As part of the ongoing “Yoga for unity and well-being -2021” collaborative initiative, which has seen the Ayush Ministry joining hands with some of the leading Yoga institutions on the virtual platform to take the health benefits of Yoga to the citizens at their homes, a special one-day event focussed on the topic ‘Yoga towards wellbeing in Covid-19  pandemic’ is being organised  on 25 April 2021.

There is growing concern over the pandemic’s impact on people’s physical and mental health. In this exacting phase, Yoga with its multi-faceted benefits, is proving to be of immense help to the public. The health-assuring and stress-relieving features of Yoga can go a long way in finding balance in our day-to-day lives in the present reality, and the one-day event on 25 April 2021 strives to take this message to the people. The event will be live-streamed on the Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/moayush/) and YouTube (https://youtube.com/c/MinistryofAYUSHofficial) handles of Ministry of Ayush. It includes an important segment outlining a Yoga protocol developed by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), which would be helpful in COVID Prevention. This segment will be streamed at 8.00 AM on the above handles. Another important segment is a Webinar on COVID -19 at 5.00 PM, in which many renowned personalities will speak. This will include messages from  Minister of State for Defence Shri Shripad Naik, Secretary to the Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Director of MDNIY  Dr. I.V.Basavaraddi. This event will be graced by Yogrishi Swami Ramdev, Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Chancellor of the Swami Vivekananda Yoga AnusandhanaSamsthana (SVYASA) in Bengaluru and Shri Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), the President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

Consistent practice of Yoga helps to improve health and strengthen natural immunity. Practice of Yoga helps in improving metabolism, maintaining proper blood circulation, and reducing vulnerability to various ailments like respiratory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes etc. Yoga also improves mental health and emotional resilience and enables people to cope with fear, anxiety, stress, boredom, depression and frustration, which are commonly reported in the present difficult times. The upcoming International Day of Yoga (IDY)-2021 (scheduled on 21^st of June every year), therefore, is a timely occasion to usher Yoga in, into the thoughts and everyday lives of common people. The “Yoga for unity and well-being -2021” programme which is currently in its sixth week was launched with this objective, and the instant one-day event is part of this initiative.

Taking cognizance of the current spurt in the pandemic, all preparatory activities for observing IDY -2021 are being taken up on the online/ virtual mode, with Yoga seekers getting the opportunity to learn and practice Yoga under expert advice from their homes.  Various stake-holders have taken up messaging to the public in the context of the upcoming IDY, by highlighting its importance and contribution of Yoga to public health and encouraging the people to observe IDY 2021 by doing the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) at home with their families. The message “Be with Yoga, Be at Home!” is being sent out. The quality resources on CYP available in the website and social media handles of the Ministry of Ayush are being utilised in various innovative ways by Yoga trainers and used by citizens to learn/ perform CYP from the safety of their respective homes.

The 100 -day ''Yoga for unity and well-being'' programme was inaugurated by Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India on 14 March 2021 in a virtual event. The programme is focussed on the International Day of Yoga (IDY) and will culminate on that Day. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Ayush, and is a collaborative effort of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (Heartfulness Institute), the Swami Vivekananda Yoga AnusandhanaSamsthana (SVYASA) and the Patanjali YogPeeth. This initiative tries to unify traditional and authentic Yoga schools to launch the 100 Day Yoga series to promote a healthy lifestyle. All activities are being offered free of charge worldwide in several languages through a virtual outreach. The Yoga for Unity and Wellbeing program has so far registered participants from 144 countries of the world, and the participation is increasing day by day. The program has daily practice sessions of yoga and multiple lectures on the science and knowledge of yoga in all its facets. More than 50 expert faculty from diverse fields of study such as history, medicine, psychology, research, management, education, linguistics, humanities and sports are part of the initiative.

In the fight against COVID-19, Yoga can emerge as an important support to the people, and can potentially reach every corner of the globe. The occasion of IDY- 2021 provides a timeline to inspire the public to take up Yoga in the spirit of camaraderie and participation.

MV/SK