Hindus urge all Virginia schools to offer yoga like a Fairfax County school

Hindus have commended Cherry Run Elementary School (CRES) in Burke (Virginia), an institution of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), for reportedly adopting yoga; calling it a step in the positive direction.Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended CRES and FCPS for coming forward and providing an opportunity to students to avail the multiple benefits yoga provided.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Virginia Board of Education President Daniel A. Gecker, and Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples; to work towards formally introducing yoga as a part of curriculum in all the public schools of the state, thus incorporating highly beneficial yoga in the lives of Virginia’s students.

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 “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.

Yoga is part of “improvement plan” of CRES “to promote social, emotional, and physical wellness; learning readiness; and a positive school climate”. Goal is to have 100 percent of students participating in the program by June 2018, reports suggest.

FCPS claims to be “community's gathering place where, together, we foster creative thinking, a culture of caring, and lifelong connections”. As the country's 10th largest school division, FCPS serves over 189,000 students in 197 schools and centers with annual budget of $2.8 billion. Scott Brabrand is the Superintendent, while Jane Strauss is Board Chair.

CRES claims to provide “an atmosphere that stimulates intellectual curiosity, encourages critical thinking and problem solving, and builds a strong sense of personal worth”. Mark Bibbee is the Principal.