New Delhi, 26 May, 2022: All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush (MoA), Government of India, has launched #YogaSeAyu campaign in the run-up to the 8^th International Day of Yoga. The integrated campaign is in sync with the MoA’s ‘Yoga Utsav’ and aims to promote the concept of combining Yoga and Ayurveda to achieve holistic healing.

Having their origin in the Vedas, the sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga are two sides of the same coin. Although beneficial on their own, combining the two ancient Indian sciences could help realize their true potential. Bringing Yoga and Ayurveda together provides a spiritual aspect to Ayurvedic treatment, helping it realize its complete Vedic healing powers. Similarly, Ayurveda suggests lifestyle recommendations for yoga practitioners, allowing for an all-inclusive healing.

Talking about the campaign, Dr. Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, said, “Every year on International Day of Yoga, we take pride in walking on the path shown by our Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi ji, and this year is even more special as we are celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The Ministry of Ayush has framed the Yoga Day theme with a focus on “Brand India Globally” and to showcase India’s iconic places.”

“Being one of the nodal institutes for Ayurveda in the country, we believe that combining the powers of Yoga and Ayurveda creates holistic well-being. They complement and benefit each other and can lead to balancing of all doshas when practiced properly. Our campaign #YogaSeAyu strives to take this message to the masses, especially youth, who are going to shape the future of our country. The campaign is also aligned to Modi ji’s mission of Swasthya Bharat. We are excited about launching this campaign and look forward to the 8^th International Yoga Day,” she added.

Watch Our Video: What is Yoga ? What are its benefits ?

During the run-up to International Day of Yoga 2022, several events and activities will be organised at the Institute, including lecture series, workshops, poster-making competition, essay competition, asana competition, and Yoga protocol, culminating into a grand finale Yoga performance on IDY. The lecture series opened with a session by Dr. IV Basavaraddi, Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. Renowned Yogacharya Balmukund Singh Ji is also taking part in the celebrations and will conduct a two-day workshop at the Institute, while Antonietta Rozzi – President of Sarva Yoga International, Italy – will address the audience during a session on the topic “Pranayam for daily life”. Rozzi is the recipient of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution for promotion and development of Yoga.

Besides physical events, AIIA will promote the campaign on its digital channels under the hashtag ‘YogaSeAyu’. The idea is to create a buzz around the benefits of incorporating Yoga and Ayurveda into our daily lives as well as to inspire the youth through the use of new-age media.

 About All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)

AIIA, the apex institute of Ayurveda in India, is an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, which aims at bringing synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern tools and technology. The Institute has 25 specialty departments, 12 clinics with 8 inter-disciplinary research laboratories and an international collaborative centre for global promotion and research in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is the oldest system of medicine and health science dating back to more than 3,000 years. The cardinal aim of Ayurveda is to restore the induvial balance between body, mind and spirit. There is a great demand for the science of life not only in India but in other parts of the world.

Also Read:Brain Health : Yoga May Bring a Brain Boost 

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International Day of Yoga is observed on 21st June every year to spread awareness about the importance and effects of yoga on the health of the people. The word ‘yoga‘ is derived from Sanskrit which means to join or to unite. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice which gives calmness, peace, confidence and courage to the people through which they can do several activities in a better way. At every level of existence it is a state of harmony. Yoga is practiced in various forms around the world.

Why 21st June is chosen for celebrating international day of yoga?

21^stJune is the day to pay homage to the sadgurus. This is also the day of the summer solstice. During the June solstice, the north pole is tilted towards the sun or we can say that when the sun begins to move from north to south. From yoga’s perspective, this time is the transition period, i.e. a better time for meditation.

At the time of Sankranti or Uttarayan (around 21st June), the Adiyogi (the first yogi) left towards south, and first he saw the 7 royal sages who further became his first disciples. They propagated the science of yoga in many parts of the world. It is amazing that 21st June marks this important event in the human history. This date in the northern hemisphere is also the longest day of the year and it has special significance in many parts of the world.

What are the objectives of international day of yoga?

1. Make people aware about the benefits of yoga and connect them with nature.

2. To reduce the rate of health-challenging diseases in the world.

3. Spreading growth, development and peace throughout the world.

4. Making people aware about physical and mental illnesses and providing solutions through yoga.

5. It also aims to develop a habit of meditation for peace of mind, self-awareness which is necessary to survive in a stress-free environment.

Theme of international day of yoga 2020 is “Yoga at home and yoga with family”.With Covid-19 cases increasing every single day, it’s time to get active and take self-responsibility. The fitter you are, the better is your immunity. While what you eat plays an essential role, physical activity/ workout holds the utmost importance.

Corona virus, when it affects a person, comes out in the form of cold, dry cough, and fever. If an infected person’s saliva touches a surface, then that surface becomes a host for the virus. Any person who touches the surface, for example, a doorknob, a napkin, or even the button of an elevator then there is a chance to contract this virus.

What does the immune system do?

The immune system is a vast and organized network of cells, tissues and organs that defend the body from germs, viruses and microorganisms. It plays a vital role in keeping our body healthy by preventing infection. Such a vast system needs an elaborate and a well connected mechanism of working, and that is exactly how the immune system in our body works.

