With International Yoga Day falling on June 21, some of the schools in the city are preparing students for yoga sessions to be held on that day.
Today, yoga is mandatory in several schools in the city and many more are organising yoga classes for those interested as an extra-curricular activity.
A few schools also organise yoga sessions for teachers on weekends.
Yoga is part of the CBSE curriculum and it helps create awareness about the need for a link between body, mind and the soul, says Geetha Laxman, principal of National Model CBSE School.
Yoga is taught to students both theoretically and practically.
“We invite experts and visiting faculties to conduct mass yoga at the school to motivate students,” she says.
Some schools brought in yoga as an extracurricular activity even before it was made part of the curriculum.
R. Baby, principal of National Model Matriculation School, says, “we have been hosting yoga sessions with professional trainers for the past 25 years for students from classes I to XII.”
The school even has special yoga sessions every day for 20 minutes for students of classes X and XII.
“It helps students appearing for board exams to combat stress,” says Ms. Baby.
The District Inspector of Physical Education says, “Yoga is certainly a compulsory component for continuous and comprehensive education for students from classes VI to IX in government schools. The schools have the yoga sessions whenever they want – morning or evening.”
Many State and District-level competitions also encourage students to learn yoga.
“I have been practising yoga for the past three years. It has improved my confidence levels,” says K.M. Abinesh, the year’s State Yoga Champion.
Another State champion Maithreyan says, “Yoga gives relief from body ailments and helps us relax.”
With increasing awareness, many youngsters are also learning yoga by enrolling in classes and organisations that teach it. Volunteers at Isha Yoga Foundation in Tatabad say people of different age groups from 16 to 80 years approach them for the classes.
