Salutations to the Washington Monument and 1,700 people
enjoying the freedom of yoga.
Rising up into Warrior I, my eyes took in the tip of the Washington Monument
piercing a cloudy sky, and I offered my Sun Salutations to independence,
freedom, and all that makes me proud to be American. After a couple of days in
Washington DC brushing up on our national history at the American History
Museum (seeing an Edison lightbulb, the flag that inspired “The Star Spangled
Banner” and President Lincoln’s top hat), it’s hard not to feel a little
patriotic.
And after seeing the sea of yogis stretched across the
National Mall on Saturday morning, it’s hard not to feel ecstatic
about how our nation is embracing yoga. The event, organized by Lululemon Athletica
as part of Washington’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, drew a great crowd–the unofficial count was 1,700 people. It
was a site to behold! And so cool to be a part of this moment in history, when
yoga is becoming as American as apple pie.
In an hour-plus class led by Peggy
Mulqueen, we breathed
together through everything from Hanumanasana (Full Splits) to Bakasana (Crane
Pose) to partner Navasana (Boat Pose). Onstage, local teachers, including Yoga
Journal’s May cover model Faith
Hunter, and a few guests like Ashtanga yoga teacher David
Kyle treated the crowd to an impressive display of power and grace.
Beneath giant American flags, and on top of a rainbow of sticky mats, there was
a spirit of freedom–and a lot of free spirits!–in the air.
I have nothing personal against people who prefer stretching their bodies in painful positions but it’s not always pleasant to look at that.
Thank you for sharing this information, which I learned a lot, but also know a lot of knowledge. I hope I’ll still see your information next time.