Monrovia- Indians in Liberia along with the Indian Consul General Upjit Jeety early Sunday morning celebrated the international Day of Yoga in Monrovia. On December 11, 2014, the 193-member UN General Assembly approved the proposal by consensus, with a record 177 co-sponsoring countries, including Liberia, and adopted a Resolution to establish 21st June of each year as International Day of Yoga.
The declaration of International Day of Yoga was prompted by an address to the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014 by the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Mr. Narendra Modi, in which he urged the World Community to adopt an International Day of Yoga.
During the celebration of the day in Monrovia, several who attended were seen moving the body in acrobatic faction, stretching and moving the legs, arms and other body parts.
It was a bid of entertainment for onlookers but participants were focused in performing the drills based on the directive of the instructor.
Several different exercises were carried out by the group under the guidance of guru or Instructor Sofia Ali who attentively watched all participants to ensure they were actively involved in the process.
Good for healthy living
Speaking to reporters, Instructor Ali explained the importance of Yoga saying it is good for healthy living.
“It is good for your health, it builds the mind, and helps the brain, liver and other important parts of the body function well”, she said.
According to her Yoga is good for the protection of the body, helping people to have sound mind, good thinking and normal operations of various body parts.
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.
Yoga, she also said helps with proper circulation of Oxygen through the body ensuring effective functioning of body parts.
Important Day
Counsel General Jeety who also participated in the exercises underscored the importance of commemorating the day, saying Indians in Liberia are always happy to join the rest of their countrymen to celebrate the day.
He said the day was celebrated under the auspices of Indian Ambassador residing in the Ivory Coast and the Consulate in Liberia.
Counsel Jeety said Indians who are far away from home cannot allow the day to pass simply because they are not home and therefore the celebration in Liberia was meant to make Indians honor the day which was declared by Prime Minister Narendra Nodi.
The science of Yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religion or belief systems were born. Several thousand years ago, on the banks of Lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, adiyogi 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.
Yoga is widely considered as an “immortal cultural outcome” of the Indus Saraswati Valley Civilization- dating back to 2700 BC – and has proven itself to cater to both material and spiritual uplift of humanity.
Though Yoga was being practiced in the pre-Vadic 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.
Yoga works on the level of one’s body, mind, emotion and energy. This has given rise to four broad classifications of Yoga: Karma Yoga where we utilise the body; Jnana Yoga where we utilise the mind; Bhakti Yoga where we utilise the emotion and Kriya Yoga where we utilise the energy. Each system of Yoga we practice falls within the gamut of one or more of these categories.