Houston Celebrates Rich History of Yoga by Honouring Eminent Teachers

70 Yoga teachers from all walks of life.

HOUSTON: SVYASA in collaboration with Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) organized a special event to honor eminent yoga teachers based in Houston, Texas on June 29th, 2024, at VPSS Haveli

Honorable Consulate General of India, Mr. D. C. Manjunath, expressed his joy for Houston organizing over 30 events, which concluded a series of activities commemorating the International Day of Yoga. He reflected on the growing global popularity of yoga since its designation as an international observance by the UN a decade ago,

Thanks to the vision of India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Modi. Mr. Manjunath praised the collaborative efforts of SVYASA, Hindus of Greater Houston, and other partnering organizations in recognizing the contributions of yoga teachers to the Houston community. He also highlighted this year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society.”

The event was attended by over  350 people, mainly yoga teachers and yoga enthusiasts.

The 12 award winners with presenters, including Consul General DC Manjunath (center). Tamika Caston Miller, Alejandro Chaoul, Sharon Kapp, Meena Kankani, Smitha Malliah, Jayachandran Chandrasekaran, Mark Ram, Saumil Manek, Sharanya Gopalavishwanathan, Ray Lynn Rath, Farida Meguid, Wayne Campbell.

The evening commenced with a warm welcome from the emcees Saumil Manek and Manisha Gandhi who eloquently managed the proceedings with efficiency.

Yoga asana by Simmi Dragon and associates.

Mr. Robert Boustany, one of Houston’s most senior yoga teachers, spoke eloquently about the profound concept of appreciating life and cultivating love and compassion beyond the physical body – teaching yoga for 50 plus years.  Per him there are over 2500 Yoga teachers in Houston.  With his guidance new organisation will be formed to unity Yoga teachers in Houston. This organisation will serve Houston all 12 months.

The rich history of yoga in Houston, dating back to the 1960s, was showcased through a video featuring Mr. Lex, who recounted his journey in establishing one of the first yoga organizations in the city

Mr. Vijay Pallod director   Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) addressed the gathering with an inspirational speech, highlighting the significance of the event and expressing gratitude to all the participating organizations.

He noted that there are nearly 35 million yoga practitioners in America.

Mr. Pallod emphasized the importance of making yoga accessible to all communities, including minority communities. He made a commitment to provide scholarships to  African American and minority groups,  to take yoga teacher training courses.

He proclaimed that he would like to promote International Day of Yoga to the level that it becomes as popular as the “Mother’s Day”.

It was inspiring to see small children from Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), between the ages of 5-12, give a beautiful yoga demonstration to the accompanying music. Simmi Dargan organised  event Yoga Asana Flow which  featured an inspiring performance by a diverse group of yoga practitioners, aged 11 to 82, showcasing a seamless flow of traditional and modern yoga postures.

Smitha Mallaiah PhD(c), Program Director and senior faculty at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA) highlighted the contributions of SVYASA since the last 5 decades. Over 500 graduated  from Svyasa

SVYASA offers Yoga Certification Courses like degree, doctorate in yoga teaching and therapies but also conducting research to establish benefits of yoga through lens of modern medical science.

Smitha Mallaiah is a highly respected yoga teacher, therapist and researcher with over two decades of experience in the field of yoga therapy and research.

Currently, she serves as a senior yoga Therapist at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Centre, where she integrates therapeutic yoga practices into patient care, focusing on improving the quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment.

Her expertise and dedication have also led her to co-chair the Society for Integrative Oncology’s Yoga Special Interest Group (SIO Yoga SIG), where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the integration of yoga into oncology care at an international level.

Through her leadership roles and extensive teaching experience, she continues to inspire and educate both practitioners and patients, advocating for the transformative power of yoga in promoting holistic health and well-being.

The event’s centrepiece was the recognition of 12 outstanding  yoga teachers based in Houston, selected through a nomination and selection process. Each teacher received a plaque from the Honourable Consulate General and other presenters Art of living  Geeta Bhatia,  GSH Suresh Patel, HGH Manisha Gandhi,  HSS Sharad Amin , ICC  Parul   Fernandes, IMAGH Tasnim Vadva, India House CL Vipin Kumar, Isha Foundation Anita Patel, Pralay Yoga  Robert Boustany,  Svyasa Prakash Morolia, VPSS Rasesh Dalal.