City Desk :
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka marked the 10th International Day of Yoga-2024 with a grand event at Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs Naheed Ezaher Khan, actress Tasnia Farin, and Deputy High Commissioner Dr Binoy George led over 1200 participants from 13 yoga and cultural organizations in performing the yoga routine, reports UNB.
In 2014, India proposed the celebration of the International Day of Yoga, and the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga through Resolution 69/131, acknowledging yoga’s universal appeal.
The Sanskrit word ‘yoga’ means ‘to unite,’ symbolizing the harmony between body and consciousness. Today, yoga is practiced globally in various forms and continues to grow in popularity.
Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, highlighted the 2024 theme, ‘Yoga for Self and Society,’ emphasizing yoga’s transformative essence – the unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment.
“Mindful breathing, meditation, and gentle movement calm the nervous system, reduce stress hormones, and cultivate inner peace. Regular practice fosters mental well-being and emotional resilience,” she said. Yoga is more than just exercise. Developing mind-body awareness enables resolving imbalances at their source for long-term well-being.
Yoga also nurtures self-control, mindfulness, and experiential learning in self-awareness techniques, therapeutic approaches, and assessment abilities.
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“In our stress-laden world, yoga provides a holistic stress-reduction approach, offering tools to overcome inner turmoil and restore balance and serenity.
Research highlights yoga’s mental and physical health benefits: stress reduction, anxiety relief via deep breathing and mindfulness, adjunct therapy for depression management, lower back pain relief by improving spinal flexibility and core strength, enhanced overall quality of life, stimulated brain function, memory and focus, heart disease prevention by managing risk factors such as hypertension and improved physical fitness, flexibility, strength, balance, and weight management,” she said.