Accra, Ghana, June 16, 2018//-People of all walks of life on Saturday converged at the Al-wak Stadium to participate in the fourth edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) organised by the High Commission of India, Accra.
The dignitaries including the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Frank Quist, members of the Indian community, among others who attended the event were treated to good yoga performances for than three hours.
Delivering the welcome his address, the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Birender Singh Yadav stressed on the importance of Yoga as a holistic system that could not only bring health and happiness at the individual level but also harmony and peace in the world, transcending national boundaries and cultural differences.
He added: “Yoga has the capacity in strengthening peace and harmony in the world. Yoga also promotes people to people relationship”.
He therefore pledged to add a new energetic dimension to the already excellent bilateral relations between India and Ghana through the practice of Yoga.
In a short message, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Frank Quist commended the people and government of India for supporting the growth and development of Ghana.
He urged Ghanaians to emulate the self-belief demonstrated by Indians as a developing nation and to take advantage of the benefits of Yoga, stressing: “We will continue to espouse the values of Yoga in our sports”.
Participants of the event said:“The health benefits of Yoga are numerous but stress reduction is one.”
“Given our hectic lifestyle and stress-filled days, it is important that we should learn and adopt some regimen like Yoga practices into our daily lives to overcome the pressures and tensions we are constantly subjected to”, they stated.
The advantage of Yoga is that it does not introduce any external elements into the body-so it is clean and safe. It is of course, a more nature-friendly way to make our lives happier and healthier.
Yoga practitioners representing different nationalities performed yoga exercises guided by experts and in synchronization with a video recording of select Yoga exercises created by Indians back home.
Instructively, the word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ meaning ‘ to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. According to yogic strictures, the practice of yoga leads to the union of an individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.
The science of yoga has its origin thousands of years, long before the first religion or belief systems were born. The seers and sages carried this powerful yogic science to different parts of the world including Asia, the Middle East, North Africa.
Interestingly, modern scholars have noted and marveled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures across the globe. However, it was in India that the yogic system found its fullest expression.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
Email: mk68008@gmail.com
