Picture Courtesy : PMO’s Facebook Page
Temperature is rising in many parts of the country, including Thimphu. But that didn’t stop people from gathering outside to stretch and bend their way through at least an hour of yoga.
Today, the Nehru-Wangchuck Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Thimphu concluded the celebration of 5th International Day of Yoga by organizing a Mega Yoga Session at the historic Changlimethang Stadium in Thimphu. The session was graced by Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering and Ms Ruchira Kamboj, Ambassador of India to Bhutan. More than a thousand people joined the Mega Yoga session.
The popularity of yoga among the Bhutanese was evident with a huge attendance of participants that turned out to mark the day. Stretching and bending, the participants followed the instruction and made the most out of the yoga session. Today, where life has become stressful and is burdened with anxiety, practising yoga can open doors of inner peace and happiness.
“It’s now been over a year since I started practising yoga. I joined yoga classes because of my own interest. And from it what I have experienced is I have found myself active and energetic. A lot of people say yoga is just about stretching and twisting the body but I feel that it enhances one’s flexibility,” said Pema Selden, a student.
“I started doing yoga last month. And it has encouraged me to intellectually awaken the mind, spirit and the body,” added Leki Gyeltshen, also a student.
Yoga teacher at the Nehru-Wangchuck Centre said yoga can provide a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. It is also seen as an effective way of combating lifestyle diseases.
“As a yoga teacher, I can say that the first benefit is discipline. We can learn about discipline. Multiple studies have shown that it can decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. And a lot of people practice yoga as a way to cope with anxiety. Further, studies and researches also suggest that incorporating yoga into a healthy lifestyle could show the progression of heart diseases. And also our sleep quality increases,” said K.V.S.S.N Murthy, a Yoga teacher at Nehru-Wangchuck Cultural Centre.
I have been doing yoga for seven years. Before I used to become sick with low BP and a lot of other health problems but now my health is perfect,” Uma Maya Khadal, a Yoga practitioner, said.
“I have been practising yoga for ten years now. It is really helpful especially if one has a migraine, gastritis and other illnesses. Moreover, it keeps our body fit,” added Namgay Om, also a Yoga practitioner.
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. Today, it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. Recognizing its universal appeal, the United Nations declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga in 2014. In Bhutan, the day this year was pushed to 23rd June for the convenience of the participants.
