The All Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences and Secretariat Amarjeet Singh Bhamra celebrated International Yoga Day at the House of Commons recently. Several key dignitaries have spoken at the event, both in person and virtually. Virendra Sharma MP rendered opening words and stressed the importance of Yoga as a continuous activity. Lord Ranger highlighted how Yoga transcends politics and religion and is a tool to control the body and mind.
Baroness Verma speaking at the Yoga Day celebrations
Ms. Ovessa Iqbal, First Secretary- Political representing the High Commission of India reiterated Yoga as a mental, physical & spiritual practice, and highlighted the initiatives surrounding Yoga. Neuroscientist and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement Dr. Tony Nader joined via video and shared his thoughts on the aspects of Yoga for happiness, prosperity & wellness, and bringing nourishment to life. He further elucidated the stress indicators for which Yoga is a solution.
Mata Amrutanandamayi’s video message
Humanitarian Guru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s video message was played which highlighted how Yoga was a priceless boon given by sages of India to the world, which channels praana shakti in the right direction and increases mental strength & focus. Baroness Verma, one of the founding members of APPG Indian Traditional Sciences underscored how it took one effective leadership to bring centuries-old Yoga to come to the fore, and added that instead of depending on a small group of people to deliver massive projects, each must try and make all 365 days the Yoga days.
Dr Tony Nader joins the Yoga Day celebrations via video
A beautiful classical dance presentation by Ragasudha Vinjamuri covered the yogic aspects of Lord Shiva on a research composition from the time of the Tanjavur Maratha Kingdom.
Nitya Jagannadhan joined from India, and spoke on Yoga-based interventions, holistic context in healing and its strength of integrated approach with other systems such as Ayurveda. Dr. Sanjay Jadhav from Dubai related Yoga as expansion of one’s own consciousness, and reiterated that Yoga is not working out, but is working in. Kamu Palan demonstrated important mudras that would help in Blood Pressure control, hearing, memory and cell rejuvenation. Ayurveda Ratan Dr Polishetty Ravi shared some key inputs and emphasised on generating data for further scientific research.
Amarjeet Singh Bhamra speaking at the Yoga Day celebrations
The event concluded with Swami Anubhavananda’s message, who through his hilarious anecdotes explained how Yoga is happiness and how people should learn from every experience in life. On the occasion, some of the Ayurvedic practitioners were conferred recognition for their fervent services to the field.
Swami Anubhavananda speaking at the Yoga Day celebrationsKamu Palan demonstrating useful mudrasLord Ranger speaking at the Yoga Day celebrations
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, after PM Modi’s proposal to dedicate a day to celebrating the ancient Indian fitness routine was formally accepted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014…reports Asian Lite News
The special Yoga session led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the lawns of the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday entered the Guinness Book of World Records for drawing the people of most nationalities performing Yoga together.
Prime Minister Modi led a special Yoga session on the lawns of the UN headquarters to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga. “Today, there was a Guinness World Records title attempt for most nationalities in a Yoga lesson. The mark to be was 140 nationalities. Today, in New York, at the UN, they had 135. It is a new Guinness world records title…,” Michael Empric, official adjudicator, Guinness World Records, said.
Addressing the special event, PM Modi said, “Yoga comes from India, it is a very old tradition. Yoga is free of copyrights, patents and royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender and fitness level. Yoga is portable and is truly universal.”
He added that last year, the entire world came together to support India’s proposal to celebrate 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ and it was wonderful to see people, across nationalities, coming together again to mark Yoga Day.
“Let us use the power of Yoga not only to be healthy, and happy but also to be kind to ourselves and to each other. Let us use the power of Yoga to build bridges of friendship, a peaceful world and a cleaner, greener and sustainable future. Let us join hands together to realise the goal of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’,” PM Modi added.
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, after PM Modi’s proposal to dedicate a day to celebrating the ancient Indian fitness routine was formally accepted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
In his 2014 address to the UNGA, Prime Minister Modi proposed June 21 as the date for marking International Yoga Day as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has a special significance in many parts of the world. (ANI)
PM Modi will lead a 9th edition of International Yoga Day on June 21 at the United Nations headquarters in New York…reports Asian Lite News
Preparations are underway at the United Nations Headquarters lawns in New York ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi will lead a 9th edition of International Yoga Day on June 21 at the United Nations headquarters in New York during his official state visit to the United States. Prime Minister is visiting the United States at the invitation of President Joe Biden from June 20-24.
