Yoga for Humanity & Peace, 4th International Day of Yoga!

IDY 2018 Core Team

By Manu Shah

HOUSTON: The Consulate General of India, Houston in partnership with several supporting organizations is gearing up to celebrate the transformative power of yoga through several events scheduled across Texas. June 21, 2018 will mark the Fourth International Day of Yoga (IDY) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and celebrated simultaneously in 155 countries around the world.

Coordinator of Houston’s yoga program and a longtime yoga practitioner himself, Sharad Amin stated that the focus of the 4th IDY is to encourage yoga among mainstream Houstonians through the Midtown Park main event on June 21st as well as over 15 yoga sessions organized at different locations spread over the month of June. These events could be an introduction to yoga for some and a continuation of practice for others. Yoga, he added, has a ripple effect because “when one person benefits, the whole community benefits.”  

IDY will be celebrated in Houston on Thursday, June 21 at the Midtown Park (2811, Travis St, Houston Texas 77006). The event will begin at 6:00 pm with a demonstration of some of the more difficult yoga postures (asanas). After brief remarks from the Consul General, Dr. Anupam Ray, the guided group yoga will commence at 6:25 led by Director of SVYASA Houston, Vishwarupa Nanjundappa and Yoga teacher Olivia Keller. This will be followed by a Relaxation and Pranayama session by Roger Rippy and initiator of Pralay Yoga Robert Boustany respectively. The event will conclude by 7:30 pm with a color powder dance party or Holi as it is known in India led by Lindsey Law. (RSVP at yogadayoftexas2018.eventbrite.com)

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Houston Yoga Teachers

The excellent response to the previous years’ IDY has encouraged the Hindu Temple of the Woodlands to host the event again on June 23, Saturday at 7:00am. . The young volunteers of their Vision to Reality project and Community Outreach Program by the Education Youth Service (EYS), are organizing the event in Town Green Park (2099 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands, Texas 77780). Retired Vascular Surgeon, renowned Yoga Therapist & Ayurveda practitioner Dr. Dilip Sarkar will be the Chief Guest.

Local Yoga Studios are also involved in the event with many offering free yoga classes. There will be booths with information about yoga, yoga books for sale, and an Indian-style breakfast and lunch by Hyderabad House. Temple President Mukesh Mittal and Chairman Jagan Allam encourage all community members to join this global yoga movement.

A Continued Medical Education, (CME) meeting at Memorial Hermann of The Woodlands has also been organized.

The Indian Consulate of Houston has planned a series of events spread over a week in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.

IDY will be observed in front of the stately State Capitol building in Austin on Saturday June 16 at 5:45 pm (1100 Congress Ave. Austin, Texas 78701), in Dallas on 17th June, Sunday at 7:30 am at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza (1201 Hidden Ridge Dr., Irving, Texas, 75038) and in San Antonio on 9th June, Saturday at 8:00 am at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (900, E. Market St., San Antonio, TX, 78205).

The events are free and open to all. Bring your yoga mats and plan to arrive 20 minutes ahead to find a comfortable spot.

Please visit these links for more information: Website: http://yogadayoftexas.org