In 2013, a California judge ruled in favor of using yoga as a form of physical education in schools. This was in response to parents trying to file a suit against the school, saying that teaching yoga in public school was a religious practice and should therefore be removed. I beg to differ, and so do many others. Yoga is practiced in schools all over the world today, and the benefits are, in my opinion, far more dynamic than other forms of physical education that take place.

For P.E. students, especially in elementary and middle school, there are some key activities that are done from week to week: Kickball, dodgeball, running laps and maybe on the occasional free day, they’re allowed to play basketball or volleyball for fun. I always felt that P.E. class should have been more of a mental break than a physical one, or maybe both if that were possible. In middle school, even though kids are still younger and usually have a lot of energy, recess is gone. It’s replaced by what students can get from physical education classes, which exist more for the purpose of getting kids to be active than for taking a mental break and enjoying themselves. Activities in P.E. class were fun, but they really only covered one aspect: physical activity.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s great! Kids should get up and move after sitting at their desks all day. With the popularity of entertainment technology like iPads even reaching to the very youngest kids these days, making sure they’re also active is important. Despite getting their energy out, though, when are these kids taking a mental moment for themselves? They’re working in the classroom, becoming one of the most stressed out generations in history, and then as soon as they get to P.E. class, it’s time to go with kickball or running laps. When do kids get a moment to just breathe?

I know that kids, especially younger ones, sometimes have trouble sitting still long enough to get them to focus on something because they’re filled with energy. That’s natural, but it’s also important to teach them early on to focus their mind and body. This will help them for their entire lives. College has taken the most concentration I’ve ever had to use; just imagine if kids learned those skills from a young age, using a meditative practice such as yoga. Behavioral problems are common in school, too, and yoga has been shown to help their classroom aggression and improve their problem-solving skills, even outside of the classroom.

Yoga does have its roots in Hindu practices. However, thanks to yoga experts in the earlier days spreading yoga around the world, we are fortunate enough to be able to use it. This doesn’t mean you have to spiritually identify with Hinduism to practice yoga. When kids are taught yoga in schools, they’re taught various stretches, workouts and breathing techniques that help them concentrate and be in the moment while also being active; they’re not taught Hinduism. Parents shouldn’t worry that yoga will affect their kids in a religious way.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with kids learning about various religions, but still, that’s not what yoga is, at least in the way that it would be implemented in schools. Yoga can be spiritual, but the kind that is taught to a fifth-grader won’t be, at least not in the way their parents might be worried about. It will be about clearing the kids’ minds, refocusing and getting their body ready to take on the rest of the day. After all, even kids in school want a less stressful Monday.