The International Day of Yoga is celebrated on June 21.
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India.
In his 2014 UN address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.
After the yoga day celebration in New York, PM Modi will then travel to Washington D.C., where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the Prime Minister the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
PM Modi will at the invitation of US Congressional Leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer, address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.
On June 23, the prime minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and State Secretary Antony Bilnken.In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora. (ANI)
Yoga demonstrations will be conducted at the Indian Arctic Station, Himadri, and the Antarctic Station, Bharati…reports Asian Lite News
In a global celebration of International Yoga Day on June 21, yoga sessions are set to take place at India’s research stations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions besides countries located along and near the prime meridian line. The prime meridian, known as the line of 0° longitude, serves as the reference point for measuring distance around the Earth in both eastern and western directions.
According to an official from the Ayush Ministry, yoga demonstrations will be conducted at the Indian Arctic Station, Himadri, and the Antarctic Station, Bharati, in addition to countries falling along and near the Prime Meridian Line.
In an initiative called the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga,’ yoga activities will be held at Indian naval bases, ports, and marine vessels in 34 countries worldwide, including the USA, Russia, Portugal, and Morocco.
Indian naval ships will be stationed at nine ports across the globe, where they will actively participate in demonstrations of the Common Yoga Protocol. Furthermore, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways will organize Common Yoga Protocol demonstrations in countries with which they have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
To showcase unity and synchronisation, the ‘Yoga Bharatmala’ project has been conceived, involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), BSF (Border Security Force), and BRO (Border Roads Organization). They will create a chain of yoga demonstrations together. Another initiative, ‘Yoga Sagarmala,’ will witness yoga sessions along the Indian coastline. Additionally, a yoga demonstration is planned at the flight deck of INS Vikrant.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway at the United Nations Headquarters lawns in New York ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi will lead a 9th edition of International Yoga Day on June 21 at the United Nations headquarters in New York during his official state visit to the United States. Prime Minister is visiting the United States at the invitation of President Joe Biden from June 20-24.
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India.
In his 2014 UN address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.
After the yoga day celebration in New York, PM Modi will then travel to Washington D.C., where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the Prime Minister the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
PM Modi will at the invitation of US Congressional Leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer, address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.
On June 23, the prime minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and State Secretary Antony Bilnken.In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora. (with inputs from ANI)
After celebrating Yoga Day in New York, the prime minister will then travel to Washington D.C., where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue, reports Asian Lite News
People belonging to more than 180 countries will participate in the Yoga Day event at the United Nations headquarters in New York which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in the mass yoga demonstration at Rajpath (now Kartavya Path) on the occasion of International Yoga Day in New Delhi.
According to sources, this year’s Yoga Day event will be special since PM Modi will be leading the celebration on a large scale. The event will witness prominent people from all walks of life. He will be joined by people from more than 180 countries. Eminent personalities like Diplomats, leaders, artists, cultural icons, academicians, and entrepreneurs will be part of the event.
PM Modi will start his first state visit to the US on June 20. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21.
After celebrating Yoga Day in New York, the prime minister will then travel to Washington D.C., where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the Prime Minister the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
PM Modi will at the invitation of US Congressional Leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer, address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.
On June 23, the prime minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and State Secretary Antony Bilnken. In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora. (ANI)
Prime Minister says it’s time to realise the infinite possibilities associated with yoga…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated along with thousands of people in a Mass Yoga Demonstration at the Mysore Palace ground here on the occasion of 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Tuesday, and said that ‘Yoga has become a way of life’.
Integrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with celebrations of 8th IDY, Mass Yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country under the leadership of 75 Union Ministers, along with the Yoga Demonstration by the Prime Minister. The Yoga demonstrations are also being held by various educational, social, political, cultural, religious, corporate and other civil society organisations and will be attended by crores of people across the country.
The Prime Minister’s Yoga programme at Mysuru is also part of the novel programme
‘Guardian Yoga Ring’, which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate Yoga’s unifying power that surpasses National boundaries.
Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga (IDY) has been celebrated worldwide on June 21 every year. The theme for this year’s Yoga day is “Yoga for Humanity”. The theme portrays how Yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during the Covid Pandemic.
Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal were among those present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the yogic energy, which has been nurtured for centuries by the spiritual centers of India like Mysuru, is today giving direction to global health.
