Yoga studios have been flourishing across the United States for years. The traditional Indian system of mind-body harmony has now finally made its debut on Capitol Hill, thanks to the efforts of the newly-founded Congressional Yogi Association, drawing on support from the Indian Embassy here.
Billed as a curtain-raiser for the first-ever International Yoga Day on June 21 that owes itself to a powerful push from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly last year, the Capitol Hill event was joined by a band of eager-beaver lawmakers and some 60-odd Congressional aides.
“Yoga on the Hill”, as the event has been touted, was to be held in the East lawn just outside the steps to the Capitol Building, but the inclement weather drove it into the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building.
Senior Congressman Charles Rangel and some fitness buffs among lawmakers, notably Tim Ryan from Ohio and Barbara lee from California, kicked off the yoga session as part of a new focus on physical and mental health.
leading the event was Keith Mitchell, former NFl (National Football league) pro and a yoga celebrity, who became a spokesman for yoga after it helped him make a full recovery from a paralyzing spinal injury. “I found meditation through that whole experience, which really saved my life and it put me on a whole different path. I call it purpose,” Mitchell said.
“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition,” Counsellor Mohit Yadav from the Indian Embassy told the enthusiastic audience. “It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”
Iraq War veteran Tom Voss was among those participating in the yoga and meditation session. With a large number of American soldiers seeking help for mental illnesses on their return from war assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan, yoga is emerging as a major support for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder. “The extremely high levels of stress Americans deal with on a daily basis is an important issue facing our country,” said Congressman Ryan, who joined the yoga session. “I have found that mindfulness and the practice of yoga help to reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase feelings of well-being.”
For New York Congressman Rangel, a Korean War veteran, Yoga on the Hill is a mission “close to my heart”. Congresswoman lee, who is also a member of the House Subcommittee on Veteran Affairs, sees yoga practice as an immense source to improve the quality of life for American veterans.
After Modi’s suggestion in his UN address last September, India introduced in December a draft resolution in the General Assembly that came to be adopted unanimously following broad support from 177 member-nations. While the International Yoga Day will be held on June 21, the Embassy has kicked off a series of events in preparation, beginning with a talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on “Nurturing Peace through Yoga and Meditation” at University of Maryland last Friday.