In Jerusalem, sun salutations for International Yoga Day
Residents of the city find their inner yogis in the Valley of Hinnom at an event dedicated to the ancient practice
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Hundreds of Jerusalemites found their inner yogis in the Valley of Hinnom Thursday evening, as part of International Yoga Day.
Against the backdrop of the Old City walls, participants spent the evening in the cool evening air, practicing sun salutations on the lush green grass of the valley.
The evening began with yoga for kids, and continued with music, meditation, sessions of Ashtanga yoga, sound healing, Vinyasa Yoga and Acroyoga before more music and dancing.
The participants’ brightly hued yoga mats for the evening were arranged by The Big Dream — Jerusalem, a local effort sponsored by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, The participants’ brightly hued yoga mats for the evening were arranged by The Big Dream – Jerusalem, a local effort sponsored by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and founded by Sharonna Karni Cohen, from the Dreame.me company.
Each mat had a different design, and together they formed part of a larger artwork called the “The Big Dream — Jerusalem 2048,” created by Amit Trainin, a local artist and professor at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, who worked with Cohen on the design.
The yoga mat artwork, formed by 701 mats, interpreted the envisioned future of Jerusalem based on descriptions given Trainin by locals, whom he asked what they imagined they would see outside their windows 30 years from now.
The yoga event was produced by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, the Jerusalem municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Schusterman Foundation.
Yoga practices take place every Friday in the Valley of Hinnom, in what has become a Jerusalem weekend tradition for local residents.
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