Sixth Year of Health for Humanity – Yogathon!
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) announces the sixth annual Surya Namaskar Yajna also known as "Health for Humanity – Yogathon", to create awareness about Yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind and spirit.
Every year Hindus worldwide celebrate January 14th as Makar Sankranti – a day that marks the change of season as the sun enters the sign of Capricorn or Makar. Makar Sankranti ushers in longer days; hence, the festivity symbolizes sunshine in life.
Surya Namaskar or sun salutations are a form of Yoga, performed to revere and celebrate this sunshine that is so vital for life on our planet. The routine of sun salutations also provides the right, wholesome exercise to improve health and reduce stress day-to-day. Therefore, to mark the occasion of Makar Sankranti, and to introduce Yoga to all, HSS will conduct a collective Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY) from January 14th to January 29th, 2012.
SNY has been gaining wide popularity year-after-year. The 2011 Yogathon drew over 10,000 people from 38 states, who performed nearly 988,000 repetitions of the sun salutation. Seventeen public schools and twenty five colleges participated, besides multiple Yoga studios across the country. The program also drew the attention of several civic officials, and prompted eleven of them to make formal proclamations in support of the Yogathon.
For 2012, SNY has set a goal of one million Surya Namaskar through the contribution of at least 12,000 individuals. To make this happen, HSS invites all of you, as well as community groups, Yoga centers and students to join this unique “Health for Humanity Yogathon”. This program is open to people of all ages, gender and races. To learn more, visit www.hssus.org/sny or send us an email at sny@hssus.org.