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The Indian Embassy in the United States has announced free online yoga classes during weekdays from March 30, an initiative expected to benefit thousands confined to houses in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic in keeping fit mentally and physically.

“We are happy to announce the online Yoga classes during weekdays @ 5 PM EST, starting from Monday, March 30, 2020. (IST 2.30 am, March 31). The classes will be live streamed through the Embassy’s Facebook page (India in USA (Embassy of India, Washington DC),” the embassy tweeted.

The US now has more confirmed coronavirus cases than any other country in the world as the number of infected crossed 83,500, surpassing China and Italy. At least 160 million, including the Indian diaspora, are forced to stay home from California to New York to contain the spread of the virus that has claimed over 1,100 lives.

“A good initiative by the Embassy to keep (people) healthy and cheerful while working from home,” tweeted Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the US.

The online coaching will be provided by Moxraj, the teacher of Indian culture at the Indian Embassy.

Last week, the Harvard Medical School in the US advocated yoga, meditation and controlled breathing as ways to cope with anxiety related to the coronavirus epidemic.

“Not a yoga person? No need to start now unless you’d like to try it. Sometimes trying new things and discovering new activities you can benefit from and enjoy can be a welcome, healthy distraction. Yoga Studio and Pocket Yoga are good apps to consider,” wrote John Sharp, a board-certified psychiatrist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles.

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