University Of Ottawa Yoga Classes Nixed Over ‘Cultural Genocide’ Concerns

Students at the University of Ottawa who enjoyed free Yoga classes are out of luck after complaints levied by the school’s Center for Students with Disabilities over the issue of cultural appropriation.

According to the Huffington Post, yoga instructor Jennifer Scharf was approached in 2008 by the Student Federation to run yoga classes to benefit all students, with or without disabilities at the University of Ottawa. There were 60 students who took advantage of the free Yoga classes, until the plug was pulled this fall.

The Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Ottawa decided that they had concerns about the practice of Yoga and sent an email to express their opinion.

“[many of the cultures Yoga comes from] have experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and western supremacy… we need to be mindful of this and how we express ourselves while practicing yoga.”

Although he insisted that the decision to end yoga classes at the University of Ottawa was not the result of this specific complaint, Romea Ahimakin, the President of the Student Federation, said the Yoga sessions would be suspended until all students were was able to weigh in over the controversial issue. The Federation wants the classes to be “more inclusive to certain groups of people that feel left out in yoga-like spaces.” Romea is quoted in the Ottawa Citizen explaining the Student Federation’s position on yoga classes.

“We are trying to have those sessions done in a way in which students are aware of where the spiritual and cultural aspects come from, so that these sessions are done in a respectful manner.”

Scharf suggested to the Federation at the University of Ottawa that, as a compromise, she could change the name of the yoga course to “mindful stretching.” However, the Student Federation couldn’t come to a consensus as to how the term would be translated into French and therefore the plans were derailed.

Jennifer Scharf responded to the concerns expressed by the Student Federation at the University of Ottawa, explaining how she approaches the practice of yoga.

“People are just looking for a reason to be offended by anything they can find…There’s a real divide between reasonable people and those people just looking to jump on a bandwagon… I’m not pretending to be some enlightened yogi master, and the point isn’t to educate people on the finer points of the ancient yogi scripture. The point is to get people to have higher physical awareness for their own physical health and enjoyment.”

According to the Ottawa Sun, Scharf has a supporter who is an official in the Student Federation. Julie Seguin expressed her dismay with the controversy surrounding the Yoga classes.

“I am also still of the opinion that a single complaint does not outweigh all of the good that these classes have done…labeling the… yoga lessons as cultural appropriation is questionable (and) debatable.”

And of course, there has been a backlash over the decision online and in the media. The decision many feel is yet another example of political correctness gone amok. The Province quotes liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias, a Vox contributor who mocked the decision to cancel yoga classes.

“Universities shutting down yoga classes over cultural appropriation concerns seems like a great way to get conservatives into yoga.”

And from a conservative perspective, David Frum mocked the decision to suspend the yoga classes based on the idea of culture appropriation, citing an article in the Yoga Journal that explains that modern yoga in India was influenced by Western calisthenics.

In the meantime, while the Student Federation at the University of Ottawa and the student body comes to an agreement of how to handle the yoga class controversy, 60 students will have to find another way to stretch and breathe.

[Feature image Joe Raedle / Getty Images]