The idea of making Yoga compulsory in the curriculum of schools by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, is not something new, considering that it has been mooted several times during the past few decades, despite its immense benefits of mind-body fitness. The main objection to its implementation, stemmed from its meditative exercises of yoking with the supreme being, which went against the beliefs and tenets of people of different faiths in our multi religious country. Yoga is marketed these days as 'secular Yoga' that transcends all religions and is no longer in its pristine form. On the other hand, dissociating Yoga from its spiritual and meditative form will mean a set of physical exercises bereft of the benefits of mind-body relaxation and inner peace. We need to draw a balance before its implementation. Secondly, merely making school teachers aware of the benefits of yoga will hardly solve the problem, if we do not employ only Yoga-qualified teachers from a recognised Yoga training Institute to teach students the correct way of doing pranayams and asanas, without going against the religious beliefs of students.
