The Indian AYUSH Ministry has charted out a wide variety of
programmes to be aired through electronic and digital platforms on the International
Yoga Day (IYD) falling on June 21 even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted
citizens to pursue the ancient art in building a “protective shield” of
immunity against coronavirus.
“We all know that until now nowhere in the world have
they been able to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 or coronavirus. Which is why
right now, only a strong immunity can act as a protective shield or a bodyguard
for us and our family members… yoga is our trusted friend in building this protective
shield (of immunity),” Modi said in a video published ahead of Sunday’s
event.
It was Modi who initially proposed the observance of International
Yoga Day to the United Nations back in 2014. The same got approved and the UN started
observing the day every year from 2015.
The Prime Minister’s remarks will be televised on all
national channels at 6:30 am on June 21. The message will be followed by a live
demonstration of the 45-minute Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) by the team from Morarji
Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY). It will be followed by discussion
with Yoga experts who will speak on the various health benefits of the ancient
healing system.
“The drill of CYP has been designed keeping people of
different age-groups and of varied walks of life in mind. Those who get trained
in CYP are likely to develop a taste and attitude for yoga, and hence may pursue
it in the long term,” the ministry said in a statement.
The observation of IDY in the past years has been marked by
thousands of harmonious mass demonstrations of Yoga in public places. Due to
the current global health emergency due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the focus
this year is less on such celebrations and more on the people performing Yoga
at their respective homes with participation of the entire family.
“Yoga is found to be especially relevant in the pandemic
situation, since its practice leads to both physical and mental wellbeing, and
increases the individual’s ability to fight diseases,” it said.
Ministry of AYUSH, the nodal Ministry for observation of
International Day of Yoga across the country, has been fostering and
facilitating the trend of practicing Yoga at Home during Covid-19 crisis
through various online and hybrid-online initiatives in the last three months.
Many leading Yoga institutions have joined forces with the Ministry in this
effort. Such activities have intensified in the last one month with added focus
of training in Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) which is followed by participants of
IDY every year for ensuring harmony in the mass demonstrations of Yoga.
