Guyana to stage essay competition, art and poetry competition
It was during the address to the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for an International Day of Yoga. The date was September 27, 2014.
The next year, on June 21, 2015, International Day of Yoga was determined. On December 11, 2014, a total of 193 members of the United Nations had approved the proposal. A whipping 177 co-sponsored the designation.
On Sunday, Guyana will join with the rest of the world to observe International Day of Yoga.
India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K.J. Srinivasa, himself a yoga practitioner, said that yoga is about 4,000 years old. It has been recognized as a tool for promoting mental, spiritual and physical well-being. It is one of India’s biggest contributions to the world.
Sunday will see every Indian High Commission worldwide hosting giant yoga sessions. Indeed, this has been the case every year.
From the outset on June 21, 2015 there has been a ground swell. Record-breaking yoga participants have been gathering at some iconic locations around the world.
In New York, Times Square attracted thousands. It was the same in South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium where some 6,000 people assembled, and at Soweto. There were similarly large assemblages at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Yoga is not a religion although it may have practitioners who would incorporate aspects of yoga into their spiritual regimen. One thing that yoga does is to encourage vegetarianism.
Guyana has some yoga centres. The Indian Cultural Centre hosts sessions daily. The largest numbers gather on Sunday.
In Antigua the health community uses yoga to aid abused women. This form or meditation is applied in therapy sessions. Victims of abuse are made to use yoga to relieve themselves of the mental pangs of the abuse.
Reports suggest that this treatment is working. And as if to re-emphasise the necessary benefits of yoga, some schools have added the programme to their curriculum.
And Dr. Srinivasa said that one should not be misled by the near contortionist poses one would see from the professionals. There are various levels of yoga. Beginners will concentrate on breathing which is on3 of the major aspects of yoga.
Dr Srinivasa said that yoga is about peace and sometimes quiet. He said that it started in the forests where there was quiet so the practitioner could blend with nature.
Today some people practice in quiet while some like soft music. Some practice in the dark for better concentration while others would use some aromatic ambience.
It is a zero cost exercise. If there is no mat a simple towel can suffice. There is no specific age limit. Parents have been known to introduce their children to yoga from as early as two years. In the end, concentration and memory increases.
Dr Srinivasa said that it has been proven that children introduced to yoga perform better in the school environment. Their recall, memorization and reasoning become more developed. This explains their enhanced learning ability.
In the run-up to Sunday’s International Day of Yoga, there will be an art and poster competition, essay competitions under the theme ‘Impact of Yoga on my Life.’
These will be a link with six television stations to broadcast the various proceedings on Sunday. His will be accompanied by a live relay on Facebook.
The activities begin at 10:00 hours.
