Nagpur City Mayor Sandeep Joshi
With the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is set to observe the sixth International Day of Yoga today. With the people staying indoors and keeping the social distancing norms in mind, the day since its commitment on June 21, 2015, is celebrated digitally for the first time. The theme for this year is ‘Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family’. Basically, the aim of Yoga is Self-realization, to overcome all kinds of agonies leading to ‘the state of liberation.
On the occasion, accentuating the significance of yoga, PM Narendra Modi said, ” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become extremely important to boost our immunity and to accomplish it, the whole world is practising yoga more seriously than ever. Yoga strengthens our muscles and metabolism while pranayama makes our respiratory system healthy which is crucial as coronavirus attacks the same.”
“The ancient science of Yoga is India’s great gift to the world. Glad to see more and more people adopting it. Amid stress and strife, especially with Covid19, practising Yoga can help keep the body fit and mind, ” tweeted President Ramnath Kovind on International Yoga Day.
Covid-19 pandemic is unique and unusual in various facets and has challenged the health care system. In this situation, we must remember the basic principle in medicine that prevention is better than cure. Yoga and pranayama are medicine for the prevention of any disease. The rising number of coronavirus cases and death raises stress and anxiety, while loneliness and depressive feelings are likely due to mandatory social distancing measures. Considering this in mind, the importance of yoga day heightens to great length.
21st June was specially chosen by PM Modi as the day clenches special significance. This is the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere and shortest in the southern hemisphere and from this day the sun begins to move from north to south. From Yoga’s standpoint, the time is the transition period making it a better time for meditation.
The practice of Yoga is believed to have started with the very dawn of civilization. In yogic mythology, Shiva is seen as the first yogi or Adiyogi. Yoga since then has been a part of Indian culture.
Though Yoga was being practised more commonly from the pre-Vedic period, the great Sage Maharshi Patanjali showered the knowledge of Yoga and brought it in practice.
After that, many sages and yoga masters bestowed to its advancement rendering it as a process in daily life.
