PALO ALTO, CA: There is lot more than physical well being for someone to be healthy and happy. Hatha Yoga helps balance physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual systems of a person to stay healthy in all aspects.
“The Magical Touch of Hatha Yoga” was a workshop organized at the Jewish Community Center here by Vasanthi Bhat, a committed and talented practitioner and teacher of Hatha Yoga. She has been helping people to learn and benefit from Hatha Yoga for past 38 years.
The program was dedicated to showcasing the Hatha Yoga and its benefits to community. It started with Om Chanting, followed by a short invocation dance by Ramya Ramesh (certified teacher of Vasantha Yoga), choreographed with intricate yoga postures.
Chief Guest Talat Hasan, Founding Chair ICC, shared her personal experiences and benefits derived from practicing Vasantha Yoga.
It was followed by a section where children performed Yoga while teaching it to parents. It filled the hall with serene and spiritual atmosphere. Youth and adult students also demonstrated advanced Yoga.
Solo demonstration by Vasanthi Bhat was the highlight of the program. A quick demonstration of allergy relief techniques by Vasanthi’s grandchildren was also included.
Dr Jayashree Joshi commented on the benefits of Hatha Yoga for diabetes, hypertension, kidney ailments, thyroid, and for the entire body. This was followed by back pain relief segments. Dr. Krishna Bhat, Physiatrist from North Carolina, commented on the postures with physiological basis for the benefits.
Pradeep Joshi, former ICC Program Director, acknowledged Bhat’s continuing volunteer services to seniors since 1995. To commemorate the occasion, two senior groups from Cupertino Senior Center and Cupertino India Community Center demonstrated many yoga postures. It was also a feast to see some seniors over 90 years practicing yoga like young adults.
Dr Murali Moorthy, Orthopedic Surgeon from Walnut Creek, explained the physiology of foot and how specific yoga postures benefit the feet related ailments. Therapeutic yoga was addressed by Vasanthi Bhat explaining how differently one can alter the classic Hatha Yoga routines to meet individual needs and limitations.
Throughout the program, Vasanthi Bhat showed the audience how to relax with Pranayama, meditation and deep relaxation together with gentle stretching while sitting on a chair or standing. She made the program interactive by involving the audience in Yoga moves.
Program participants were very excited and eager to reap the benefits that Hatha Yoga provides. Meenakshi, a participant was very impressed with Vasanthi’s Yoga teaching skills and skills acquired by her students.
Kamala and Vijaya Joshi were mesmerized by the happiness and spiritual smile that comes from Yoga. They wanted to try Turtle pose daily to reap the benefits.
Arvind Bhargava liked the performance by seniors. He said Vasanthi will make sure we grow old gracefully too.
Prema Santhanam found Vasanthi’s solo performance amazing. She thought intricate yoga postures were unbelievable. The event was very well organized and perfectly coordinated.
Ritu Maheshwari
India Post News Service