“Today yoga is becoming a basis for global cooperation and is providing a belief of a healthy life to mankind,” he added. He said, “Today we see that Yoga has come out of the households and has spread all over the world and this is a picture of spiritual realization, and that of natural and shared human consciousness, especially in the last two years of an unprecedented pandemic,” PM Modi stated.
He further said, “Yoga has now become a global festival. Yoga is not only for any individual, but for the entire humanity. Therefore, this time the theme of International Day of Yoga is – Yoga for humanity.” He thanked the United Nations and all the countries for taking this theme globally.
Quoting the Indian sages, the Prime Minister emphasized “Yoga brings peace for us. The peace from yoga is not merely for individuals. Yoga brings peace to our society. Yoga brings peace to our nations and the world. And, Yoga brings peace to our universe.”
“This whole universe starts from our own body and soul. The universe starts from us. And, Yoga makes us conscious of everything within us and builds a sense of awareness,” he underlined.
The Prime Minister remarked that India is celebrating Yoga Day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75th year of Independence, the Amrit Mahotsav.
This widespread acceptance of Yoga Day, the Prime Minister said, “is the acceptance of that Amrit spirit of India which gave energy to India’s freedom struggle. That is why Mass Yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country which have been witness to the glorious history of India and have been the center of cultural energy.”
“The experience of collective yoga at the historical sites of India is like tying together India’s past, India’s diversity, and India’s expansion”, he elaborated.
He also informed about the novel programme ‘Guardian Yoga Ring’, which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate Yoga’s unifying power that surpasses national boundaries.
“As the sun moves from the east to the west across the world, the Mass Yoga Demonstrations in the participating countries, if seen from any one point on Earth, will seem to be happening one after the other, almost in tandem, thus underlining the concept of ‘One Sun, One earth’. “These practices of yoga are giving wonderful inspiration for health, balance and cooperation”, he added.
Modi pointed out that Yoga is not just part of life for us, today, it has become a way of life. He said Yoga need not be limited to a particular time and location.
He said, “No matter how stressful we are, a few minutes of meditation relaxes us and increases our productivity. Therefore, we do not have to take yoga as an extra work. We also have to know yoga and we also have to live yoga. We also have to achieve yoga, we also have to adopt yoga. When we start living yoga, Yoga Day will become a medium for us not to do yoga, but to celebrate our health, happiness and peace.”
The Prime Minister said that today is the time to realize the infinite possibilities associated with yoga. “Today our youth are coming in large numbers with new ideas in the field of yoga. He informed about the Startup Yoga Challenge by the Ayush Ministry. The Prime Minister congratulated the winners of 2021 winners of ‘Prime Minister’s Awards for outstanding contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga’.”
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took stock of the preparations during a meeting with the officials…reports Asian Lite News
The Madhya Pradesh government will organise yoga events at 75 historical places across the state on June 21 to mark the International Day of Yoga.
Besides the 75 historical places, yoga sessions will be conducted in all of the state’s 52 districts.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took stock of the preparations during a meeting with the officials.
Chouhan, who will attend a yoga event at the Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal on June 21, said: “All the state ministers should participate in the programmes, as well as youth and social organisations.”
The Chief Minister also sought information about preparations from the collectors of Gwalior, Raisen, Chhatarpur and Anuppur districts, virtually attended Friday’s meeting.
He also directed the officials for wide publicity of the programmes.
According to officials who attended the meeting, arrangements would be made to broadcast the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief MinisterChouhan at all the venues in the state.
As per the step-by-step programme issued by the Centre, all the participants will have to be present from 6 a.m.
Chouhan’s message will be broadcast at 6.30 a.m., followed by that of the Prime Minister’s.
The Indian Embassy in UAE celebrated the 7th International Day of Yoga in Abu Dhabi themed ‘Yoga for Wellness’ in a first-of-its-kind gathering since the start of the pandemic, with guest of honour Sheikh Nahyan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, reports Asian Lite News
Ancient sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga had made India proud and are especially relevant now, said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor ahead of International Day of Yoga.
The Indian Embassy in UAE celebrated the 7th International Day of Yoga in Abu Dhabi themed ‘Yoga for Wellness’ on Saturday at the Lawns of Ritz Carlton.
The first of its kind in person event amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic was attended by more than 100 Yoga enthusiasts, with UAE’s Minister of Tolerance & Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan as the Chief Guest.
Sheikh Nahyan while congratulating the Embassy for having successfully organised the event stated that it was indeed ‘a new beginning and a ray of hope’. He stressed on the need to remain vigilant and follow all health protocols to ensure safety for all.
