# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/61 "2015-11-27T01:32:02Z")
It’s also a kind of potato. I can’t wait until someone starts screaming about a restaurant with redskins on the menu. I always wanted to know just how far back my eyeballs could roll before snapping. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/62 "2015-11-27T02:52:03Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > It’s also a kind of potato. I can’t wait until someone starts screaming about a restaurant with redskins on the menu. I always wanted to know just how far back my eyeballs could roll before snapping. Because fuck people for having feelings based upon centuries of systematic political, legal, and social oppression. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/63 "2015-11-27T03:59:44Z")
Can we go back now to pointing and laughing at people who ban things they know nothing about and can’t be bothered spending five minutes to Google the history of? And who don’t know how to translate ‘stretching exercises’ into French ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/64 "2015-11-27T05:03:15Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My mother makes Polish food on Christmas – is my dad still allowed to eat it, even though he’s not Polish? > > Uh, yeah, [it kinda is](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redskin_(slang)). And of course it’s connected with Native Americans – it’s their freaking logo. It may not be as common as “kike” or “nigger” but it’s a slur all right. Just because YOU aren’t as familiar with it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. :rolleyes: “Wouldn’t that be offensive if we cheered “Rah rah rah for the Carolina Negroes with a beat box cheer and a big foam afro” The Minnesota Vikes became the New York Kikes with dollar bills on their helmets Cause thats what they’re like ya know” -Atom and His Package, “If you own the Washington Redskins, you’re a cock” ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/65 "2015-11-27T06:02:09Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > Actually, the kind of yoga Westerners tend to dig - _asana_, i.e. posture yoga - isn’t exactly an ancient, purely Indian practice for spiritual growth. > > Some of its roots is in Scandinavian gymnastics (!), of all things, and doesn’t stretch back much rather than the early 20th century. In Sweden, you had Pehr Henrik Ling, and in Denmark, Niels Bukh and I.P Müller, all of whom developed systems of gymnastic exercises to keep oneself healthy and fit. The Brits introduced these exercises to their armed forces; these, in turn, introduced them to the Indians. The Indians, in some cultural appropriation of their own, incorporated these exercises into yoga. > > So without cultural appropriation - without a series of crude cultural borrowings, gross distortions, mistranslations, oversimplifications, wilful misunderstandings and outright thievery - yoga as we know it today _wouldn’t even exist_. > > [Source.](http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344) > [@leahcim](#): > > This is my understanding, too. Yoga is basically a European practice, with just enough “eastern” connection to give in a patina of ancient mysticism. As noted in this fine journalistic [publication](http://www.cracked.com/article_19283_7-ancient-forms-mysticism-that-are-recent-inventions.html). This seems like one guy’s hypothesis which Cracked, and subsequently leahcim are taking to absurd points. You’ll have to point me to something peer reviewed if I’m to even think about accepting it. There exist Sanskrit manuals on Yoga (including asana Yoga) that describe Yogic poses in detail and date back to the 15th century. The Yoga classes I’ve attended in India contain quite a few asanas that I can identify when I read translations of these manuals. So the words “Yoga is basically a European practice, with just enough “eastern” connection to give in a patina of ancient mysticism” seem ridiculous to me. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/66 "2015-11-27T06:13:37Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Hinduism, the religious background of Yoga, has about 1 billioin followers. 3rd largest in the world. Again, also squeezing out other religions in India. Factually incorrect. The proportion of Hindus in the Indian population is actually falling, driven largely by growth in Muslim numbers. [Cite](http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indias-population-121-09-crores-hindus-79-8-pc-muslims-14-2-pc-census/) > [@](#): > > The percentage of Muslims in the country’s population increased 0.8 percentage points between 2001 and 2011 to 14.23% > … > also showed that the percentage of Hindus dipped by 0.7 percentage points (PP) in the decade 2001 to 2011, pulling it for the first time below 80% ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/67 "2015-11-27T06:55:07Z")
They should just do the class anyway and tell anyone who doesn’t like it to bend themselves into whatever yoga position is applicable and go fuck themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/68 "2015-11-27T14:13:58Z")
