AIR Spotlight - Preparation on International Day of Yoga

AIR Spotlight is an insightful programme featured daily on the All India Radio Newsonair. In this program, many eminent panelists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation. In this article, the topic of discussion is the preparations for the International Day of Yoga.

Participants: 

• Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha: Secretary, Ministry of Ayush.
• Dr. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Special Correspondent, AIR.

Introduction:

• Yoga has been a way of life for ages.  Over the years it has evolved as the pivot of a healthy lifestyle.  Not only physical health and wellbeing it also adds to mental health. Cutting across age, sex, and national boundaries, Yoga has carved its niche for itself.
• To promote Yoga both domestically and internationally, Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi led the initiative of Yoga Day on 21st June in 2015 and made a proposal in the United Nations to celebrate 21st June as International Yoga day. Within 3 months, the United Nations adopted it with an overwhelming majority.
• This year, due to COVID, it will be celebrated through high-quality online training sessions in India as well as across the world. Last year, yoga was also promoted virtually.

Read more on the International Day of Yoga in the link.

Importance of Yoga:

• Yoga has proved beneficial in fighting against covid because it increases the immunity of the body. The government of India has released a national clinical management protocol for the treatment of COVID through Ayurveda and Yoga.
• Yoga is beneficial for post covid complications also. Damages done to the lungs due to the coronavirus can be reversed through Yoga.
• Yoga is also good for controlling stress and anxieties due to staying at home because of the COVID lockdown.

Yoga Appreciation Programme (YAP):

The Ministry of AYUSH (MoA), Government of India (GoI), in association with the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), has been organizing the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) – Yoga Appreciation Programme (YAP), which aims to promote and disseminate the knowledge and practice of Yoga, among the general public, at the national level, for the improvement of health and well-being.

The objectives of the program include the following –

• To spread the knowledge and skill of Yoga amongst the masses.
• To increase mass awareness about the health benefits of Yoga.
• To introduce the basic well-being principles and practices of the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), to the common people.
• To promote positive health through Yoga.
• To propagate Yoga for preventive practices, as an approach to holistic health.
• The Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) – CYP Volunteer training will consist of four levels, with the overall duration being 36 hours. 

Lakhs of people have used and have benefited from it. In 2018, 3 crore people had used it. In 2020, 13 crore people used it.

Namaste Yoga

Ayush Ministry has launched a Namaste Yoga mobile application to popularise Yoga. It is a unique interactive platform. It also provides access to CYP. It has GIS integration. It connects Yoga instructors and people. 

Measures take by Ayush Ministry to promote Yoga:

• Collaboration with the Department of Space and technology to record the number of participants in the Yoga program.
• Focus on research and development. The government of India is promoting its use to promote Yoga. Eight limbs of Yoga are also being promoted. 
  • The eight limbs of Yoga are Yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption).
• In AIIMS, the Center of excellence on Integrative healthcare model has been set up. Yoga has also a positive impact on the treatment of neurological disorder, cardiovascular disorder, cancer, and migraine.
• People have also observed behaviour changes with regular Yoga practice. Regular Yoga practice has helped in reducing stress and improving well being.

Promotion of Yoga abroad:

• Capsule programs have been provided in which high-quality videos of Yoga were distributed.
• Collaboration with local Yoga centres situated abroad.
• Collaboration with Art of Living, Isha Foundation, etc. to promote Yoga in different countries.
• WHO and AIIMS have come out with different kinds of collaborations with the Ayush Ministry to promote Yoga. This points towards the growing acceptance of Yoga in modern medical science.
• The American Society of Cardiology came out with a study that Yoga acts as a therapeutic treatment in cardiac and neural related diseases. 
• The World Health Organization has announced the setting up of a global centre for traditional medicine in India. 

Conclusion:

Due to growing acceptance, Yoga has become a Jan Andolan. The international yoga day event will be inaugurated on 21st June at 7 am by the Prime Minister. It will be telecast live on national television. Be with Yoga, by staying at home. 

Read more Gist of AIR Spotlight here.

AIR Spotlight – Preparation on International Day of Yoga:- Download PDF Here