Hindus laud Encinitas Union School District in California for launching yoga

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Hindus have commended Encinitas Union School District in California (USA) for introducing yoga and have urged all school districts in USA to do the same for their pupils.

Calling it a “step in the right direction”, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, suggested all elementary-middle-high schools of the nation to incorporate yoga in the lives of the students, making it part of the curriculum. 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 pointed out.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, 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.

Rajan Zed noted that besides other benefits, yoga might also help deal with the obesity crisis faced by the country. According to United States National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. About 16 million Americans, including many celebrities, now reportedly practice yoga. It was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Zed added.

The Encinitas Union School District, whose mission includes providing “a challenging and nurturing learning experience”, serves the City of Encinitas and the La Costa area of Carlsbad in North San Diego County. Approximately 5,600 students in Kindergarten through 6th grade are enrolled in the District's nine schools, all of which have been recognized as California Distinguished Schools. Emily Andrade and Gregg Sonken are President and Vice President respectively of its Board of Trustees while Timothy Baird is the Superintendent.

According to reports, University of Virginia and University of San Diego have partnered to design and implement a research study to measure the impact of system-wide implementation of yoga curriculum.