Sri Lankan MPs to take up yoga classes

COLOMBO - Sri Lankan members of the parliament are to be offered yoga sessions with an intention to eliminate their high levels of stress, according to the practitioners.

“With peace in Sri Lanka, the most stressed-out people are now the politicians,” the BBC quoted the instructor in charge, Chamin Warnakula, as saying.

Warnakula, whose yoga organisation has produced a leaflet entitled “Yoga for MPs - For Mind, Body and Soul”, has further said that these politicians would take lessons on breathing and posture exercises, which would “teach them discipline, good behaviour, and how to control themselves in stressful situations”.

According to Sanjeewa Perera, a disciple of Warnakula, the sessions would be held at the start of parliamentary sessions and added that they can wear the same outfit for the yoga and for the sittings.

In recent weeks the Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa, has had to call MPs to order several times. On Wednesday he suspended the proceedings and threatened to go home unless lawmakers behaved in a more professional way, the report said.

An opposition MP, Ranjan Ramanayake, has accused government MPs of constantly trying to intimidate and shout down those of this own party.

“We hope at least that by doing yoga they can learn to respect democracy and be more disciplined,” he added. (ANI)