# University yoga class canceled because of 'oppression, cultural genocide' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452 "2015-11-24T17:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/1 "2015-11-24T17:30:32Z")
[Here’s the story.](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-yoga-genocide-university-of-ottawa-20151123-story.html) > [@](#): > > 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. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It seems that all it takes these days is for a few lunatics to cry ‘Oppression, racism!’ and the universities instantly fold and do whatever these idiots tell them. The Western academic world is in danger of disappearing up its own politically-correct orifice ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/2 "2015-11-24T18:10:02Z")
Is there not one university official who will laugh in their face and tell them to come back when they have a real problem? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/3 "2015-11-24T18:25:52Z")
Forget it aldiboronti, its canada ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/4 "2015-11-24T18:34:49Z")
The university didn’t cancel the program, the class was “suspended” by the Student Federation which ran it. Student politics: vicious, petty and filled with morons at the best of times. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/5 "2015-11-24T18:41:17Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. This sums up my reaction perfectly. They’re offended because… India experienced British opression a long time ago? 😕 I’d ask what I’m missing, except I doubt anyone could give me a sensible answer. Including the person who complained. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/6 "2015-11-24T18:54:03Z")
In brief? Yoga is a broad, complex blending on physical, spiritual and metaphysical considerations that the West has appropriated and turned into a simplistic stretching class. This is considered insulting by certain people and so should be stopped. Those people tend to have far too much admiration for their own zeal than is good for them. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/7 "2015-11-24T18:55:32Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > [Here’s the story.](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-yoga-genocide-university-of-ottawa-20151123-story.html) > > I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh so hard you start to cry. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/8 "2015-11-24T18:58:42Z")
I’m a bit puzzled by all this ‘cultural appropriation’ talk. When does ‘cultural admiration’ turn into ‘cultural appropriation’? Suppose I think First Nations people are amazing. I love the way they respected the land and their ancestors, etc, etc. So, I dress up as a First Nations person for Halloween. According to some folks, I’m a bad guy. I don’t get it. Same thing with this. Suppose I love yoga. I think it’s an amazing discipline and really helps my health. So, I take a class and suddenly I’m a bad guy? Really? I hate the ‘political correctness’ meme, but this really is political correctness run amok. ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/9 "2015-11-24T19:06:32Z")
Can anyone find a canadian source? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/10 "2015-11-24T19:11:27Z")
> **[Free yoga class at Ottawa university called off over 'cultural sensitivity...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/university-ottawa-yoga-cultural-sensitivity-1.3330441)** > > A yoga instructor who says her free class at the University of Ottawa was cancelled because of concerns over cultural appropriation believes the student union's issues are misplaced. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/11 "2015-11-24T19:11:57Z")
Hasn’t it generally been the case that Indian teachers have avidly sought to bring yoga to western students? Is it proper to speak of appropriation when something is being deliberately exported? ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/12 "2015-11-24T20:10:21Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Yoga is a broad, complex blending on physical, spiritual and metaphysical considerations that the West has appropriated and turned into a simplistic stretching class. This is considered insulting by certain people and so should be stopped. Wait till they see what we’ve done with zeros, just shoehorned them willy-nilly into our computers all smushed up against our ones. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/13 "2015-11-24T20:15:51Z")
Well if genocide isn’t a good reason to skip yoga then I don’t know what is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/14 "2015-11-24T20:18:59Z")
Much had been said about Americans atom-bombing Japanese cities in WWII, but we can all agree that winning Olympic gold in judo was a bridge too far. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/15 "2015-11-24T20:27:26Z")
I’m sure people who have actually experienced genocide can agree that this is in no way histrionic and doesn’t trivialize actual genocide. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Much had been said about Americans atom-bombing Japanese cities in WWII, but we can all agree that winning Olympic gold in judo was a bridge too far. Heh, funny you should mention that as this thread made me think of judo. It is an ancient martial art, dating back to the ancient feudal period of 1882 before the west invaded and stole it in 1854. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/16 "2015-11-24T20:40:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Much had been said about Americans atom-bombing Japanese cities in WWII, but we can all agree that winning Olympic gold in judo was a bridge too far. And just look at the inroads Japanese anime has made. I’ll bet that over 90% of Americans have seen a cartoon featuring giant robots! The horror!!! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/17 "2015-11-24T20:51:27Z")
First, they came for the Godzilla movies… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/18 "2015-11-24T20:58:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Hasn’t it generally been the case that Indian teachers have avidly sought to bring yoga to western students? Is it proper to speak of appropriation when something is being deliberately exported? My understanding is this isn’t generally true. The physical activities which are called yoga in the western world are only an insignificant portion of what yoga is in Indian culture. My understanding is that yoga a whole lifestyle that is supposed to being a person closer to divine enlightenment. One portion of this is meditation and one portion of meditation is getting your body in the right position. And as an aid to help people get their bodies in the right position some yoga teachers described some stretching routines. And these stretching routines somehow became identified as the whole of yoga to the western world. It would be the equivalent of somebody describing Christianity as a system of kneeling. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/19 "2015-11-24T21:06:54Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > The university didn’t cancel the program, the class was “suspended” by the Student Federation which ran it. > > Student politics: vicious, petty and filled with morons at the best of times. Academic politics, it’s like they say, the infighting is so viscious because the stakes are so small. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/20 "2015-11-24T21:14:36Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Academic politics, it’s like they say, the infighting is so viscious because the stakes are so small. A perfect example of [Sayre’s Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre%27s_law): “In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452.md?page=2)