East to West: Yoga inspires world to fitness

Priyanka Adhikari / Kathmandu: The practice of ‘Yoga’ which originated in the eastern part of the world, gradually spread to the west and across the globe, leading to declaration of International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Recognising its universal appeal, on December 11, 2014, United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga (or Yoga Day) by resolution 69/131.

United Nations describes yoga as an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice; the word yoga is derived from Sanskrit, meaning to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. It further states that the International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga. The theme for the 2018 celebration is ‘Yoga for Peace.’

Yoga, over a period of years, has continued to grow in popularity. But to reflect on its origin, it has been speculated that yoga dates back to pre-Vedic times and the practice is mentioned in Rig-Veda, one of the four Vedas, the sacred text of Hinduism. Yoga comprises various elements such as physical exercises, breathing exercises, and meditation, which encompass fitness for body, mind and spirit, giving the practice a multi-dimensional character.

Yoga practitioner and instructor at Gaushala-based Arogya Ashram, Ramesh Gautam, said yoga helps in counteracting physical and psychological health issues faced by people. “Yoga strengthens the anatomy, increases resistance power and immunity in a person. By focusing more on anatomy rather than only physical fitness, it increases the overall well-being of a person.”

He added, “Likewise, meditation that forms part of yoga, helps to ‘keep the mind away from the problem’ and creates focus elsewhere which helps uplift the well-being of human mind.” He informed that yoga helped in controlling migraine, anxiety, depression, and other kinds of psychological health conditions.

Addressing the issue of growing air pollution and its consequences on people’s health, Gautam said that breathing exercises or Pranayam must be practised to counteract its negative effects. “Anulom-Vilom and Bhastrika, which are quite popular these days, boost the functioning of lungs, heart and liver. Likewise, the breathing exercises also help to purify these organs and the process of detoxification is more effective during the mornings.”

While talking about the worldwide popularity of yoga and Yoga Day being celebrated globally, Gautam stated that yoga, though primarily practised in the east, is getting increasingly popular in the west as well. He attributes this popularity to yoga’s capacity to counteract effects of work-centric life in the west, due to which more and more people are suffering from depression and psychological problems. “Yoga is given preference in the west as it brings a balance to their fast-paced lives.”

Likewise, Gautam shared, the process of yoga being popularised worldwide started with few people coming to Nepal and India, where they learnt yoga and gave the practice exposure in the west. He, however, lamented that the government was not giving adequate attention to yoga and its further development, while people from other countries have taken the practice to a different level.

On the other hand, Gautam also addressed the downside of yoga being highly popularised. He shared that some ill practices have surfaced in the name of yoga, which in spite of having some elements of the practice, were not yoga in its true form and might not be suitable to yoga practitioners of all ages and health conditions. “Our request is that yoga be practised in its authentic form by everyone to maximise its benefits and reduce the risks.”

Gautam suggested that everyone should take out one hour daily to practise yoga, no matter how fast-paced the life is. By giving oneself that one hour, people would be preventing various health problems in the long-run, and diseases would not affect them during old age, he said.

Yoga practitioner Sudha Dhanawat shared, “After doing yoga in the mornings, I feel fresh all day long as my energy-level is built up. I have increased appetite and strength in my body, while not doing yoga makes me lazy and lethargic, something does not feel right.”

Likewise, yoga practitioner Panita Singh said, “I had problems falling asleep at night before I joined yoga, but now I sleep timely and my body feels full of energy. I feel fresh every morning post our yoga session. I feel that yoga is a must in life.”

Similarly, President of Nepal Badminton Association and a yoga practitioner, Ramji Bahadur Shrestha, shared that athletics was mostly physical, while yoga had various facets. He said, along with physical training, it also stimulated a person’s spirit and mind. “If you ask me personally, I felt relief in various ways after starting yoga, from knowing what is good for my body and what is not, what we should eat and what we should not, how to breathe consciously, and how to live my day to day life.”

He further added that he was physically stronger when he was a practising athelete and used to train for four hours a day. “It is not the same now, and that is where yoga comes in my life; it guides me into physical fitness in an easy manner. My physical fitness of playing days is today maintained through yoga.”

The Fourth International Day of Yoga is being celebrated nationally and internationally today with much enthusiasm to promote physical and psychological health. Courtesy: thehimalayantimes.com