Yoga is usually about twisting and turning the body to benefit the muscles and the mind.

But those twists and turns are nothing compared to the administrative obstacles a children's yoga program recently faced in a local public school system.

Last week, children's yoga classes were abruptly removed from the Orcutt Union School District's Campus Connection program, which provides child care before and after school for children from kindergarten to sixth grade in the district's elementary schools.

Little Waves Yoga classes had been offered in the after-school program at May Grisham School once a week since September. The success of the pilot program there led to its establishment at four other Orcutt schools - Alice Shaw School, Patterson Road School, Pine Grove School and Ralph Dunlap School - in January. The program was not offered at Joe Nightingale School.

In all, Campus Connection serves 600 to 700 students during the school year and 300 to 400 in the summer months. The program's mission statement reads: “The staff at Campus Connection will lead children to discover friendship, independence, and confidence through art, music, sports, drama and recreational activities. The role of Campus Connection is to support the development of the whole child in a safe, caring environment, and maintain a vital link between school and home.”

Amanda de la Garza of Orcutt, who runs Little Waves Yoga, believed her program fit that mission. De la Garza has been practicing yoga since 1992, and started teaching children and adults in 2004. She teaches at Santa Maria Juvenile Hall, Foxenwood Tennis & Swim Club, Children's House Montessori School, and the Little Village Counseling Center.

“I thought bringing yoga into the schools would be not only for the kids' physical fitness, but to inject a little playfulness and creativity into their school days,” said de la Garza.

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Additionally, de la Garza believes that yoga offers an opportunity to teach children techniques to calm and focus their minds. To that end, she teaches yoga poses that children can do before taking tests or giving speeches, and breathing techniques to help them deal with stressful moments.

But early this year, after the program was implemented in the additional Orcutt elementary schools, de la Garza began getting guidance from Charlotte Clements, director of child care services, that the class wasn't sitting well with some parents.

“We're not meeting all the children's needs,” said Clements.

For starters, said Clements, the 30-minute yoga classes cost an additional $2 per class, or $8 per month, and parents weren't happy with the additional fee. Parents already pay $2.55 per hour for the first child, and $2.35 per hour for additional children, for basic care.

Not all parents objected to the price. Marion Amsbaugh, whose son took yoga classes at Patterson School, said she thought the $2 price point was reasonable, especially if parents who didn't want their kids participating could opt out.

“I'm disappointed that it's not being offered because I know it's an alternative,” said Amsbaugh. “Something else to do besides jump rope and play silly games,” she added. “It's a shame the school districts aren't offering more.”

Scholarships were offered to families who couldn't pay for the yoga classes, but according to Clements, parents didn't approach the teacher for them. And besides, said Clements, cost wasn't the only thing parents found objectionable.

De la Garza was also reprimanded for dabbing students' hands with scented oil after class and for using a votive candle to demonstrate breathing techniques. Clements said both were against school policy - the oil because children could be allergic to it and the candle because it posed safety risks.

De la Garza said she never received specific guidelines for teaching in the public school system, and she was willing to adjust her program to meet the needs and requirements of the schools.

“Working for the public system is a little more challenging,” said Clements.

According to Clements, parents also objected to “spiritual” components of the class. The idea of “monkey mind” (which de la Garza defines as “the annoying inner chatter that torments many of us, adults and children alike”) and information about the chakras (a color-coded system about the body's energy, according to de la Garza) made some parents uncomfortable, according to Clements.

“Not a good idea,” said Clements. “Children are very impressionable.”

De la Garza removed the topics from the class, shifting her focus to the purely physical aspects of yoga. But she worries that confusion over what she was teaching and a misunderstanding that yoga might interfere with the secular nature of the public schools contributed to the cancellation of the classes.

According to Clements, although some parents complained about “spiritual” components of the class, the reason for canceling the classes was simply that it wasn't meeting the needs of all of the children.

However, the idea that yoga is a spiritual, and therefore religious, practice has been cited in other battles that public schools around the country have waged in considering whether yoga can be part of their curriculum.

“It's absurd,” said Dr. Klaus Ficher, professor of religions at Hancock College. “It's utter nonsense to keep that out of the public schools.”

Ficher said that yoga does have roots in the Hindu tradition and elements of it can be found in Zen Buddhism as well. But in those religions, yoga serves as one method of worship, he said, much the way song or dance serves as a method of worship in other religions today and throughout history.

“In itself it (yoga) is obviously not a religion,” said Ficher, adding that the contrast is especially strong in the 20th century Western world, where yoga has become a mainstream form of physical exercise and stress relief.

“I can't think of anything better to restore some calm and quiet to the school system,” he said.

Carly Newbert, a local yoga teacher who describes herself as an “extremely devoted” Christian, doesn't see a conflict between the two. “I've never felt like anything I've ever done related to yoga challenges my religion,” she said.

Newbert compared yoga to karate, which also often emphasizes discipline of the mind and the body as part of practice.

“Yoga teaches you to quiet the mind,” she said. “And we all need that.”

Clements said she would consider re-instating the program, but under stricter guidelines and after determining a more affordable price.

“Some of the children really did like it,” said Clements. “But some of the children really

didn't like it.”

De la Garza said she would be open to teaching in the school system again under two conditions: First, that yoga be offered as an optional program, and second, that she be allowed to continue teaching about the mind-body connection.

“I do not feel that I need to teach spirituality. It's physiological,” she said, noting that a calm mind leads to a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Cynthia Burton is a student in de la Garza's adult yoga class, and her daughter has taken de la Garza's classes for children. She believes yoga is about physical health and wellness, including wellness of the mind.

Through yoga, Burton said, students, including children, learn to calm themselves and to manage their energy. Burton said she's also seen yoga boost her daughter's self-esteem.

Burton, herself a special education teacher, said she is impressed by de la Garza's ability to adapt yoga to each child she teaches.

“She's so flexible. And I don't mean that in a yoga sense,” said Burton. “It seems like a shame they can't work this out.”

Emily Welly can be reached at 739-2220 or ewelly@santamariatimes.com.

March 19, 2007