7,000+ Kenyans take a break from protests with yoga

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Stretching and downward-dogging in endless rows, over 7,000 Kenyans on Sunday took a break from protests with yoga ahead of June 21, International Yoga Day.

Kenyans from all walks of life -- mostly youth -- rolled out yoga mats at the grounds of Nairobi University to relieve stress, get fit and flexible, and for some, like Ann Njeri and Donnie Kogi, to enjoy calm and peace of mind away from the protests which have rocked Nairobi over the past five weeks.

"Teargas Monday [as Mondays are known due to police engaging protesters], destruction, noise, violence…I need to relax to forget about all this," legs wide apart, eyes closed, hands on hips and back arched, college student Ann Njeri told Anadolu Agency.

After stretching for a while, she sat on the ground legs crossed, her palms resting on her knees, eyes still closed, "Yoga brings peace, healing, and harmony from within," Njeri explained.

"I need this to get away from all the protests by the opposition, the tug-of-war between the government and them [opposition]. I am not alone, all my friends are here, some with the same goal as me, I am at peace."

Over the past five weeks opposition leader Raila Odinga has held protests every Monday calling for Kenya’s electoral body to be disbanded for alleged plans to rig next year’s general elections.

On Mondays most businesses remain shuttered and roads deserted as people make way for thousands of opposition supporters to protest, often leading to violence, leaving thick clouds of teargas hanging over the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

"I need peace; I haven’t been able to participate in yoga even though I am an enthusiast, but today being a Sunday, I had to attend this event to attain the level of peace and inner harmony after breathing in teargas over the past two months," Donnie Kogi, seated on a yoga mat, also told Anadolu Agency.

"We have teachers and instructors who are taking us through the different poses all free of charge. This is what I need, not only to take a break from the protests, but also for self-healing from an anxiety disorder that I am suffering from."

This is the second time that yoga enthusiasts in the capital are observing International Day of Yoga, in an event sponsored by Kenya’s Sports Ministry, the High Commission of India, and the International Yoga Day Committee.

Also at the event were Sahle Work-Zewde, head of the United Nations Office in Kenya, and Kenyan Sports Minister Hassan Wario, among other government officials and top businessmen.