PTI
The International Day of Yoga was a
brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had mooted the idea in his
maiden address to the General Assembly in September last year.
TOPICS
Yoga
offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and
spiritual health, said Ban Ki-moon.
Emphasising that yoga does not
discriminate, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he discovered the “simple
sense of satisfaction” it brings when he tried his first “asana” during his
visit to India.
In his message for the first
International Day of Yoga to be observed on June 21, Mr. Ban recalled that it
took him a while to gain his balance when he tried yoga for the first time in
New Delhi during his visit in January but soon realised it can be done by
anyone.
“And yoga does not discriminate; to
varying degrees, all people can practise, regardless of their relative
strength, age or ability. I discovered this for myself on trying to do my first
asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for me to gain my
balance, but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that
yoga can bring,” the UN chief said in the message.
He said during his visit to India,
he had the opportunity to practise yoga with one of his senior advisers. Mr.
Ban’s adviser on Myanmar, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar, had given the
UN chief his fist yoga lesson in preparation for the coming International Day
of Yoga.
The UN spokesperson had also tweeted
a photo of Mr. Ban trying to imitate Mr.Nambiar while doing his first yoga
asana.
The picture shows a smiling Mr. Ban,
who has taken off his shoes, standing on one leg, his hands raised above his
head and the other leg bent at the knee. Mr. Nambiar is also seen striking a
similar pose.
“Although he happened to be a son of
the country, I might equally have done the same with many other colleagues from
different parts of the world. Yoga is an ancient discipline from a traditional
setting that has grown in popularity to be enjoyed by practitioners in every
region,” Mr.Ban said.
He said Yoga offers a “simple,
accessible and inclusive” means to promote physical and spiritual health and
well-being.
In proclaiming June 21 as the
International Day of Yoga, the UN General Assembly recognised the “holistic
benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles
and values of the United Nations,” Mr. Ban said.
“Yoga offers a simple, accessible
and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It
promotes respect for one’s fellow human beings and for the planet we share,” he
said.
As the world gears up to host the
first International Day of Yoga, Mr. Ban called on the nations to “see the
benefits of this practice in terms of individual well-being, as well as our
collective efforts to improve public health, promote peaceful relations and
usher in a life of dignity for all.”
The International Day of Yoga was a
brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had mooted the idea in his
maiden address to the General Assembly in September last year
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