America
Yoga on Capitol Hill
Yoga
on Capitol Hill
By Arun
Kumar
Washington, May 3 In a curtain-raiser event for the First
International Day of Yoga on June 21, the newly founded Congressional Yogi
Association organized the first-ever "Yoga on the Hill" at Capitol
Hill, the seat of US parliament.
Supported by the Embassy of India in Washington, the May 1 event was organized
to advocate better physical and mental health for US military veterans.
The event was led by Keith Mitchell, former National Football League (NFL) pro
and a celebrity yogi, who suffered a paralysing spinal injury and recovered
through the practice of yoga
Prominent guests included Democrat House members Tim Ryan, Charles Rangel and
Barbara Lee, Brennan Mullaney from Team Red, White and Blue, a leading veteran
non-profit organization and Tom Voss, an Iraq War veteran.
Around 60 Congressional officials participated in the yoga and meditation
session besides senior embassy officials.
The yoga event was focused on practice of yoga as an effective tool for the
physiological and physical healing of war veterans who get affected by mental
illnesses upon returning from combat.
It is estimated that since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, more
than 100,000 combat veterans have sought help for mental illness and yoga is
considered to be a form of health care support in such cases of post-traumatic
stress disorder.
Lawmaker Ryan, who joined the yoga and meditation session, said: "The
extremely high levels of stress Americans deal with on a daily basis is an
important issue facing our country."
"Mindfulness and the practice of yoga help to reduce stress, improve
concentration, and increase feelings of well-being," he said expressing
support for the event.
Rangel said "As a Korean War Veteran, Yoga on the Hill's mission to
promote wellness among the veteran community is close to my heart".
Lee, member of House Subcommittee on Veteran Affairs, hoped that "we will
continue expanding research and access to health alternatives like yoga that
improve the quality of life for our brave veterans."
Counsellor Mohit Yadav from Indian Embassy highlighted Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's remarks at the United Nations describing yoga as "an
invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition" and a holistic approach to
health and well-being.
Starting with a talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on 'Nurturing Peace through Yoga
and Meditation' on April 29, the Indian Embassy here is organizing a series of
events in the run-up to the International Day of Yoga on June 21.