Hindus are urging all the cities and counties in Illinois to offer free yoga, on the same pattern as currently being offered by the City of Edwardsville.
“Come…and feel good in body, mind, & soul”, City of Edwardsville (Illinois) yoga announcement says.
Being held in Wildey Theatre, historic opera house built in 1909; these free yoga classes welcome “all levels” and shall continue till May next. Donna Bartley is the Certified Yoga Instructor.
Calling it a step in the positive direction, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended City of Edwardsville for coming forward with this initiative and providing an opportunity to its residents to avail the multiple benefits yoga offered.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to work with various city councils and county commissions in Illinois for offering free yoga classes to the residents, thus incorporating highly beneficial yoga in the lives of Illinoisans.
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, Rajan Zed pointed out.
Zed further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to a “2016 Yoga in America Study”, about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga; and yoga is strongly correlated with having a positive self image. Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Rajan Zed added.
Edwardsville, incorporated in 1818, is said to be the third oldest city in Illinois and has ranked among “Top 10 Best Towns for Families”. Hal Patton, Timothy P. Harr and Robert Pfeiffer are Mayor, Administrator and Parks-Recreation Director respectively. Notable people associated with Edwardsville include actress Laurie Metcalf, baseball player Jason Isringhausen, etc.