Acceptance of India’s “soft-power” yoga was evident from the public demonstrations of asanas across the globe — in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop; along the ocean side promenade of Colombo; within the well-secured consulate compound in Heart; and at the historic Angkor Vat and Ta Prohm temples in Cambodia — to mark the first International Day of Yoga on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempt to introduce yoga as an “invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition”, which engenders a “sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature” and could even help with the modern-day challenges of “climate change”, was well received in 192 countries.
Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay was among the first to tweet his experience of doing yoga. “Feeling relaxed after taking part in the mega yoga event organised to mark the International Day of Yoga by the Indian Embassy,” he tweeted.
At the U.N. Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who, along with his wife, performed asanas, said: “I feel like yoga can promote physical dexterity; it can also promote diplomatic dexterity ... In my job, I have to be agile all of the times.”He complimented Mr. Modi and the government of India for taking the initiative to spread the practice of yoga far and wide across the world. “It is already immensely popular and is good for health and does not discriminate ... to varying degrees all can practise it,” he said.
Referring to his own experience of trying the tree aasana, he said he felt a “certain peace of mind”.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who represented India at the event, said yoga was neither a religion nor should it be seen as belonging to any particular religion. “It is a science, the science of well-being, the science of integrating body, mind and soul, the science of actualising our true potential,” she said.At a time when ethnic conflicts and extremist violence are threatening to destabilise societies, yoga, she said, can serve as the “perfect antidote” to stem such negatives.Sam Kutesa, President of the U.N. General Assembly, said an estimated one-third of humanity around the world would be participating in the celebrations, which was a true test of its popularity.
The Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Francis Gurry, who could not participate in the demonstration at India’s Mission in Geneva, sent out a message, testifying to the benefits of the exercise.
“…Yoga is India’s gift to humanity and it expresses wisdom and learning of generations. I am a practitioner of yoga and can testify to its very great benefits,” he said.
In Kathmandu, Nepal Vice-President Parmanand Jha and actor Manisha Koirala were among the participants, while in the Maldives, more than 300 people braved the wet weather to attend the opening ceremony.
Rain or shine Yoga enthusiasts were undeterred by the torrential rain in Hong Kong, where more than 2,000 people gathered at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park.
PTI reports:
Over a thousand people participated in dozens of events across Australia with Prime Minister Tony Abbott appreciating yoga’s universal appeal.
