Terms like “oppression” and “genocide” are typically used to describe war-torn countries and extreme acts of violence, but these words have recently been associated with the practice of yoga, in the name of political correctness.

The University of Ottawa is currently facing backlash after it cancelled its yoga class for students with disabilities over concerns of cultural appropriation. In reasoning the program’s cancellation, the university’s Student Federation stated that the decision was made since the practice was taken from a country that, “experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and western supremacy.”

Although the university’s Centre for Students with Disabilities defended in a Facebook post last week that the class is not cancelled, but simply under review, the issue is not necessarily that the Student Federation is wrong in stating that yoga comes from India. But while the region has experienced historical hardships, it is ridiculous to say that students practicing stretching and breathing exercises are somehow trying to offend an entire culture.

According to the Washington Post, the cancellation was inspired by some students and volunteers that felt uncomfortable with how yoga could be practiced and the university could claim to be inclusive at the same time. The ethnicity and religion of the people who made the actual complaints remain unclear.

The goal of the entire “political correctness” movement is to create a world in which no actions, written or spoken word and other forms of expression, offend any culture, religion or nation. However, when everyone is walking on eggshells around each other, creativity, thoughts and opinions that are potentially meaningful may never be heard.

This entire debacle is a classic example of political correctness being taken too far. And the good that yoga has done for students with disabilities, considering it is accessible as a low-impact physical activity, at that university is much more powerful than a few anonymous, and seemingly unsupported, complaints about cultural appropriation.

The instructor of the now-cancelled class, Jennifer Scharf, was surprised when she received word of the decision. She told the Washington Post in a phone interview, “I would never want anyone to think I was making some sort of spiritual claim other than the pure joy of being human that belongs to everyone, free of religion.”

The most interesting part is that even though the email discussing the cancellation attributed the action to concerns coming from the student center, some of its members have gone on record questioning the decision.

The most discouraging part of this activity being taken away from these disabled students is that when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed actual practitioners of the Hindu religion, including Dilip Waghray of the Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton, who are really the first people who should be asked if they took offense, they did not agree with the decision.

Waghray, who has been practicing yoga for 50 years, said, “If you look at what the Western world has adapted, it is just phenomenal; imagine how much good they’re doing for themselves. They’ll live a long and very happy life.”

If the instructor and people who practice Hinduism had been included in the discussion, the outcome would have been more favorable. The instructor even mentioned in an interview that if people truly had an issue with her calling her class “yoga,” she could have just changed the name, and this whole situation would have been avoided.

Even though doing so would be excessive in order to make everyone happy, the class should be reinstated with a name change. This way, those who were allegedly offended will be pacified and students can continue to enjoy the health benefits that coincide with yoga as an outlet for exercise and relaxation.

But, in future decisions, it must be remembered that the Hindu religion is founded on the principles of peace and love, and it is difficult to believe that such a compassionate people would truly find offense in Western cultures sharing in their fondness of yoga.

Victoria Razzi is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vcrazzi@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @vrazzi.

Published on December 2, 2015 at 12:32 am