Secretariat staff take to Sookshma yoga

It has brought about changes even in prisoners, says trainer Sunita Amma

Sookshma yoga trainer Sunita Amma interacting with Secretariat employees at a workshop at Secretariat on Wednesday.

For the past one week, meeting hall 208 at block –II of the Secretariat has been a centre for yoga and meditation activities.

Employees religiously turned up to learn the techniques of ‘Sookshma yoga’. Though the footwear was left outside in a disorderly manner, the participants inside the hall were much disciplined and seen listening to trainer Sunita Amma very keenly.

They twisted and twirled, bent their body to left and right, sat in Vajrasana posture, tried to control their breath – all of which were a few of the techniques and exercises that were taught as part of the Sookshma meditation. They practised meditation techniques and asanas that could relieve them from stress, strain and anger.

Utter silence prevailed as she spoke about ‘Sookshma’, which roughly translates into ‘micro’. Sookshma goes to the basics and brings out the pure essence of yoga and meditation. “Sookshma meditation and yoga unfolds the micro-cosmic energy present within us in every cell of the body,” she said.

She quoted sage Patanjali: “Yoga stops the fluctuations and aberrations of mind/thought” and “Yoga Chittha Vritthi Nirodhaha”. Indeed, it was very correct. We forgot the ancient wisdom. Our attempt is to revive it, she said. Sookshma yoga is gaining acceptance in West too. Where religious sermons could not bring in change among prisoners, this yoga succeeded. “I regularly conduct workshops for prisoners at Vancouver. There is a tremendous change among them. They are transforming by practicing the Sookshma yoga,” she said.

Extended by a day

The workshop specially conducted for the Secretariat employees, in fact, ended on Tuesday. But, in view of the response and International Yoga Day on Wednesday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu asked the trainer to extend the session by a day.

On the last day, employees vied with each other to take a photo with the trainer.