Lost in the sweep of its trendiness, people can forget that yoga has actual restorative effects on regular people. And unless one feels the desire to invest in an expensive mat, one needn't be a moneyed housewife to do it.
Having homeless people doing it puts that in relief. Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak stumbled upon a yoga class at D.C. homeless shelter Miriam's Kitchen, part of what she describes as "an arts program to rival any top-flight Florida senior center."
Which is a nice thing to taunt, but does it actually serve a purpose for people with glaring needs?
When they do yoga, after being hunched over in a defensive crouch for years, aching from carrying their worldly possessions in duffels slung over their shoulders, hurting from years of sleeping on pavement, it can be transformative.
Dvorak follows with testimonials from some of the homeless people saying how much the classes have had a dramatic effect on their wellbeing, one even noting that after a few classes they could touch their toes for the first time since 1992.
As much as the recent craze has made us forget that yoga wasn't dreamed up by yuppies, so long as there are those willing to practice it with the less fortunate, it can be more approachable.
