Prem Kaur quotes the late American motivational speaker Wayne Dyer when she speaks about her Coquitlam studio’s first-ever Yoga for World Peace class.
He said a positive individual has the power to change a room full of stressed-out people just by generating a constructive and confident energy.
Kaur said she hopes to corral the same enthusiasm next month when she and her husband, Jai Singh, lead a free yoga and meditation session on Family Day.
Kaur got the idea for Yoga for World Peace after hearing the news about the tensions between Iran and the U.S. and the plane crash that killed a Port Coquitlam family. Reports around climate change have also upset her.
“There have been so many troubling things happening recently,” she said during a tour of Jai Studio on Austin Avenue. “It’s a lot to take in mentally.”
Her aim with Yoga for World Peace is to help calm the minds of participants before tackling weighty topics; being mindful and taking time out are the first steps to healing.
“You have to start with yourself,” she said. “We may feel small and insignificant when it comes to politics but if we are centred and balanced, then we are able to become stronger and achieve much bigger things. We become focused.”
Although there is no charge for entry to Yoga for World Peace, donations will be taken for Interpeace, a Switzerland-based group that “prevents violence and builds lasting peace” in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
Up to 22 participants can join the soothing flow (slow hatha) session at 11 a.m. Feb. 17, and a waitlist will be created for more classes if demand is high.
Singh said they wanted Yoga for World Peace on Family Day to connect with relatives and share ideas about how to have a meaningful impact with activism.
Afterwards, participants are invited to stay for tea and talk about their plans. “Family Day is very special because it brings us all together,” Singh said.
To register for Yoga for World Peace, call the Jai Yoga Studio (1140 Austin Ave.) at 778-886-6520, visit www.jai-yoga.com or email via hello@jai-yoga.com.
