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This commentary explores the legal and ethical obligations of yoga programs and teachers to uphold both the principles and the spirit of secularism when teaching yoga in schools. Arguing that secularity is essential both to comply with legal mandates and to maximize inclusivity and access, each facet of a secular approach to yoga in schools is explored through an inquiry-based model meant to help the reader gain clarity and make informed choices when developing school-based yoga programming. This article does not address the use of nonsecular yoga for children outside the school setting. It instead speaks to the complexities of topics such as spirituality, personal transformation, secular ethics, and the use of cultural and historical artifacts within school programs. While inviting continued reflection on the nuances of the topic, the article concludes that given both the legal imperatives and potential risk of exclusion, failure to offer school-based yoga using a secular approach threatens to undermine the success of the field and hinder access to practices that have positive effects on young people.

Power is an important dynamic in the Yoga community that influences who has access to the knowledge of Yoga and how that knowledge is shared. To create an ethic of inclusion in Yoga communities, we must consider the many ways in which people experience Hatha Yoga—especially the experiences of individuals who come from cultural backgrounds other than our own. Because it is difficult to see the ways in which cultures—our own and those of others—are seen, experienced, and responded to, it is easy to imagine that the reason that Yoga classes in the United States tend to be homogeneous is based on some inherent natural truth at work. To create space for diverse cultures in Yoga communities, we must recognize that (1) Both teachers and students bring knowledge and culture with them to the relationship, and that (2) Teachers (and institutions) should be held accountable to their perspectives, biases, and opinions about their own and others' cultural backgrounds. To create a diverse community, there must be an understanding of the human-ness of both the teacher and student, and of the inherent relationship that influences the learning process.