Spiritual
Balance. Power.
Laughter. Mental peace- all these terms clubbed
together defines the power of Yoga which has become more popular
and unique than ever before. On the occasion of the Sixth
International Yoga day on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged
people to celebrate the day in their homes and bridge the distance between the
mind and the body. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014,
with an overwhelming support across the world, Yoga occupies a special place in
the world since 2015. Consequently, with the significance of the June 21,
the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere that has been rendered auspicious
where Lord Shiva is supposed to have imparted the knowledge of the Yoga to
the world, Yoga is no less than an elixir to the mankind. By now
everyone is aware of the multi-dimensional benefits of Yoga which reaps great
dividends related to one’s health and wellness.
With times challenging as the
Covid-19 crisis, restricted travel, panic over the risk of infection,
continuous flow of negative news and scarcity of day-to-day material and
resources during the pandemic can prove costly. A great way to temper down these
concerns would be to embrace Yoga as a solution and this year’s
theme “Yoga at home” and “Yoga with family” is
appropriately tuned at it.
Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi's appeal to the people on 6th International Yoga Day :
As the cure for the Covid-19 disease would
emerge in sometime from now, there is a renewed focus upon the aspect of preventive
healthcare in which Yoga has emerged as a strong contender.
Besides various research reports published abroad in countries including USA, Spain
among others have demonstrated the multifarious effects of ‘Yoga’. Along with
the many health possibilities, Ayurveda, Yoga and meditation
have a potential role to engage the community in creating a more positive health
environment. For instance Yoga can also bring the family closer
through the practice of asanas, pranayama and meditation. A wide basket of benefits including
forging great personal, meaningful
and intimate bonds, self-realisation
that eventually translates into appreciation for others, creation of
a positive space are key takeaways from the practice of Yoga.
Indeed, times are extraordinary, with
experts suggesting that our fight with the Covid-19 crisis is as big
as the World War II. But India has always been ahead of the curve,
be it in terms of developing an efficient, proactive mitigation strategy
such as the lockdown or through looking at the crisis from the lens
of opportunities, demonstrated in our vision for an Atma Nirbhar
Bharat. On a similar strand given the increase in depression and mental
anxiety brought about by the pandemic, Yoga will play that significant, unique
role in fighting both social isolation and depression while it will
also prove to be an antidote in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation
of Covid-19 patients in quarantine and isolation.
Yoga is therapeutic and this has
been evidenced by my own physical and mental well-being, where I
have been practicing Yoga for almost three decades. The aspect that fascinated
me the most about Yoga is its impact on strengthening the bond among the
members of the family. On one hand, as Yoga enhances the physical-mental-psychological
capacity of oneself, on the other hand it presents a rare opportunity
for families to learn from each other.
All that Yoga needs is some empty space,
mats and lots of diligence. So as we
move towards the vision of a ‘New India' that is hinged on the
notion of sustainability, make a pledge to embrace Yoga
and practice it with your family on this Sunday. Happy International Yoga
day everyone!
G
Kishan Reddy
