Hindus welcome Canadian Catholic monastery hosting Yoga programs

Hindus have welcomed Le Monastère des Augustines in Quebec City (Canada), whose “practices are rooted in the Augustinian Sisters’ mission”, for hosting various yoga programs. Le Monastère des Augustines bears witness to the lifestyle and social mission of the Order of the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus of Quebec whose history goes back to 1639; and the Augustinian Sisters continue to live in the building’s Saint-Augustin wing, reports suggest.

Described as “a haven of peace”, historical landmark Le Monastère includes a vast garden dating to 17th century. Description of yoga programs offered by it includes “locate your inner peace” and “calms the mind”.Welcoming Le Monastère for hosting yoga programs, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged all the Canadian public schools to introduce multi-beneficial yoga programs in their curriculums.

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, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.Rajan 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, Zed added.

Evan Price is Board Chair; Sister Lise Tanguay, Superior General of Fédération des Augustines, is Board Member; and Isabelle Duchesneau is Executive Director of Le Monastère, whose tagline is “An adventure within”.