In my mind I’m hearing the voice of [PC Principal,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_Park_Elementary_staff#PC_Principal) a new South Park character introduced this season. This is exactly the sort of thing he would be going nuts over, screaming and yelling at (and perhaps even hospitalizing) practitioners of yoga for their despicably insensitive behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/69 "2015-11-27T14:26:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My mother makes Polish food on Christmas – is my dad still allowed to eat it, even though he’s not Polish? > > Uh, yeah, [it kinda is](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redskin_(slang)). And of course it’s connected with Native Americans – it’s their freaking logo. It may not be as common as “kike” or “nigger” but it’s a slur all right. Just because YOU aren’t as familiar with it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. :rolleyes: If your mother isn’t actually from Poland, she isn’t allowed to make it in the first place. The absolute worst kind of cultural genocide is perpetrated by the descendants of immigrants. Look to the Irish and their righteous hatred of “plastic Paddies” for your paradigm. Melting pot bad. Cultural purity good. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/70 "2015-11-27T14:52:14Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My mother makes Polish food on Christmas – is my dad still allowed to eat it, even though he’s not Polish? If he’s OK with committing cultural genocide, sure! ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/71 "2015-11-29T05:00:56Z")
I’ll note that the alleged cultural warrior pushing these policies has not been named and has not been quoted. We only have the characterizations of the yoga instructor who had her classes cancelled “For now”. For some definitions of “For now”. Classes are offered through Dec 15th. [Cite](http://uocal.uottawa.ca/en/node/12315). After that it’s up in the air. The story broke on November 20th. Is this a scheduling issue at bottom? Who knows? We now return to this week’s recreational outrage. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/72 "2015-11-29T22:39:46Z")
Well, there’s a hell of a lot more to Christmas than Santa, reindeer and snowmen, but do American Christians scream about Japanese non-Christians “appropriating” the silly, secular trappings of the season? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/73 "2015-11-30T02:29:23Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, there’s a hell of a lot more to Christmas than Santa, reindeer and snowmen, but do American Christians scream about Japanese non-Christians “appropriating” the silly, secular trappings of the season? No, because we brought Christmas to them. They were never cultural oppressors who took it from us. We showed them our holiday, and they kept what they liked, and ignored what they didn’t. Then it gradually moved from there, just like Christmas has in every other culture exposed to it. Cultural appropriation is a very limited concept. It requires one group to be in a place where it can unilaterally take from another. It is different from cultural exchange, where both groups are on a relatively even footing. It is different from when immigrants bring stuff that gets put into the big mixing pot. The quintessential example of cultural appropriation is the American Indian headdress. You did not have Indians who taught what the headdress was for. There was no trade of cultural values, since we didn’t actually care to find out about their cultural values. There was just basically “stolen valor” and using Indians as a joke or enemy for the Cowboy heroes to thwart. There was just a shit-ton of racism. Plus there’s just the simple fact that we don’t care all that much. American Indians do care. So, in the spirit of not causing unintentional offense, it’s something we shouldn’t do. There is a dumb movement to call yoga cultural appropriation because some don’t like how it is evolved. But that’s not what makes something cultural appropriation. It’s just secularization. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > My mother makes Polish food on Christmas – is my dad still allowed to eat it, even though he’s not Polish? Of course. She’s sharing it. As are the people who gave the recipes, so that non Polish people experience them. To appropriate something means to steal it. You can’t steal what is freely given. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2015, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452/74 "2015-12-01T10:59:54Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, there’s a hell of a lot more to Christmas than Santa, reindeer and snowmen, but do American Christians scream about Japanese non-Christians “appropriating” the silly, secular trappings of the season? There are a few people going on about putting Saturn back in Saturnalia, but I wouldn’t say they’re screaming about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/738452.md?page=3)