TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Stressed-out commuters got a peaceful surprise as they boarded an Israeli bus on Tuesday: a yoga instructor with a microphone coaching them how to breathe correctly. The passengers stretched their hands toward the ceiling and bent their heads forward as Miri Harovi, a 21-year veteran yoga teacher, guided them through a set of exercises that can be performed while sitting down.
"I think that because of our history of terror on buses," Harovi said, referring to past suicide attacks that have targeted crowded buses. "It's very important to do yoga to relax and to show everyone that life is stronger than the fear."
Harovi said the idea of for a yoga bus came to her in the middle of the night while she was sleeping. She talked to the Tel Aviv bus company and they jumped on the idea.
Most of the passengers on the bus participated, and many said they felt relaxed and more ready for work. The yoga bus has run every Tuesday for three weeks, but Harovi hopes that the program will continue and expand. She and her husband, Gilad Harovi, have worked for years to promote yoga on Israeli television and in public schools.
"We want people to try yoga and feel how good it is," Harovi said.
