Hindus back Senator Buttimer’s call for yoga in Ireland schools

Hindus are strongly supporting Senator Jerry Buttimer’s reported call for teaching yoga in Ireland schools and adding it to the curriculum, calling it a step in the positive direction for Ireland. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Senator Buttimer, who is also Leader of Seanad Eireann, for coming forward with this idea, which would provide an opportunity to Irish pupils to avail the multiple benefits yoga provided. Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism; urged Ireland President Michael D. Higgins, Prime minister Leo Varadkar, Minister for Health Simon Harris, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone, Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh and Minister of State for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne to wholeheartedly work towards formally introducing yoga as a part of curriculum in all schools of the country; thus incorporating highly beneficial yoga in the lives of Ireland’s students. 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, Rajan Zed pointed out. Zed 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. According to a recent report of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Yoga is the most popular complementary health approach in the United States - used by 14.3% of the adult population, or 35.2 million people”. According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Rajan Zed added. Senator Buttimer, who represents Cork South Central, lists education as a “key issue” for him and claims to "have led campaigns for change".