Woodrow Wilson High School (WWHS) in Portland (Oregon) is reportedly offering one-of-its-kind Yoga/Mindfulness for-credit year-long course, which is said to be very popular.

“…we are fortunate to be able to offer our students a course that incorporates mindful practice and yoga to help with stress management and achieve body awareness, strength and flexibility; improve concentration, focus and attention; find healthy motivation; build confidence and healthy self-expression; and develop conscious, compassionate, communication skills”, School website says.

Calling it a “step in the positive direction”, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, suggested all Oregon schools to incorporate yoga in the lives of the students. Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed pointed out.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.

According to National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to an estimate, about 21 million Americans, including many celebrities, now practice yoga. Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Rajan Zed added.

WWHS, a comprehensive public high school spread over 20 acres and with about 1230 pupils; exceeded District, State and National averages in SAT and AP scores. A part of Portland Public Schools (PPS), Brian Chatard is its Principal. PPS, largest school district in the Pacific Northwest founded in 1851, has about 48,745 students in 81 schools who speak about 94 languages at home. Ruth Adkins and Pam Knowles are Co-Chair of its Board of Education while Carole Smith is Superintendent.