>>> SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS Planters. A nut above.
>>> SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS
ABOUT ME.
I LOVE YOGA, WHICH MAKES THIS
NEXT STORY ONE OF MY FAVORITES
THIS WEEK.
IN 1993 THE ALABAMA BOARD OF
EDUCATION BANNED YOGA AND
MEDITATION PRACTICES IN ITS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AMID COMPLAINTS
THAT COUNSELORS WERE HARMING
CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC
TECHNIQUES
TECHNIQUES.
ONE MOTHER WAS CONCERNED THAT A
RELAXATION TAPE THAT HER CHILD
BROUGHT HOMEMADE ONE BOY VISIBLY
HIGH.
WELL, ANYBODY WHO KNOWS YOGA
KNOWS HE MAY HAVE JUST BEEN VERY
RELAXED.
THAT ALABAMA RULE HAS BEEN ON
THE BOOKS FOR THE PAST 27 YEARS.
AND THERE ARE STILL GROUPS WHO
ARE AFRAID OF ALLOWING YOGA IN
ALABAMA SCHOOLS.
>> THE MORE IVE RESEARCHED
THIS, THE MORE IVE REALIZED
THAT YOU CANT SEPARATE THE
EXERCISES FROM THE RELIGIOUS
MEDITATION ASPECT OF IT.
THIS IS HINDUISM STRAIGHT UP.
>> INSTRUCTORS WILL BE ABLE TO
COME INTO CLASSROOMS AS YOUNG AS
KINDERGARTEN AND KING THESE
CHILDREN THROUGH GUIDED IMAGERY,
WHICH IS A SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
AND ITS OUTSIDE OF THEIR
PARENTS VIEW.
>> YET DESPITE ALMOST THREE
DECADES OF PUSHBACK, YESTERDAY
ALABAMA GOVERNOR KAY IVY SIGNED
A BILL THAT LIFTED THE BAN ON
YOGA IN SCHOOLS, BUT WITH
SPECIFIC GUIDELINES LIKE
PROHIBITING THE USE OF THE WORD
"NAMASTE."
JOINING ME IS ALABAMA STATE
REPRESENTATIVE JEREMY GRAY WHO
FOUGHT FOR THAT LEGISLATION AND
IS ALSO A FORMER YOGA INSTRUCTOR
HIMSELF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.
>> OH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
TODAY.
>> SO WHAT CHANGED YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES MINDS
ABOUT YOGA IN SCHOOLS?
>> WELL, WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT IT
IN 2019, I DIDNT REALLY KNOW
WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO.
I ENDED UP GETTING THE BILL OUT
OF COMMITTEE AND IT WAS VOTED
THE DEADEST BILL OR THE
RUNNER-UP FOR THE DEADEST BILL
IN SESSION.
SO I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
EDUCATING MY COLLEAGUES.
I BUILT A COALITION.
IN POLITICS, WHEN YOUR
CONSTITUENTS ARE GETTING ONTO
YOU OR THEYRE COMPLAINING ABOUT
YOGA, YOU HEAR THEM BECAUSE
THOSE ARE VOTES.
SO WHEN I CAME BACK IN 2020, I
WAS ABLE TO ATTACH THE BILL OUT
OF THE HOUSE, BUT DUE TO COVID I
WASNT ABLE TO GET THE BILL TO
THE SENATE.
SO IN 2021 I WAS ABLE TO ADVANCE
IT THROUGH THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED
IT YESTERDAY.
SO ITS BEEN A JOURNEY.
>> THAT IS A JOURNEY.
DO YOU SEE THE FIGHT TO PASS
THIS LEGISLATION AS A PART OF
REPUBLICAN CULTURE WARS?
>> WELL, I THINK ITS -- I WOULD
JUST SAY REPUBLICAN BUT MORE OF
YOUR CONSERVATIVE GROUPS.
A LOT OF REPUBLICANS WAS ON
BOARD WITH IT.
BUT WHEN THE CONSERVATIVES CAME
OUT AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT
IMAGERY AND HYPNOSIS AND
HINDUISM, IT SCARED A LOT OF
THEM, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY THE
PUSHBACK.
I HAD TO STAND FIRM.
IM GLAD THAT I WAS A YOGA
INSTRUCTOR SO I CAN GUIDE MY
COLLEAGUES ON WHAT ARE THE MYTHS
AND REALLY EDUCATE THEM.
ONCE I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT, I
WAS ABLE TO GET THREE-FOURTHS OF
THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE TO PASS
THIS BILL.
>> SO ITS BEEN A REALLY LONG
YEAR.
ITS BEEN HARD BECAUSE WE WERE
SO ISOLATED FROM ONE ANOTHER
THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
I HAVE TO SAY HOT YOGA CLASSES,
IN-PERSON YOGA CLASSES I MISS
VERY DEEPLY.
HOW HAVE YOU USED YOGA TO KEEP
SANE THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC
YEAR?
>> ITS FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, I ACTUALLY
CONTRACTED COVID.
AND THROUGH BREATHING EXERCISES
AND WALKING AND MEDITATION, I
WAS ABLE TO REALLY BOOST MY
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND I WAS
ABLE TO GET THROUGH COVID
WITHOUT ANY KIND OF REAL DAMAGE.
I THINK THAT IT REALLY HELPED
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT STRESS AND
ANXIETY AND ALL THE THINGS THAT
HAPPENED THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC
THAT PUT PEOPLE IN SHOCK.
SO I THINK THIS WAS A REALLY
GOOD THING.
I THINK A LOT OF THE EDUCATORS
WANTED THIS BILL DURING THE
PANDEMIC AND VIRTUAL LEARNING.
ALL IN ALL, I THINK IT WAS
REALLY USEFUL IN THIS PANDEMIC.
>> I THINK THOSE ARE PICTURES
WERE SHOWING OF YOUR YOGA CLASS
THERE IN THAT B ROLL.
IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WOULD
ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PRACTICE
YOGA AND TO TAKE UP MEDITATION,
WHY DO YOU FIND IT SO HELPFUL?
YOU SAID IT HELPED YOU GET
THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND COVID
ITSELF, BUT WHY ELSE DOES IT
HELP YOU?
>> I THINK IT HAS TWO BENEFITS.
IT HAS A PHYSICAL BENEFIT WHEN
YOU TALK ABOUT FLEXIBILITY,
ALIGNMENT OF THE BODY.
CORE, STABILITY, ALL THOSE
THINGS THAT KEEP YOU HEALTHY AND
STRONG.
BUT IT ALSO HAS A MENTAL
COMPONENT TO HELP WITH THOSE
DAILY STRESSORS, THAT ANXIETY.
SOMETIMES IN LIFE WERE JUST
LOOKING FOR CLARITY.
JUST BREATHING, COUNTING TO 10,
CLOSING YOUR EYES, BEING ONE
WITH YOURSELF WITH YOUR THOUGHTS
IS REALLY USEFUL FOR YOUR
DAY-TO-DAY VENTURE.
SO I THINK IT HAS A PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL COMPONENT THAT REALLY
HELPS THE AVERAGE CITIZEN.
ANYONE CAN DO YOGA.
WE DO YOGA IN PRISONS IN
ALABAMA, THEY DO IT AT
UNIVERSITIES, FOOTBALL PLAYERS
DO IT, SO I JUST THINK THAT ITS
SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN
EMBRACE WITHOUT FEELING LIKE
THEYRE GOING TO BE CONVERTED
INTO HINDUISM.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY A