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Thousands of yoga followers of all ages flocked, stretchedtheir limbs and breathed deeply in harmony at a special session for devotees atIsa Sports City.
The event helped celebrate the fourth International Day ofYoga in which people all around the globe joined together to meditate andproclaim the benefits of the spiritual practice.
The annual event, which is unofficially referred to as YogaDay and was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)to be held on June 21, since its inception in 2015, was hosted by the IndianEmbassy, in association with the Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry.
As well as raising awareness and promoting a healthy living,the theme for the 2018 celebration, organised by the Permanent Mission of Indiato the United Nations, was ‘Yoga for Peace’.
The global activity was first proposed by Prime Minister ofIndia, Narendra Modi ,in September 2014, stating that yoga was an invaluablegift of India’s ancient tradition. He added at the UN General Assembly: “Itembodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment;harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being.
“It is not about exercise but to discover the sense ofoneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle andcreating consciousness, it can help in wellbeing. Let us work towards adoptingan International Yoga Day.”
Bahrain joined 178 countries around the world in marking theday by featuring a video about the practice, showcasing a few performances anddemonstrations on the big stage and conducting a 45-minute yoga class as wellas breathing and meditation sessions.
The hall was filled with students, teachers and staff from11 Indian schools and various members from the Indian community such as theIndian Ladies Association and Indian Community Relief Fund Bahrain.
Sales manager Shalu Rastogi, who lives in Juffair with herchildren, Samara, four, and Arya, 11, was delighted to be joining thecelebrations. She said: “I love practicing yoga. I find that it really helpscalm my nerves and puts my mind at ease. I always feel positive aftercompleting a session.
“I’ve read and researched the subject to meditate better andhave found several benefits for the mind, body and soul and overall positivity!I’m pleased that my children love it too and also practice it with me.
“This was such a fantastic event and it was wonderful to seeso many people come together with one passion - yoga!”
Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness ofyoga as a complementary intervention for cancer, schizophrenia, asthma andheart disease. It is said that yoga helps with increased flexibility, increasedmuscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy, vitality, helps tomaintain a balanced metabolism, with weight reduction, cardio and circulatoryhealth, improved athletic performance and protection from injury.
On December 1, 2016, yoga was listed by UNESCO as an‘intangible cultural heritage’.
New Millennium School student Gouri Binesh, 13, from Zinj,said: “I’ve only been doing yoga for the past year with an instructor at homeand I’ve noticed that I have gotten stronger since practicing it and I’ve alsolost weight. I’ve been told it improves your immune system as well.”
During the event, Rudresh Kumar Singh, the Indian cultureteacher at the Embassy of India in Bahrain, lead participants in a sessionfeaturing the basics of yoga poses inlcuding the tree pose, otherwise known asVrksasana, Bharadvaja’s twist and theBridge Pose.
He said: “We staged this event to celebrate yoga with othersaround the world and we wanted to go big which is why we invited so many peoplefrom around the kingdom, especially children, to join our session.
“Children are our future and if they are physically fit,mentally peaceful and emotionally stable, then they can accomplish everythingand anything in a better way. We wanted to help our younger generation pick uppositive habits and grow into strong and well-balanced adults.”
Also during the event, various yoga advocates andinstructors were honoured by Health Minister Faeqa bin Saeed Al Saleh in thepresence of Indian ambassador Alok Kumar Sinha, VIPS, dignitaries and otherguests.
Yoga instructor from Prop Yoga and Therapy Centre, EhsanAsghar, who performed a captivating yoga demonstration was awarded for hisefforts in the community.
Yoga therapist and lifestyle coach Fatima Al Mansoori,Professor of Human Conciousness & Yogic Sciences at Mangalore University,who had conducted a pre-natal session for pregnant Rohingya refugee women incollaboration with the Alliance of International Doctors earlier in February,was also honoured. She said: “This year they did something different to markthe joyous occasion by honouring all the people in Bahrain who promoted orhelped raise awareness about yoga.
“I was thrilled to have received such an award and wouldlike to thank the embassy and Ministry of Health for their constant support.
“My aim is to promote and raise awareness about yoga beingan integrative therapy and its benefits that can help with chronic conditionsand idiopathic diseases.
“It really pleases me to see how many people acknowledge itin Bahrain. After receiving my award I shared my journey throughout Bangalore,India during my university years up until my recent explorations. I also sharedmy personal experiences with yoga and how it has helped me.
“One point that I’d also like to make is that, nowadays,everyone is talking about positive energy and how essential it is to be happy.That may be true but we also have to be realistic. You need to know that it’salso OK to be angry and anxious sometimes, and to embrace the negativitybecause, at the end of the day, we are all human.
“Simply be conscious of it and know how to deal with it. I’mnot always positive and I do get angry and upset all the time but that’s whatbeing human is all about and you should embrace all your emotions like thecolours of a rainbow.”
Meanwhile, across the island, other groups displayed theiradmirartion for yoga. The Bahrain Meditation Centre in Umm Al Hassam, forexample, featured a seminar on yoga titled ‘The Journey of the Self’ and AlAmin Contracting & Maintenance Group conducted a yoga exercise session forits employees in Manama.
