Monrovia – Few Liberians joined their Indian friends in Liberia to celebrate the International Day of Yoga on Saturday, June 23.
Despite the heavy downpour of rain in the early morning on Saturday, these yoga enthusiasts still managed to gather at the Shri Gurudwara Sahib, the Indian worship center at Coconut Plantation, to commemorate the third ever International Day of Yoga, which was an hour-long program, beginning at 08:30 GMT.
How Did the Int’l Day of Yoga Come About?
Before the exercises began, the Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, who also participated in the ceremony, underscored the importance of the day. Mr. Jeety as he is known, indicated that the day was celebrated under the auspices of Indian Ambassador residing in La Cote d’Ivoire and the Consulate in Liberia, which he (Jeety) heads.
The Honorary Consul General disclosed that 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.
“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.
“In its Resolution declaring 21st June of each year International Day of Yoga, the UN General Assembly recognized that Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and encourages the 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,” he stated.
Health Benefits of Yoga
Mr. Anish Kumur, who was the instructor of the day, stressed the importance and the health benefits associated with practicing Yoga.
In his brief remarks, he spoke of the usefulness of Yoga as a remedy to all kinds of medical conditions, including cardiac problems, diabetes, hypertension and stress as well as a way of strengthening the body’s resistance capacity to diseases.
He led participants through breathtaking Yoga exercises including bend overs and stretches (both side-ways). Participants were also thought how to do breath control.
What is Yoga?
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 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. “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-realization. The aim of Yoga practice (sadhana) 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. 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. Interestingly, modern scholars have noted and marveled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures across the globe. However it was in India that 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 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 systematized 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.
The Fundamentals of Yoga
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 utilize the body; Jnana Yoga where we utilize the mind; Bhakti Yoga where we utilize the emotion and Kriya Yoga where we utilize the energy. Each system of Yoga we practice falls within the gamut of one or more of these categories.
Every individual is a unique combination of these four factors. Only a guru (teacher) can advocate the appropriate combination of the four fundamental paths as is necessary for each seeker. “All ancient commentaries on Yoga have stressed that it is essential to work under the direction of a guru.”