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.