While elaborating on the multiple benefits of Yoga he said that it is easily accessible to all, and could be done almost anywhere without any special equipment and that it best symbolised Tolerance and Coexistence.
All the participants and the supporting staff of the event strictly adhered to the safety norms laid down by the Abu Dhabi Government. Everyone present at the event had already received 2 doses of Covid -19 vaccine and had tested negative on RT-PCR test less than 48 hours ago. In addition, the participants wore masks at all times and maintained a safe distance of 2 metres.
Ambassador Pavan Kapoor thanked Sheikh Nahyan for his continued support for yoga, for India and for the Indian community in the UAE. He appreciated UAE’s successful vaccination drive and strict compliance of Covid-19 protocols that made a limited public event possible after a long time.
He expressed his sincere gratitude to the UAE authorities for the continued support to annual Yoga events since its inception in 2014, according to a press release issues by the Indian Embassy.
Kapoor explained the salience of the theme ‘Yoga for wellness’ chosen for 7th International Day of Yoga reflecting on the importance of holistic health in pandemic times. He added that the ancient sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga had made India proud and were especially relevant now as we observe India@75 or ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to mark 75 years of India’s independence.
The event which was also broadcast live across Embassy’s social media handles witnessed various facets of Yoga including laughter Yoga and various ‘Aasanas’ demonstrated by Yoga Gurus and experts, with an active participation of the attendees.
An Ayurvedic kit consisting of Ayurvedic products of daily use was also gifted to all the guests.
Qatar celebrates Yoga in 6 cities
Joining the world on seventh International Yoga Day (IYD) on Monday, six cities of Qatar have celebrated the the day.
The areas in the cities, which celebrated Yoga Day included the Asia Town (labour camp), the sand dunes of Mesaieed, the Monarch International Indian School in Al Wakra, the FIFA 2022 Stadium Al Bayt in Al Khor, the beaches of Dukhan, and the Iconic Museum of Islamic Art and the Corniche of Doha city.
It is the first time that the International Yoga Day event was simultaneously organised at different locations in Doha.
This year, the theme of the occasion is ‘Yoga For Wellness’, and will focus on practicing Yoga for physical and mental well-being.
Since 2014, the occasion has been observed in mass gatherings in different parts of the country.
The observation of Yoga Day is a global activity and the preparatory activities normally start 3-4 months prior to June 21. Millions of people are introduced to Yoga in the spirit of a mass movement as part of Yoga Day observation every year. (with inputs from ANI)
More than 3,000 people participated in the “Mind Over Madness Yoga” performances organised by the Indian Consulate General and the Times Square Alliance, reports Arul Louis
Rising from the pall of Covid-19 restrictions, New York City celebrated International Yoga Day at the Times Square with day-long performances of the ancient Indian art of developing a healthy mind and body.
The city’s celebrations were held on Sunday to coincide with the Summer Solstice, which falls a day early this year, but the UN is scheduled to observe the day virtually on Monday.
The UN General Assembly declared June 21 the International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the initiative of India with the support of 177 countries.
More than 3,000 people participated in the “Mind Over Madness Yoga” performances organised by the Indian Consulate General and the Times Square Alliance.
@IndiainNewYork
India’s Consul General Randhir Jaiswal said at the celebrations: “Yoga is a universal idea, universal thought, universal action. And what better place than Times Square to celebrate a universal thought. This is the crossroads of the world. You have people from all over the world coming, here people from five continents coming here, people from all cultures coming here. While we celebrate yoga in various parts of the world, celebrating yoga here in Times Square is very special, very unique, more so today when it happens to be Father’s Day, what a happy coincidence.”
Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said yoga is about “health, harmony, unity and togetherness”.
New York State had dropped most Covid-19 restrictions on June 15 and Yoga Day was the first major event at Times Square.
The Consulate featured a stall with nature care, herbs and health materials from India, which Jaiswal said was to help people “live more in harmony with nature, more in harmony with traditional knowledge”.
The day has been observed at the UN with top officials joining in the mass exercises, except last year and this year because of the pandemic.
On Monday, the UN is scheduled to hold a virtual event at 8.30 a.m. (6 p.m. Indian Standard Time) that be telecast over UN TV, which is available on the internet, and on the Indian Mission’s social media.
@IndiainNewYork
Yoga can improve physical, mental health: Indian envoy
Yoga has the potential to provide both health and happiness by improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the people, especially given the impact of the global pandemic, India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, kicking off the 7th International Yoga Day celebrations in the country.
