Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JUNE 22
Kohima also joined the rest of the world in observing the first ever International Day of Yoga, in the Indoor Badminton Stadium in Kohima town on Sunday.
The program, which commenced at 7 am, was led by Yoga teacher Amit Mukhia. The event was organized by the Patanjali Yog Samiti, Kohima and was attended by Yoga practitioners numbering around 100, including young and old, men and women and school children.
Gracing the occasion as the chief guest, Additional Director General of Police, Rupin Sharma, IPS, regarded Yoga as a ‘very ancient’ form of exercise.“Yoga has been practiced since ancient times when there were no gymnasiums. I am happy that the world community has accepted Yoga, with the ultimate motive for a healthier world,” he said.
“The world recognizing the importance of Yoga is not about how far India has achieved, but it’s recognition of what Yoga means to human’s health,” he said.
He further stated that Yoga is not connected to any religion, but that it is connected to India. “Its only religion is to keep the human body fit and healthy,” he added.
Informing that there are around 5,000 Yoga practitioners in Nagaland, he insisted them to keep practicing in order to maintain a healthy mind and body.
Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Rovilato Mor, in his address appreciated the United Nations for giving due importance to Yoga ethics.
“The UN recognizing Yoga as a form of exercise will make a tremendous impact to build a healthier world,” DC Mor said while he also urged the general public to understand the basics of Yoga and inculcate its healthy practices.
Led by the Patanjali Yog Samiti, International Day of Yoga was held in several colonies in Kohima, including Raj Bhavan.
A similar event to mark the occasion was conducted in the auditorium of Modern Institute of Teacher Education by B.Ed students in the town on Saturday, June 20, instead of Sunday.
Yoga practitioner Annie Patton was the ‘yoga expert’ for the program, the organizers informed in a note on Monday. Students and members of the faculty practiced yoga exercises under the guidance of Patton.
According to the note, the “usefulness” of yoga was emphasized as important “in our day-to-day life” and claimed that “many diseases can be prevented and cured by using yoga practice everyday”.
Likewise, a local community group, Patanjali Yog Samiti of Kohima and joined the countrywide observance in the Indoor Badminton Stadium on June 21 “as per resolution adopted by the united Nations General Assembly on 11th Nov’ 2014”.
Addressing the event, Rupin Sharma, Additional Director General of Police highlighted the importance of yoga on human health “which is very easy to practice”. ‘We need not spend money to practice yoga,’ he was quoted by the organizers as having said. He shared his experience on “practices of yoga to live disease free healthy life” and that “yoga is widely accepted abroad understanding beneficial effect of it to live healthier life”.
Later, a demonstration of yoga was led by Amit Mukhiya, yoga teacher, which was followed by a presentation on the “steps and benefits of yoga”, according to the organizers. Around 148 people participated in the event.
Along with the rest of the world, International Yoga Day was observed in the Multi Sports Complex of Mokokchung too. The day was observed with the initiative of 25 NCC Cadet Crops of Mokokchung district, Around 150 students and NCC cadets from Mayangnokcha Government Higher Secondary School, Queen Mary Higher Secondary and Dilong High School participated in the event.
Delhi Public School of Dimapur observed its first International Yoga Day event. The program was hosted by the NL AIR SQN (FLG) NCC of Dimapur on June 21. More than 700 students and their teachers attended, the organizers informed on Monday.
Milan Prasad from Guwahati and Sajita Khan were the instructors for the program. They demonstrated different yoga postures to the gathering. “The instructors demonstrated a number of yoga practices which are extremely beneficial for maintaining the fitness of our body such as neck bending, trunk movement and knee movement,” according to the school.
“To enhance the efficiency of our body system, the instructor Mr. Prasad made the students do some more Yogasanas like Tadasana, Pada – Hastasana, Trikonasana, Bhadrasana, Ardha-Ustrasana, Makarasana, Savasana etc. with elaborate details of their merits,” the school said in the press release.
The instructors also demonstrated other yoga practices such as “Kapalabhati which is useful in balancing and strengthening our nervous system as well as toning up our digestive system”. They also emphasized “Pranayama practices for students as these are great tranquiliser which removes anxiety, anger and hyperactivity”.
The instructors told the gathering that the “most important component of yoga practice which is meditation” and appealed to the students to practice it on a regular basis “as it increases concentration, memory and clarity of thought and will power”.
The school claimed that the “session left the students as well as the other participants with a rejuvenating and exhilarating experience letting them resolve to make yoga a part of their daily life”.
