International Yoga Day: Let's make yoga mass movement for global health and wellbeing —Ghanaians told

The Indian High Commission in Ghana has marked International Day of Yoga, calling on everyone to make yoga a mass movement for good health and wellbeing across the globe.

Mr Manish Gupta, High Commissioner of India, said people should incorporate yoga into their daily lives to keep themselves fit, remain healthy, feel happier, and make the world a better place.

“Start practising yoga the way you are comfortable with. Many people go through a lot of stress and live sedentary lives that have resulted in chronic diseases. For a lot of these challenges, the solution lies within the human beings themselves. Some of these challenges can be dealt with through yoga practice,” he said.

Mr Gupta said this in Accra on Saturday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of International Day of Yoga, held on the theme: “Yoga for Self and Society”.

The event, which took place in the Christiansborg Castle, Osu, brought together diverse participants, including government officials, the diplomatic corps, members of the Indian Community in Ghana, yoga enthusiasts, and the public.

Under the guidance of yoga instructors, participants were taken through various body stretches and postures known as “asanas”, which was followed by breathing exercises called “pranayama”, climaxing with a meditation session.

Mr Gupta highlighted the essence of yoga, describing it as a union of body, mind and soul, adding that, “Yoga is a holistic way of life that has nothing to do with one’s religion or culture. It is a journey of self-discovery within oneself.”

He said people should change the popular perception that yoga was only about physical exercise, emphasising that, the practice went beyond that, saying yoga also involved breathing exercises to regulate body rhythm, and meditation to increase awareness of one’s surroundings.

Touching on the theme for the celebration, Mr Gupta noted that yoga “is about joining your individual consciousness with the universal consciousness at large. It is about inner harmony that reflects in perfect harmony with your surroundings, nature, community and society.

“So, it’s a way of life that ensures that the individual and the society are working together as a whole.”

In recognition of the global appeal of yoga, the United Nations General Assembly, in December 2014, announced June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, with the first global celebration observed in 2015.

“The decade has been transformational,”Mr Gupta noted, saying, “many people are now prioritising health and wellbeing as a global concern”.

He commended the Ghana Government for supporting the High Commission to celebrate yoga and spread the multifaceted benefits throughout the month of June from Accra to Ho, Kumasi, Tamale and many other parts of the country.

Mr Charles Abani, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ghana, who participated in the yoga sessions, shared his experience, saying: “It’s amazing, relaxing, rejuvenating, energising and fulfilling. I urge everyone to make it a consistent part of their lifestyle.”

Mr Mustapha Seidu, Yoga Instructor, Indian High Commission, noted that, regular practice of yoga could help people improve body flexibility, prevent many diseases, and quick recovery in case one fell sick.

Mr Ankur Agarwal, Lead Instructor, Art of Living, said: “Yoga is about yourself, how you keep your body healthy, your mind pure, your intellect free of doubts, build confidence, and develop clear memory.”

He said just as people bathed everyday to cleanse their bodies, yoga also served as inner bath to cleanse one’s mind and the emotions.

“We have to take care of our body and mind. That is the foundation of our life. We can only give what we have. If we are happy from within, we can give happiness. If we are stress-free from within, we can make a stress-free, violent free, happy society.

GNA