Year 2015

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION AND DR. CAROLYN’S RETIREMENT

On May 9, Hindu YUVA at ISU organized ‘Volunteer Appreciation Party’ for the volunteers who provided help in terms of their valuable ideas and time to make all the HY events meaningful and successful in the last academic year. This year was a great success for HY and it would not have been possible without all the volunteers.

The event also marked the retirement of Prof. Carolyn Heising after 22 years of service as a professor in Iowa State University. Dr. Heising has been a great support to the Hindu YUVA and Indian students’ community in general. She was presented with a plaque and everyone wished her good luck for her future life.

The event ended with the delicious Indian food.

Link to pictures

 

VASANT UTSAV (SPRING FESTIVAL) CELEBRATION

Hindu YUVA at ISU organised a unique event ‘Vasant Utsav’ to celebrate vast diversity of Hindu traditions and cultures. A lot of volunteers represented their culture and shared the knowledge with us. In the event, Ruchir explained how ‘unity in diversity’ is a living reality in India. He also touched upon the basic concepts behind Hindu calendar and the Hindu new year which is celebrated across India in diverse forms. More than 60 people attended and enjoyed the delicious and diverse food from different regions of India prepared by our enthusiastic volunteers.

The combined PDF of all the presentations used by volunteers for explaining about their festivals can be downloaded by following the link below.

Link to Pictures | Presentation

 

YOGA WORKSHOP

In line with the eighth annual “Health for Humanity Yogathon” or “Surya Namaskar Yajna” (Sun Salutation Marathon), Hindu YUVA at Iowa State University had been invited by the ISU Recreation Center to hold a workshop on Yoga and Pranayama for the student yoga instructors, who have been teaching Yoga to ISU students under the Group Fitness programs. This workshop was held on Sunday, February 8th from 4:30 PM to 6 PM at 2218, State Gym. The workshop focused on the philosophy and theory behind yoga which included interactive presentations along with the demonstration and group practice of a few Yoga postures, Pranayama, and Surya Namaskar (sun salutation). Around 22 students and 6 volunteers attended the workshop. Basic philosophy of Yoga, mind-body-breathing relation, Ashtanga Yoga and other forms of Yoga such as Karm Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Gyan Yoga were discussed during the presentation. Different activities such as games followed by deep breathing, Anulom-Vilom and Kapal Bhati Pranayama, OM chanting, and Surya Namaskar kept students engaged throughout the workshop. It was a great success and well received by all the attendees. A lot of students showed interest in learning more about Yoga beyond the physical exercises.

The PDF of the presentation used in the workshop can be downloaded by following the link below. If you require the full version of the presentation, please submit a request to hinduyuvaisu@gmail.com.

Link to Video | Link to Pictures | Presentation

 

SURYA NAMASKAR YAJNA

Hindu YUVA at ISU organized a Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) Marathon till from January 17 until February 1 in State Gym from 7pm to 8pm. The event was attended by about 8-10 people daily, wherein Surya Namaskars were performed in groups. Hindu YUVA had set the target of completing 1500 Surya Namaskars during this time period which was easily met, with the total reaching upto 1600. Surya Namaskar provides all the key health benefits of Yoga in a very succinct package. With regular practice, it is an effective way to manage stress and alleviate depression. It improves concentration and focus. It is good for the digestive, nervous and respiratory system. It provides exercise for the muscles, and benefits joints, ligaments and skeletal system by improving posture, flexibility and balance.