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People from across the kingdom will be united by one breath today on International Yoga Day, as they inhale all the goodness that the ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice has to offer.
The form of exercise, which originated 5,000 years ago in India, was proclaimed by the United Nations to be celebrated annually on June 21 to raise awareness worldwide about its health benefits.
“The word yoga derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness,” said a spokesperson from the Indian Embassy.
“The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of its many benefits. The draft resolution establishing the day was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.
“The proposal was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said that ‘yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition’ and how it ‘embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action....a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being’. The Prime Minister added that ‘yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature’.”
The Indian Embassy is celebrating the ninth International Day of Yoga by organising a session tonight at 6.45pm at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Heritage Site, Bahrain Fort in association with the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.
“We invite all yoga enthusiasts in Bahrain to join in celebrating International Day of Yoga with our session themed ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’- World is One Family,” added the spokesperson. “The session being held at the Unesco World Heritage site (Qal’at Al Bahrain) will be reflective of our strong cultural and civilisational bilateral ties.”
The island’s yoga instructors are also staging their sessions specialising in its diverse styles at different locations.
Yoga instructor and business partner for vegan sweets distribution, Bahraini Dana Alsaffar, will be teaching a special summer solstice flow for a group of ladies at a mall in Seef.
“I’ll also celebrate by sharing some rituals with my yogi friends,” said the 35-year-old who specialises in Hatha yoga. Dana has been practising yoga for more than 10 years and pursued her yoga teacher training in 2019.
“Yoga has so many benefits for the body and the mind, so it’s a practice that everyone can benefit from, no matter what their goal is,” she added. “It encourages a peaceful mind with positive thoughts, reduces stress and improves sleep, improves blood and oxygen circulation to all organs, builds muscle strength, flexibility and joint mobility as well as regulates immunity, metabolism and hormonal health.
“The sense of mental balance was what made me fall in love with the practice and I began my yoga journey of self-discovery. It has encouraged me to look at life with a more positive mindset which has helped me through difficult times.
“It has also taught me how to better cope with anxiety, which pushed me to take on life challenges that I would have previously been afraid to pursue.
“Most importantly, yoga has helped me with self-acceptance and to become more in tune with what my body needs; allowing myself to take better care of myself.”
Bahraini Ola Abdulla, 26, also found yoga useful in managing her stress and helping her get in tune with her body.
“I started doing yoga in 2020 when Covid-19 had us all locked in,” said the project assistant. “I noticed my anxiety and stress levels becoming easier to manage, I also achieved a heightened sense of focus. Any physical activity can do that, but yoga also encourages you to connect mind and body, addressing anxiety at more than a surface level.
“Yoga also helped me gain a new perspective on exercise and to not forget to be gentle as your body is doing so much already. Finally, yoga helped with my self-confidence and body image as it keeps reminding me that my body is magnificent in its movement, no matter what its shape and fluctuations are, it deserves care regardless.”
She will be celebrating the day with her fellow yogi friends at Carousel Aerial Arts and Fitness Academy and earlier in the week, she joined more than 450 enthusiasts at a Manthan-Yoga Conclave organised by Bahrain India Cultural & Arts Services and Prop Yoga & Therapy Centre under the patronage of the Indian Embassy.
Bahraini yoga therapist and founder of the centre Ehsan Asghar, 53, staged a Yogasana demonstration with a group of his students. “I am continuously working on spreading yoga as a sport in educational institutes and the health sector,” he said.
For details, follow @indiainbahrain, @dashantiyogi, @propytc and bicas.bahrain on Instagram.
