The incredible response from people of all walks of life to the call of International Yoga Day celebrations is just overwhelming. Never has India witnessed such mass participation for an event that has cut across all boundaries — of caste, colour, religion and nationality.
India has obviously stolen a march over the rest of the world with participation in all corners of the country; even Army personnel at the Siachen Glacier joined in. One only hopes that the impetus from June 21 will give a leg-up to this healthy way of life and encourage the authorities to set up more yoga centres equipped with qualified practitioners.
N.J. Ravi Chander,
Bengaluru
Yoga is a way of life for many, is ‘made in India’ and has spread its wings across the globe. But, sadly, it is still incorrectly linked with religion. It is a science of well-being, integrating the body, mind and soul. It is said that a gymnasium is the hardware, for the body, and yoga is the software, for the mind. Today’s youth need to arise, awake, harness and experience the power of yoga rather than be addicted to the ‘smartphone yoga mudra’ and where they seem to be using only their index finger all the time!
T.S. Karthik,
Chennai
There was no need for this spectacle. The world knows about yoga, has evolved different forms of it and does not need India to teach it. Yoga is no doubt important but, priority wise, should be far down in the list of issues facing India.
Ankush Sharma,
Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir
Over the last few days, the media have been in overdrive in the run-up to the day (June 21). A large number of people are well versed in the mild exercise. Notwithstanding some religious prejudices, the health benefits of this ancient Indian practice has been clearly recognised. At a time when our economy is in bad shape and farmers are committing suicide, the extravagant manner in which the events were conducted across the country looks strange. Anything in excess is not desirable.
K.S. Thampi,
Chennai
Yoga spells health, but one is unable to understand the logic behind the decision to make it a spectacle. Yoga must be practised in a quiet and pollution-free area. Can Indian cities claim that they are pollution free? The significance of yoga is lost if it is done on a mass scale and out of compulsion. I like Mahatma Gandhi’s definition of yoga: “Yoga is skill in action”.
S. Ramakrishnasayee,
Ranipet, Tamil Nadu
It is important to keep religion out of yoga for wider acceptance. Moreover, there should be no coercion that everyone must practise yoga. It is also important to understand not only the physical aspect of yoga but also its overall effect on body and mind. It was B.K.S. Iyengar who said: “Yoga is a timeless pragmatic science evolved over thousands of years dealing with the physical, moral, mental and spiritual well-being of man as a whole”.
D.B.N. Murthy,
Bengaluru
Any physical exercise, if properly done, is good for health. Yoga is nothing but a set of physical exercises and hence there is nothing wrong in recommending it to persons physically capable of performing them. Apart from that, making a tall claim that it is a panacea for all physical and mental ailments is absolutely unscientific. Adequate research papers are yet to appear in reputed scientific journals confirming or otherwise the claimed health benefits of yoga. The present hype is undoubtedly premature. The BJP government, which has had no creditable performances to boast of during its one-year-rule, is attempting to present it as one of its achievements.
It also helps it in pleasing to some extent right-wing elements whose disillusionment with the government is growing due to an absence of interest in matters dear to these elements. This strategy may be politically advantageous to the BJP but undue and excessive hype created over yoga for purely political reasons will only lead to its commercial exploitation and consequent depletion of its intrinsic merits.
S.P. Asokan,
Chennai
The proven therapeutic benefits of yoga in heart disease, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, hypertension and its ability to prevent disease in a healthy population remain underutilised in India. The yoga scene in India is unremarkable barring a few special training centres and scientific study groups. There is an urgent need to have it better recognised by the health-care community of India as being complementary to conventional medical care, thereby facilitating its wider practice.
Dr. Varun Suresh,
Thrissur
