Suit: Yoga in Schools Violates Church-State Rule

Yes, this lawsuit is taking place in Southern California. In Encinitas, to be exact, where parents have sued to stop the school district from having kids perform yoga as part of gym class, reports NBC San Diego. The parents are worried that yoga has too many religious connotations from the East, while the district says the exercises have been stripped of any such associations and are meant only to improve kids' breathing, posture, and focus.

In court this week, an instructor demonstrated poses such as "criss-cross applesauce" (they've been renamed to be kid-friendly) while attorneys from both sides argued about all the deeper meanings the youngsters may or may not be soaking up. "We're getting so esoteric it's almost meaningless," the judge complained at one point. In the Union-Tribune, Logan Jenkins guesses that the judge will side with the school district in next month's decision. And Jenkins also provides a nifty recap of things so far: "After sitting through three days of the Encinitas yoga trial, I can summarize my notes with one word: What?" (More yoga stories.)