International Day of Yoga 2021 kickoff: AYUSH, sports ministries collaborate to promote yoga

New Delhi: The Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have tapped into the spirit of the International Day of Yoga on June 21 to encourage people to pursue yoga as a daily routine for good health and well-being.

The two Union ministries came together to organise a virtual event on May 2 to mark 50 days in the countdown to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2021, the AYUSH ministry said in a statement.

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The event also carried a recorded video of Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in conversation with Indian badminton coach Pullela Gopichand about the importance of yoga for sportspersons. There was also a message from Olympian Anju Bobby George on yoga.

The programme was streamed on social media platforms and attracted more than 5,000 viewers.

"Taking cognisance of the current spike in COVID-19 cases, it is necessary to avoid congregation of people for the promotional activities of IDY-2021. The Ministry of AYUSH has, in this context, been propagating the message 'Be with Yoga, Be at Home'," the statement said.

Consequent to the second surge in COVID-19 cases, there is widespread concern over the pandemic's impact on people''s physical and mental health. In this exacting phase, yoga with its multi-faceted benefits is proving to be of immense help to the public, it said.

Consistent practice of yoga helps to improve health and strengthen natural immunity. The practice of yoga is also known to help in improving one's metabolism, maintaining proper blood circulation, and reducing vulnerability to various ailments like respiratory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, among others.

"Yoga also improves mental health and emotional resilience and enables people to cope with fear, anxiety, stress, boredom, depression and frustration, which are commonly reported in the present difficult times. IDY-2021, therefore, is a timely occasion to usher yoga in, into the thoughts and everyday lives of common people," the statement stated.

The Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), one of the best introductory programs for beginners to learn yoga, was also discussed in the virtual event, and the need to reach CYP to the maximum number of people for their benefit was highlighted, statement said.

CYP, a specified sequence of yoga asanas of 45 minutes duration, lies at the heart of IDY observation. It was developed by some of the most accomplished yoga gurus of India in 2015. It was also designed for easy learning by common people, irrespective of their age and gender, and can be learnt through simple training sessions and online classes, it added.

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