are fundamental to Hindu philosophy such as humming the sound OM. These techniques are not part of the curriculum we propose and leave out Vedanta philosophy.
How a child will respond to these concepts is up to them. Yoga talks about joy learning. We propose an indirect method to teach children how to control their minds from a young age through stories, nature and games.