It first detects and then responds to the presence of an enemy element in the body and works through a set of systematic steps to combat it. Sometimes, the immune system tends to malfunction due to various reasons like stress, inactive lifestyle and poor eating habits. And when it does, it is not a good sign. Our immune system is of utmost importance and plays a significant role in keeping us fit and healthy.

Yoga and pranayama for building immunity:

Yoga and Pranayama are the panacea that the world is gradually waking up to. Whether it is infection, psychosomatic diseases, or lifestyle disorders, yoga and pranayama work for everything.  Even in the case of corona virus, people who have been practicing yoga, meditation and pranayama have experienced a higher level of immunity and lung strength, making it difficult for the virus toaffect their bodies. Let’s find out the different pranayamas and asanas that you can do in the comfort of your home to enhance your immunity levels.

Warm up routine:

1. Perform soft rhythmic jumps 50 times.

2. Swing the arms forward and backward powerfully 10 times.

3. Circle the shoulders front and backward 10 times.

4. Twist the waist with arms open & stretched 5 times each side.

5. Gently circle the knees, left and right side 5 times.

6. Circle the ankles clockwise and anti-clockwise with the front sole pressed to the ground and heel raised 5 times each.

Pranayama:

Prana is the life force in our body. Pranayama means the exercise of increasing the life force in our body. Increasing prana in our body can tackle many diseases and even prevent them. It can be increased by consuming fresh fruits, vegetarian food, taking proper rest, but mostly with pranayama. The following pranayamas should be done daily to improve your lung strength and immunity levels.

1. Ujjayi Breathing: Ujjayi breaths are the full yogic breaths which are a common aspect of many pranayamas. In this, the focus is on taking breaths through the base of the throat, thereby instructing the lungs to increase the intake of oxygen.

2. Kapalbhati Pranayama: Kapalbhati is a popular pranayama that helps with weight loss. It also increases the level of oxygen in your body, thereby increasing its immunity against diseases.

3. Nadi Shodhan Pranayama: Nadi Shodhan or alternate nostril breathing technique is a simple pranayama which calms the mind and leads it into meditation. Just do it for a few minutes and then let your mind meditate for 10-15 minutes. This is simple to do and recharges your body and mind in minutes.

Yogaasanas:

Yoga asanas are a good way to improve your body’s physical fitness. But they don’t just work in improving your flexibility or helping you lose those extra kilos. There are specific yoga asanas that can help boost your immunity as well. Here are the top 4 yoga asanas you can help boost your immunity as well.-Kati Chakrasana, Trikonasana, Dhanurasana and Setu bandhasana.

 Sudarshan kriya yoga (SKY):

The best thing that can help you increase your immunity levels during this time of panic and stress is sudarshan kriya yoga. A comprehensive yogic technique, Sudarshan Kriya has elements of pranayama, yoga, and meditation incorporated in it and works on every level of our body. It heightens our immune system, specifically improving the defense mechanism which is the most important requirement at this time.

It is seen that even in the people who start practicing Sudarshan Kriya from scratch, their immunity levels reach to the maximum levels in just fifteen days. This simple 20-minute breathing exercise will not only help you prevent contracting the corona virus, but also impact your emotional, mental, and physical well-being in the most positive and meaningful way.

These practices will not only help us prevent the virus, but also improve our daily life in a highly positive manner.

Dr Venkataramana Hegde &  Dr.Nandhini V. Mohan
Veda wellness center
Nisarga Mane Sirsi
Uttarakannada District.

Ph: 9448729434 / 9597019032

Email : nisargamane6@gmail.com

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While addressing the 69th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014, the Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi urged the world community to adopt an International Day of Yoga.

“Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being. Yoga is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with ourselves, the world and Nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us to deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day,” Shri Modi said.

On December 11, 2014, the 193 member UNGA approved the proposal by consensus with a record 177 co-sponsoring countries a resolution to establish 21 June as “International Day of Yoga”. In its resolution, the UNGA recognised that Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and wider dissemination of information about the benefits of practicing Yoga for the health of the world population. Yoga also brings harmony in all walks of life and thus, is known for disease prevention, health promotion and management of many lifestyle-related disorders. This booklet intends to give a brief overview about Yoga and Yogic practices to orient one towards comprehensive health for an individual and the community.

What is Yoga?   

Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science for healthy living. The word “Yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning “to join”, “to yoke” or “to unite”. According to Yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. According to modern scientists, everything in the universe is just a manifestation of the same quantum firmament.

One who experiences this oneness of existence is said to be “in Yoga” and is termed as a yogi who has attained a state of freedom, referred to as mukti, nirvāna, kaivalya or moksha. “Yoga” also refers to an inner science comprising of a variety of methods through which human beings can achieve union between the body and mind to attain self-realisation. The aim of Yoga practice (sādhana) is to overcome all kinds of sufferings that lead to a sense of freedom in every walk of life with holistic health, happiness and harmony.

