Make yoga integral part of life, says Governor

Tribune Reporters

Shimla, June 21

Governor Acharya Devvrat along with hundreds of schoolchildren and citizens performed yoga at the historic Ridge Ground here today on the occasion of International Yoga Day.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had established yoga at the international level and today the entire world was adopting it.

“Our sages compiled this science and gave yoga to the world which not only balances the soul, mind and intellect but also gives the feeling of happiness and connects the soul with the divine,” he said.

He urged people to make yoga an integral part of life and stressed on making it a routine activity to evade negative energy in life. He said yoga enhanced mental and physical well-being of a person as it was related to nature and one who connected to nature was mentally and physically more healthy. “Yoga is the best means to purify mind and soul and without it we cannot envisage a healthy body,” he added.

The Governor said: “Yoga makes the body healthy and we are able to perform every task only with a healthy body”. He expressed happiness that yoga programmes were being organised in a big way.

The event was jointly organised by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) and Rotary Club, Shimla. Yoga and meditation training was conducted by Urmil Singh and students from Himachal Pradesh University also participated in it.

One hour mega yoga event was organised at Annandale under the aegis of the Army Training Command, Shimla, in which more than 500 officers, soldiers and their families participated. Lieutenant General AS Kler, VSM, Chief of Staff, Army Training Command, also participated in the event.

The students, teachers, employees of Himachal Pradesh University also participated in the yoga activities in a large number under the supervision and direction of Dr SP Pathak and Dr Vishambher Singh Ranjan.

HPU Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajinder Singh Chauhan highlighted the role of yoga in the present day complex situation.

He said: “Yoga is the path shown by our ancestors and saints for spiritual discipline based on subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between the mind and body”.

The day was also celebrated in most of the schools in the capital city, including Dayanand Public School, Shimla, and LPS, DAV, CPS, Mandi, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mandi, and DPS Jhakri.

HIMACHAL IDEAL PLACE FOR YOGA: SRI SRI

  Hamirpur: Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said on Wednesday that Himachal was an ideal place for doing yoga and meditation as it was heavenly and fascinating. Hundreds of people had gathered at the historical Chaugan of Sujanpur Tihra on the occasion of International Yoga Day today. Union Minister Smriti Irani, former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, MP Anurag Thakur and BJP state president Satpal Singh Satti were present on the occasion.  Sri Sri said yoga was a way to realise the ultimate truth as referred in the Vedanta and the universal energy field in quantum physics. He said sublime and imperceptible truth of the Vedanta was made more concrete through yoga. “Yoga is the launching pad for one’s journey into the inner space. It is the key that opens the floodgates of happiness for an individual as well as the community. It annihilates the personal and collective misery that comes through individualistic and egoistic tendencies,” he added. Talking to children, he said every child was a born yogi. He said up to the age of three, children all over the world naturally performed many yoga postures and ‘mudras’. He said baby’s state of mind and breathing patterns were similar to that of a yogi. “Yoga brings up that child-like beauty and innocence in us,” he said.  The Art of Living founder said similar to other subjects like science, sports and culture; philosophy and discipline of yoga also needed state patronage to flourish. tns