HOUSTON: It seems that the Indian system of Yoga for physical and mental well-being is catching up fast in this country and the visit of Prime Minister Modi has given a further boost to it. Twelve schools of Houston Independent School District (HISD), largest school district in Texas, have announced introducing Yoga there
It will cover over 6,500 students at Crockett, Elmore, Hilliard, McNamara, Oak Forest, Oates, Stevens, Shadydale, Thurgood Marshall, and Whittier elementary schools, as well as Forest Brook Middle and North Forest High schools this year.
According to National Institute of Health, Yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to an estimate, about 21 million Americans, including many celebrities, now practice yoga
Yoga by definition is a “Hindu philosophy that teaches a person to experience inner peace by controlling the body and mind,” observed Sohan Joshi, head of the National Federation of Indian Associations.
Yoga is the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, says Rajan Zed president of Universal Society of Hinduism
Many turn to yoga for quiet time but also as a regular fitness routine. Colleen Eggers, coordinator of land based programs and certified personal trainer/fitness instructor at the Advocate Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center in Downers Grove, says that pre-natal yoga can provide women with a host of health benefits. One study found that as little as one yoga session can reduce anxiety and stress in expectant moms by a third.
“Yoga relieves tension in the lower back, hips, upper back, chest and shoulders and it is also a great way to develop stamina and strength”, she said
Yoga also boosts mental health, Eggers says.
Calling it a “step in the right direction”, Rajan Zed, suggested all school districts of Texas to incorporate yoga in the lives of the students. Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed pointed out.
About 100 languages are spoken in HISD, seventh-largest school district in USA, which has about 213,000 students in 283 schools. Juliet Stipeche and Rhonda Skillern-Jones are the President and First Vice President respectively of its Board of Education, while Dr. Terry B. Grier is Superintendent of Schools.
India Post News Service
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