Brief history and development of Yoga:

The science of Yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religion or belief systems were born. According to Yogic lore, Shiva has seen as the first yogi or ādiyogi and the first guru or ādiguru. Several thousand years ago, on the banks of lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, ādiyogi poured his profound knowledge into the legendary saptarishis or “seven sages”. These sages carried this powerful Yogic science to different parts of the world including Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa and South America. Interestingly, modern scholars have noted and marvelled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures across the globe. However, it was in India that the Yogic system found its fullest expression. Agastya, the saptarishi who travelled across the Indian subcontinent, crafted this culture around a core Yogic way of life.

Yoga is widely considered as an “immortal cultural outcome” of the Indus Saraswati Valley Civilisation – dating back to 2700 BC – and has proven itself to cater to both material and spiritual uplift of humanity. A number of seals and fossil remains of Indus Saraswati Valley Civilisation with Yogic motifs and figures performing Yoga sādhana suggest the presence of Yoga in ancient India. The seals and idols of mother Goddess are suggestive of Tantra Yoga. The presence of Yoga is also available in folk traditions, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darshanas, epics of Mahabharata including Bhagawadgita and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Tantric traditions.

Though Yoga was being practiced in the pre-Vedic period, the great sage Maharishi Patanjali systematised and codified the then existing Yogic practices, its meaning and its related knowledge through Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. After Patanjali, many sages and Yoga masters contributed greatly for the preservation and development of the field through well- documented practices and literature. Yoga has spread all over the world by the teachings of eminent Yoga masters from ancient times to the present date. Today, everybody has conviction about Yoga practices towards the prevention of disease, maintenance and promotion of health. Millions and millions of people across the globe have benefitted by the practice of Yoga and the practice of Yoga is blossoming and growing more vibrant with each passing day.

Traditional schools of Yoga

The different philosophies, traditions, li neages and guru-shishya paramparas of Yoga led to the emergence of different traditional schools. These include Jnāna Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Pātanjala Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Haṭha Yoga, Dhyāna Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jain Yoga, Bouddha Yoga etc. Each school has its own approach and practices that lead to the ultimate aim and objectives of Yoga.

Yogic practices for health and wellness

The widely practiced Yoga sadhanas are: Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prānāyāma, Pratyāhara, Dhārana, Dhyāna, Samādhi, Bandhas and Mudras, Shatkarmas, Yuktāhāra, Mantra-japa, Yukta-karma etc.
Yamas are restraints and Niyamas are observances. These are considered to be pre-requisites for further Yogic practices. Āsanas, capable of bringing about stability of body and mind, “kuryat-tad- asanam-sthairyam”, involve adopting various psycho-physical body patterns and giving one an ability to maintain a body position (a stable awareness of one’s structural existence) for a considerable length of time.

Prānāyāma consists of developing awareness of one’s breathing followed by willful regulation of respiration as the functional or vital basis of one’s existence. It helps in developing awareness of one’s mind and helps to establish control over the mind. In the initial stages, this is done by developing awareness of the “flow of in-breath and out-breath” (svāsa-prasvāsa) through nostrils, mouth and other body openings, its internal and external pathways and destinations. Later, this phenomenon is modified, through regulated, controlled and monitored inhalation (svāsa) leading to the awareness of the body space getting filled (puraka), the space(s) remaining in a filled state (kumbhaka) and it getting emptied (rechaka) during regulated, controlled and monitored exhalation (prasvāsa).

Prat yāhara indicates dissociation of one’s consciousness (withdrawal) from the sense organs which connect with the external objects. Dhārana indicates broad based field of attention (inside the body and mind) which is usually understood as concentration. Dhyāna (meditation) is contemplation (focussed attention inside the body and mind) and Samādhi (integration).

Bandhas and Mudras are practices associated with Prānāyāma. They are viewed as the higher yogic practices that mainly adopt certain physical gestures along with control over respiration. This further facilitates control over mind and paves way for higher Yogic attainment. However, practice of dhyāna, which moves one towards self-realisation and leads one to transcendence, is considered the essence of Yoga Sādhana.

Śaṭkarmas are detoxification procedures that are clinical in nature and help to remove the toxins accumulated in the body. Yuktāhāra advocates appropriate food and food habits for healthy living.

Food for thought 
A few dietary guidelines can ensure that the body and mind are flexible and well-prepared for practice. A vegetarian diet is usually recommended, and for a person over 30 years, two meals a day should suffice, except in cases of illness or very high physical activity or labour.

How yoga can help ?

Yoga is essentially a path to liberation from all bondage. However, medical research in recent years has uncovered many physical and mental benefits that Yoga offers, corroborating the experiences of millions of practitioners. A small sampling of research shows that:

• Yoga is beneficial for physical fitness, musculoskeletal functioning and cardio-vascular health.
• It is beneficial in the management of diabetes, respiratory disorders, hypertension, hypotension and many lifestyle- related disorders.
• Yoga helps to reduce depression, fatigue, anxiety disorders and stress.
• Yoga regulates menopausal symptoms.
• In essence, Yoga is a process of creating a body and mind that are stepping-stones, not hurdles, to an exuberant and fulfilling life.

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