Americans, under stay-at-home order for the past several weeks due to the severe outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, are showing an enthusiastic response to the free online yoga classes being organised by the Indian embassy here.
The Indian Mission started the yoga classes from March 30 to promote ‘healthy’ and ‘cheerful’ living during lockdown.
Yoga is an ancient Indian system of physical exercise and meditation.
Also read: How to cope with confinement
“The practice of yoga, as Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has emphasised, offers a holistic way of keeping mentally and physically fit during these challenging times,” India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI.
Response from the U.S. audience to the online yoga classes that the embassy started two weeks ago has been encouraging, the Indian diplomat said.
Everyday hundreds of yoga enthusiasts join the free online yoga classes by Moxraj, a teacher of Indian culture.
He taught yogasana in the first week and pranayama, aimed at strengthening the respiratory and immune system, in the second.
In a fortnight the number of views of his yoga classes has crossed 1,00,000, reflecting the interest of health enthusiasts.
Early this month, Ivanka Trump, who is also a senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, described the Yoga Nidra video tweeted by Prime Minister Modi as wonderful. “This is wonderful! Thank you @narendramod! #TogetherApart,” she said.
Popularity of online classes soars
Online yoga classes have become popular during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Baltimore Sun, carried a photo feature of yoga instructor Jayne Bernasconi teaching class using FaceTime because gyms have been closed. Corepower Yoga, which has shut all its nearly-20 yoga studios in the Washington DC metropolitan area, has started online yoga classes through a mobile app. The classes range from one minute to 60 minutes. Yoga Loft Studios in Chicago, Oak Park and Forest Park are offering daily virtual classes for students of all levels, local ABC7 news channel said.
Joshua Gordon, Director, National Institute of Mental Health, in his tip to Americans on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, has suggested exploring wellness programmes like meditation, yoga, muscle relaxation and breathing exercises. Many nationwide fitness studious like YMCA, Gold’s Gym and Peloton, which have been shut down, are offering online yoga classes.
At the start of the pandemic mitigation measures, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, in an email, asked her constituents to take care of their body. “Figure out how to keep active and moving. Even in a small space you can do yoga or use exercise apps,” she said.
Yoga is being used by healthcare workers too.
An Instagram photo showed nurses from across the University of Washington system pause for a brief yoga session between drive-through testing of coronavirus.
The local Daily Caller from Colorado reported that Boulder-based virtual yoga, meditation and workouts have been thriving in the wake of the pandemic. Taking the great leap into the virtual landscape felt disheartening at first, but since then my perspective has shifted, Yoga instructor Lauren Gennett Lewis was quoted as saying by the local media outlet. As I opened my first Zoom classroom, students faces popped up not only from our Boulder community but from all across the country and beyond, she said.
In Boston, Yoga teacher Rebecca is offering 20 minute meditations via Instagram Live. “Given the unprecedented circumstances in which we find ourselves, feeling anxious is a very human and understandable response,” she told Boston.Com.
The United States has more than 5,50,000 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus. It has recorded 1,509 deaths related to the pandemic over the past 24 hours, bringing the tally at 23,529, the most seen in any country.
