ST LOUIS: Balvihar of St. Louis hosted the 2nd International Day of Yoga on Sunday June 26 in St. Louis, MO with the purpose of highlighting its important role in health. Last year, Balvihar celebrated the 1st International Day of Yoga on June 21.
The event was held at the Mahatma Gandhi Center, located in Manchester, MO, between 8:00 am and 12:30 pm. It was a great success, with close to 175 people participating and collectively performing about 1750 Sun Salutations.
Balvihar youth and families, the school yoga teachers, local community leaders, leading professional yoga instructors, and many community people from all walks of life participated in Sun Salutation sessions and in workshops in Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Chair Yoga.
The workshops were very popular and well attended. Under the guidance of the school yoga teachers, children’s yoga was conducted on the lawns. The event concluded with an interesting panel discussion by experts in Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Shivananda Yoga.
The event not only educated people on the health benefits of yoga and encouraged them to take better care of their health, but also gave participants yoga tools to relieve stress, chronic aches and pains and to relax.
Founded in 1992, the Center for Indian Cultural Education – Balvihar of St. Louis promotes, instills and fosters Indian culture in children of Indian origin, ages 5 and above.
Its curriculum presents a broad spectrum: from Indian cultural values, to geography and history, to festivals, to religion. Students are taught all aspects of Indian culture including philosophy, prayers, yoga, bhajans, art, traditions, and teachings. Its Youth Group teens engage in many interfaith activities, such as CANstruction, in order to broaden their knowledge of other faiths, while strengthening the understanding of their own faith.
The Youth Group is also involved in many community projects that consolidate their sense of community responsibility and of integrating multi-cultures. Balvihar’s volunteer staff consists of professional individuals and dedicated parents, who have a keen interest in sustaining cultural values in their children.
Nandita Satheeskumar
