​Joy and Tranquility at International Yoga Day Event

 By Parsmi

This year’s International Yoga Day, was marked in Southern California by VYASA-LA with large and joyous in-person participation by the community, unhampered by Covid-19 related health threats that had hung over previous celebrations.

Yoga practitioners gathered at the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Norwalk, on June 21 conscious of the declared theme of the year – Yoga for Humanity.

The event began with bhajans, followed by children doing Surya Namaskar, an educative skit by teenagers on the do’s and don’t’s of yoga, a yoga protocol session, and finally, a yoga flow dance performed by VYASA-LA yoga teachers. 

It was very refreshing to see not only adults but also youth participating in the event – engaged citizens of society who add to the idea of “Yoga for
Humanity.”

Through the performance of Sun Salutations and other yoga asanas, children from elementary to high school learned the importance of healthy bodies and teamwork, especially when they employed their skills to jointly make yogic patterns and formations on stage. Those who participated included: Omkar, Pragathi, Rahul, Anshika, Aum, Parsmi, Ashish and Nithiya.

VYASA-LA teenagers Aakash, Megna, Parsmi and Sagar, in the skit, delivered in their own Gen-Z way the salient points they wanted to convey which helped everyone understand and become mindful of things to be kept in mind while practicing.

The yoga protocol which saw enthusiastic participation was meant for people of all ages and accommodative of everyone’s health condition. So there were people on yoga mats and chairs happily making the moves they were directed to by VYASA-LA teachers Vijaya Kavuri and Mansukh Kaneria.

Participants as young as 7 years old to seniors enjoyed Sukshma Vyayayam and other, sitting, standing, and lying-down postures with pranayama, chanting, and finally savasana as a calming wrap-up of the session. 

The final item on the schedule was a yoga-flow-dance performance by VYASA-LA teachers that ran as smooth butter. A lovely combination of Surya Namaskar and Chandra Namaskar displayed how breath, balance, and postures all come together. Those participating were Kruti, Anjana, Aparna, Anjali, Latha, Nilima, Radhika, Geetha, Prerana and Sangeeta. 

The event began with a welcome speech by President of VYASA-LA Babubhai Gandhi and concluded with prayer by Latha Vasan. The International Yoga Day of 2022, celebrated at VYASA-LA was a tranquil experience according to many.