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International Yoga Day in Naperville an oasis of calm

The engine light is on. There's no milk in the house. The state's on the verge of a junk bond rating and hackers are trying to affect the outcome of our elections.

Inner serenity is elusive but more than 1,500 people found it Saturday during an International Yoga Day Celebration in Naperville.

Hundreds of mats dotted the floor at the Naperville Yard as yoga veterans and novices found unity in the ancient arts of breathing, stretching and meditating.

"People are more stressed now," said Naperville's Sanjeev Singh, who helped organize the event. "Every day they're thinking, 'What are my tomorrows going to hold?'"

Yoga offers a simple path for individuals to connect to an "infinite intelligence," he said.

The Consulate General of India and the city of Naperville, which has a large Indian community, hosted the event.

The United Nations in 2014 designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga to recognize the benefits of a "holistic approach to health and well-being."

Dignitaries including Consul General of India in Chicago Neeta Bhushan and Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico attended, as did 16-month-old toddler Avani Vijay, who capered about as mom, Richa, took some soothing deep breaths.

Throughout her pregnancy, the Naperville resident did prenatal yoga. "It helped," Vijay said.

Strangers and friends relaxed and became one in the vast gym.

"Exhale from your chin to your chest," a teacher intoned. "As you inhale, rotate your head to the right and back."

Outside the yoga sessions, vendors selling everything from samosas to saris drew crowds, as did booths with information about meditation and classes.

But the beauty of yoga is that it doesn't have to be organized and it's open to anyone, Singh said.

"You can just do meditation without any religious implication," he explained.

Both Singh and his wife, Rita, were busy helping organize the event. "There was so much going on I was really stressed, but slowly, slowly I calmed down," Rita Singh said.

Although it may seem challenging to find inner peace, surrounded by hundreds of other people, she did. "I was in my own zone."

Chirico admitted he's not a yoga expert; he reduces stress by hiking in the woods. "We live in a very complicated and busy world," he said, adding that it's essential to take time to "invest in your inner self."

Bhushan thinks "the regular practice of yoga helps a person get connected with themselves and with the community. It's the best way to find inner peace."

To learn more, go to facebook.com/ChicagoYogaFest.

Relax, connect with Yoga Day celebration in Naperville

  Members of the Soorya Dance School in Northbrook perform for a crowd at the International Yoga Day event at the Naperville Yard. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  Yoga instructor Nimmi Ketty of the Art of Living Foundation leads a class during an International Yoga Day event at the Naperville Yard. Consul General of India in Chicago Neeta Bhushan, foreground, joined hundreds of other participants attending the class. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, center, and Consul General of India in Chicago Neeta Bhushan participate in the Inauguration by Lighting of the Lamp during International Yoga Day as Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, left, and other dignitaries watch. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
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