As a Massena Central graduate, a practitioner of yoga, and a member of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, I was dismayed to read that a misunderstanding of yoga by a few may keep it from being taught to MCHS students.

While yoga is the product of a spiritual tradition, in its modern incarnation it has developed into a vast and varied system difficult to define and impossible to identify as a specific religion or creed. Elements of yoga, particularly poses and breath work, may be done without any thought to spirituality. Indeed, this is what most yogis in the West do, and what is done in more than 100 schools across the United States.

According to T.K.V. Desikachar, one of the fathers of modern yoga, "It is not necessary to subscribe to any particular ideas of God in order to follow the yoga path. The practice of yoga only requires us to act and to be attentive to our actions." Attentiveness to action. It's that simple.

With poses, we cultivate mental steadiness amidst physical challenges, such as a deep stretch of the hamstrings or balancing on one leg. With breath work, we learn to focus despite distractions. There is nothing religious about this, and benefits "off the mat" are significant. They include more skillfully handling the difficult people, unfair situations and tragedies that would otherwise make a roller coaster ride of life. This "skill in action," as yoga is known, does not compete with or replace existing religious beliefs that offer their own tools for navigating life's challenges.

I regret I did not have the opportunity to learn yoga as a teenager back at Massena Central. Calm yogic breathing before an exam can bring focus. But yoga will help with more than test performance. When clarity and equanimity are present in a teenager's mind, anxieties created by social and academic pressure more easily fall away, allowing space to act thoughtfully in difficult situations. Also, improved body- and self-awareness strengthen character and build resistance against peer pressure and the tempting short-term escapes offered by drugs and other harmful behaviors.

I am a staunch believer in separation of church and state and oppose prayer in school. I would plead with parents in the community, please do not let a misguided view that yoga is Hindu ritual deprive students of this opportunity to grow into even more healthy and magnanimous young adults.

Sarah Jane Shangraw

Brookline, Mass.