Counterview: It can benefit all

The NCERT's proposal to make yoga classes compulsory in all schools should be welcomed. The benefits of yoga are well documented. Not only is it a good form of physical exercise, it offers practitioners a feeling of wellness not found in other physical activities. People who do yoga feel fitter and are more relaxed, energetic and generally happier about life.Yoga helps people attain an inner peace while also making them physically fit, and is unique in that respect. What could be better than introducing our kids to this science in schools?
Objections to making yoga compulsory are based mostly on the perception that the teachers' skills will be inadequate. But that's a flawed argument. Many schools across the country don't have well-trained teachers for subjects like mathematics, which are compulsory. Not being taught such subjects well could result in students developing a phobia about them, which affects their career path. But no one suggests that maths, to stick with the earlier example, be struck off the school curriculum, simply because some teachers aren't sufficiently well trained. The assumption is that students require a working knowledge of maths to get by in their day-to-day lives. Yoga should be treated the same way, as indispensable in teaching kids how to live balanced and fulfilling lives.
Modern schooling is about more than just academics. In raising children to be well-adjusted, valuable members of society, schools need to take care of their mental needs as well. Yoga is the perfect way to teach children to deal with the stress of competitive lifestyles. It has been practised for centuries and is an indigenous method of keeping the body and soul healthy. Practising it is a form of therapy that kids today, with all the pressure that is put on them to succeed, should learn, as it will help them manage their lives. There is no age too young to begin learning yoga. The sooner our kids start, the better off they'll be.
Times View: Yoga is a difficult art