No more caning or beating, say the authorities at a school in Agra. But wait. You will still be pulled up, though in a different way — by being asked to do yoga! An initiative of John Fareira, principal of the 166-year-old St Peter’s College, the Dandasana package of yogic punishment includes postures such as anulom vilom, pranayam and kapal bharti.
When Fareira joined the school last year, the church authorities were reluctant to introduce yoga in the school as they thought it was a Hindu practice. But against all protests, Fareira made it compulsory for the 3,000 students of his institution to join his yoga exercises in the morning assembly.
He also rid the school canteen of all junk food and colas. Any student found creating trouble, or failing to do assignments and homework is ordered to perform yoga. Occasionally when the whole class is creating some trouble, they all have to do pranayam for 10 minutes. “Caning or beating children doesn’t really help these days,” says Fareira.
“We want our children to be focussed and disciplined and therefore the emphasis on yoga. Some of the students said they enjoyed the punishment as it was "health-oriented and also gave us time to concentrate on the offence or whatever wrong we have done."
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