Sandhu participated in the yoga protocol session at the Indian House which was attended by embassy officials in-person, while a large number of people across the US joined the event virtually through Zoom and the embassy’s social media handles.
Welcoming the participants, Sandhu stressed on “yoga’s potential to provide both health and happiness by improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the people, especially given the impact of the global pandemic,” the Indian Embassy said in a press release.
He also noted that India and the US have stood shoulder to shoulder with each other in fighting the pandemic, it said.
All the five Consulates of India in the US — in New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco — are also holding various programmes to mark the International Yoga Day.
Namita Piparaiya, Yoga and Ayurveda Lifestyle Specialist, Founder, Yoganama shares few ways you can extend your yoga practice into your daily life.
Yoga is a powerful practice that works on both the body and mind; that is why it helps in transforming the whole personality and not just the physical body. However, there’s a common misconception that yoga is all about complicated postures. That by doing a complicated backbend, or after achieving the full splits, we somehow become ‘better than we were before’. It limits the concept of yoga to something that you only do on the mat. It assumes that if you can’t do extreme postures, you can’t ever be good at or practice yoga.
Namita Piparaiya, Yoga and Ayurveda Lifestyle Specialist, Founder, Yoganama shares few ways you can extend your yoga practice into your daily life.
Moderation
As we learned from Goldilocks, moderation is the approach of ‘neither too much nor too little’. Moderation can be followed in all aspects of life, such as diet, speech, exercise, possessions, and everything else. The opposite of moderation would be either overindulgence which is harmful. Or completely denying ourselves to the extent of suppressing our needs which almost always backfires in the long run. Moderation keeps you away from extremes and therefore is a very sustainable strategy as it takes up very little energy.
You experience this in a yoga class when you hold postures for a more extended period. If you push yourself too much, you’ll come out of the pose before the time is up due to pain or extreme discomfort. Equally, if you are lazy while practicing, you won’t benefit from the time you’re spending on the mat. Apply the right amount of effort, and you have a rewarding yoga practice that leaves you feeling recharged and refreshed. And the ‘right effort’ can be different for everyone; that’s why everyone’s yoga practice will look different.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness refers to present moment awareness. It is a very powerful and well-researched practice that can change the very structure of our brain. Mindfulness meditation makes us more rational, less impulsive, and even increases our grey matter. The good thing is mindfulness can be practiced anytime during the day and not just while you’re meditating. You can be mindful when you’re eating, when you’re brushing your teeth, when driving, and so on. All you have to do is become completely aware of the activity you’re doing by observing it in full detail.
If you’ve done a yoga class, you’ve undoubtedly experienced mindfulness. Yoga is a great mindfulness practice because all postures are done with breath awareness. Even in Sun Salutations, you follow a specific breathing pattern. Each movement or transition is accompanied by an instruction to either inhale, exhale or hold the breath. When you hold a difficult single-leg balance like Natrajasana, you automatically become more mindful that you would lose your balance without awareness. In this way, yoga trains you to become aware of what you’re doing with the help of the breath or the difficult nature of posture. It is a great skill to start applying in your everyday life — both in emotional moments or while doing banal tasks like washing dishes.
Equanimity
Try doing a single leg balance when very angry or emotional, and you’ll likely have some trouble. In extreme circumstances, our inner emotional balance gets disturbed, reflecting in our physical state. In yoga, you learn to bring your balance back by taking some deep breaths or doing some gentle kriyas to re-center the body and mind.
And you can employ the breath anytime during the day when you feel overwhelmed. It could be if you’re angry at your boss or had an argument with a colleague, have received a defective product, or are stuck in traffic! With Yoga, you’ve trained yourself in resetting your nervous system by using your breath. And that’s a skill that you can employ multiple times during the day to be stronger and more patient to deal with the stresses of modern life.
In fact, without this skill, you cannot sit in meditation because the mind would be highly distracted. That is why in yoga, you practice pranayama before meditation as the breath helps your thoughts settle down. After that, your meditation can be productive as you will have better focus and concentration.
With consistent and regular yoga practice, you learn the value of the right amount of effort that teaches you the concept of moderation. A new or challenging posture leads you to stay in the present moment and be more mindful. And by employing the breath, you learn to consciously relax and unwind even in stressful situations such as a challenging posture. In this way, you develop the mental stamina and fitness to navigate your everyday life.
