University yoga class canceled because of

oppression, cultural genocide

ennifer Scharf was told that the free class she taught at the University of Ottawa had
been canceled. (Courtesy of Jennifer Scharf)

By Justin Wm. Moyer-November 23

In studios across the nation, as many as 20 million Americans practice yoga every
day. Few worry that their downward dogs or warrior poses disrespect other cultures.
But yoga comes from India, once a British colony. And now, at one Canadian
university, a yoga class designed to include disabled students has been canceled after
concerns the practice was taken from a culture that experienced oppression, cultural
genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and western supremacy, according to the
group that once sponsored it.
In a telephone interview with The Washington Post, Jennifer Scharf, who taught the
class for up to 60 people at the University of Ottawa, said she was unhappy about the
decision, but accepted it.
This particular class was intro to beginners yoga because Im very sensitive to this
issue, she said. I would never want anyone to think I was making some sort of

spiritual claim other than the pure joy of being human that belongs to everyone free of
religion.
The trouble began on Sept. 7. Thats when Scharf, who said she had taught a class
since 2008 through the schools Centre for Students with Disabilities part of the
universitys Student Federation got an e-mail.
I have unfortunate news, the e-mail from a student representative of the center read.
Apparently our centre has chosen not to do yoga for programming this year. Let me
know if you have any questions or concerns in regards to this and I am welcome to
explain. Thank you so much for volunteering to do yoga over the past couple years. It
has truly been wonderful and I hope to stay in touch in the future. (Scharf provided
the e-mail exchange to The Post, but removed the name of the representative so the
person could not be identified, saying: I dont want to get anyone in trouble. A
message sent to the representatives e-mail address was not immediately returned.)
Scharf was sorry to hear of the cancellation attributed by the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation to the University of Ottawa Student Federation,
which describes itself as the instrument of political action for the undergraduate
population at the university.
Thats disappointing news for sure, is there someone I can speak to about this? she
wrote. Do you know why the decision was made? I dont mind doing it for free so if
money is a concern, thats no problem.
Money was not a concern, however. Culture was.
[Outlook: Five myths about yoga]
I think that our centre agreed that while yoga is a really great idea, accessible and
great for students, that there are cultural issues of implication involved in the practice,
the response read. I have heard from a couple students and volunteers that feel
uncomfortable with how we are doing yoga while we claim to be inclusive at the same
time.
Explaining that yoga has a fraught history, the representative continued.
Yoga has been under a lot of controversy lately due to how it is being practiced and
what practices from what cultures (which are often sacred spiritual practices) they are
being taken from, the e-mail read. Many of these cultures are cultures that have
experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and
western supremacy, and we need to be mindful of this and how we express ourselves
and while practicing yoga.
The upshot: no more down dog.
For the moment we would just like to pause the programming also because we are
very short on staff and do not have the capacity to do this as programming, the
representative wrote. But in the future (after we have reflected on which kinds of
exercise are more inclusive for our centre). The e-mail concluded: It is not something

that is easy to explain. It is a sensitive topic for some people that use our Centre and I
would just like to respect that for the moment.
Scharf said she understood, but tried to emphasize that her class was just stretching.
Yoga in its truest form is not a religion and is practiced by many religions, Scharf
wrote back. I would never want to culturally impose anything. She added: I do wish I
had been consulted on this decision because yoga has become a fixture for many
students, who come back year on year and are happy to have the option of a free
class that they feel good after doing.
Scharf speculated that the problem might be the branding.
What do you think about having a class that is just stretching for mental health? she
wrote. We dont have to call it yoga (because thats not really what we are doing, we
are just stretching). I think that will work because it would literally change nothing
about the class. I know some people are offended but I am sure we can change it
so that everyone feels included. If there is anything else I can do to help out, please let
me know.
The representative seemed okay with change: I believe this is super important and I
apologize for what I said before and being so abrupt about it, a response to Scharf
read.
It continued: I think that keeping some kind of weekly fitness programming for people
with disabilities to access on campus is very essential. Maybe if we could work out
doing some kind of fitness classes if you were still willing we could talk a bit about
moving away from what is considered yoga and make it exercise and stretching for
people with disabilities.
Scharf was game.
Im totally up for making it a simple stretching class for people with disabilities,
she wrote. There wouldnt need to be any change to the content of the courses
because I dont use the posture names and dont refer to yogic mysticism. Now that I
am aware that this is a sensitivity, I can just leave all yoga-ness out.
Yet, in the end, it didnt happen.
The higher-ups at the student federation got involved, finally we got an e-mail routed
through the student federation basically saying they couldnt get a French name and
nobody wants to do it, so were going to cancel it for now,Scharf told CBC.

Follow
CBC News
@CBCNews

Free yoga at Ottawa university called off over 'cultural sensitivity issues' hift.tt/1MwHGq9
10:28 PM - 22 Nov 2015
t
t
In a French-language interview with Radio Canada, student
p
federation president Romo Ahimakin said there were no direct complaints
about the
class. Instead, it was ended as part of a review of all programs to :make them more
/
interesting, accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of students,
as the
/
CBC noted. The class could return in January, he added.

Some members of the student federation questioned the action.

I am also still of the opinion that a single complaint does not outweigh all of the good
that these classes have done, Julie Seguin, a student federation official, told the
Ottawa Sun, defending the use of the world yoga. Labeling the [centers] yoga
lessons as cultural appropriation is questionable [and] debatable.
Yoga, however, has been questioned outside of Ontario before.
As the multi-billion dollar yoga industry continues to grow with studios becoming as
prevalent as Starbucks and $120 yoga pants, the mass commercialization of this
ancient practice, rooted in Hindu thought, has become concerning, according to the
Web site of the Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group based in Washington,
D.C., with an initiative called Take Back Yoga. With proliferation of new forms of
yoga, the underlying meaning, philosophy, and purpose of yoga are being lost, reads
a Web page for the initiative.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to take yoga back for almost a
year now. His nation even has a yoga minister.

There is little doubt about yoga being an Indian art form, Shripad Yesso Naik said in
December. Were trying to establish to the world that its ours.
[Modi aims to rebrand and promote yoga in India]
The Ottawa controversy just one of many involving colleges and alleged political
correctness was widely reported, and picked up by at least one Canadian
conservative news site.
The day yoga needs a safe space is the day parody meets reality, the Rebel wrote.
That day has come.
Scharf, as perhaps befits a yogi, seemed calm in the face of the unfolding controversy.
The burden of being angry was lifted from me, she said. Everyone already had that
covered.
Meanwhile, the CBC tracked down some local Hindus who were not offended.
If you look at what the Western world has adapted it is just phenomenal,
Dilip Waghray, whos been practicing yoga for 50 years, said at the Hindu Temple of
Ottawa-Carleton. Imagine how much good theyre doing for themselves. Theyll live a
long and very happy life.
Perhaps the Centre for Students with Disabilities is listening. At press time, the class
remained listed on its Web site.
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Justin Wm. Moyer is a reporter for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Follow him on
Twitter: @justinwmmoyer.
Posted by Thavam