Yoga instructors call U of Ottawa class cancellation ‘ridiculous,’ ‘shameful’
Posted November 23, 2015 1:36 pm.
Last Updated November 23, 2015 1:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Yoga instructors in Toronto are surprised that a free yoga class at the University of Ottawa has reportedly been cancelled because some students were uncomfortable with the “cultural issues” inherent in the practice and don’t see the same thing happening here.
The instructor of the class in Ottawa, Jen Scharf, told the CBC that the concern stems from people who are worried that some yoga instructors claim to be experts in the spiritual components when they are not. Scharf said she focuses on the physical benefits of yoga and doesn’t highlight the spiritual components of the practice. She has also proposed changing the name of the course to mindful stretching, according to the broadcaster.
“I think (the cancellation) is outrageous,” Emma Damas, a yoga instructor with YYoga Queen Street West told CityNews. “There are spiritual elements in things like kickboxing and martial arts and they are still being taught.”
“It enrages me because (yoga) is not completely confined to one culture and there are different styles of it,” she added.
Damas has noticed that in Toronto, those who want a physical workout are more adamant about it than those seeking spiritual benefits from the practice.
“Spirit is always present,” Cynthia Funk, the co-founder at Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto said. “I think we’re getting into semantics here. (The cancellation) really doesn’t make sense to me. Yoga is all about spirit. It is beyond religion.”
“It’s difficult to have a measure of who spiritual or not,” said Jason Lu, founder of Yoga Tree in Toronto. “It’s a shame if the class was cancelled because students thought it wasn’t spiritual enough.”
None of the yoga instructors CityNews spoke to have received any concerns about the cultural components of the practice.
Meanwhile, the student federation president in Ottawa told the CBC that there were no actual complaints about the class, just questions instead about the issues surrounding it. He told the CBC that the class was suspended as part of a larger review of all programs.
On Monday, the university tweeted that other free yoga classes are still being offered.
