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Indian Armed Forces Participate In International Yoga Day Celebrations - thepress.net

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

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'Reversed Cancer, Dementia...' Ramdev On International Yoga Day - thepress.net

International Day of Yoga is celebrated worldwide on June 21. In 2015, when this was first commemorated, some 36,000 enthusiasts including the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and dignitaries from 84 countries lined up in New Delhi, for the worlds largest yoga session.

Sessions were also held on the bank of the River Thames in London and under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Last year, Modi led a yoga session at the UN headquarters in New York. Also last year, the Indian city of Surat hosted the worlds largest yoga session, with over 150,000 participants.

Yoga has thoroughly permeated global consumer culture and everyday news ranges from the glamorous to the absurd. The Louvre has announced yoga classes for visitors to coincide with the Olympics in Paris in June. Italy recently banned puppy yoga, saying only adult dogs could participate, for reasons of animal welfare.

UNIVERSAL APPEAL

According to one estimate, some 300 million people practise yoga worldwide. Yoga has also made significant inroads in Pakistan over the last decade. A quick search in major cities reveals an abundance of programmes and studios.

The ancient practice of yoga is a worldwide phenomenon due to its many touted mental and physical health benefits. But do these claims stand up to scientific scrutiny?

Many of these options are backed up with glossy Instagram feeds of models, twisting their bodies into the trademark poses, once so fantastical but now entirely familiar. In May, Islamabads Capital Development Authority launched complimentary classes for residents in the F-9 Park.

But beyond the glamour and buzz, the average person has questions: what is all this hype about? How is yoga different

from other fitness routines? Is it actually something special?

FROM THE SCIENTIFIC LENS

Some of yogas scientifically documented benefits are only to be expected: studies show that yoga significantly improves flexibility; it helps combat arthritis; yoga is effective against carpal tunnel syndrome; it alleviates chronic lower back pain; and it seems to be a promising aid in weight loss.

Yoga has a pronounced meditation component, and studies show significant stress reduction, which can have cascading effects on reducing risk of heart attacks, strokes, chronic disease, etc.

But when one starts to delve deeper, things get interesting fast.

Consider an early and intriguing study from Duke University, which compared health benefits of yoga with aerobics for almost a hundred adults.

At the time of the study, in 1989, the magical secret to fitness was to increase ones maximal oxygen uptake, the VO2 max, ie the maximum volume of oxygen consumed during rigorous exercise. Decades of science and research demonstrated that aerobic exercise did precisely that, making it the dominant fitness paradigm of the era. The study results were also very clear: over the four-month study period, subjects participating in aerobics raised their VO2 max significantly. There was no increase for the yogis at all.

However, when researchers surveyed participants quality of life, the response was overwhelmingly positive for both groups. At the end of the study, yogis also felt healthier, they reported higher energy levels, endurance, flexibility and better sleep. Their social lives improved markedly. Memory and concentration were enhanced. They had less loneliness, improved self-confidence and life satisfaction. They even felt that they looked better.

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?

The literature on yoga abounds with counterintuitive findings like these. Another fascinating study from 2008 confronts the popular claim that yoga is restorative and anti-ageing. Could yoga really play a role in human longevity?

Biological ageing is linked to telomeres, which are DNA strands at the very tips of chromosomes. Every time a cell divides, these tips get shorter, making them a kind of clock, indicating the cells lifespan. This discovery an alternative way of counting biological age was significant enough to secure the Nobel Prize.

In their study, researchers investigated a group of 30 men with low-risk cancer and introduced comprehensive lifestyle changes for them, including a low-fat diet, a walking routine, and yoga-based stretching, breathing and meditation.

After three months, they reported substantial health improvements, including decreased blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, etc. The researchers also discovered that telomerase activity the enzyme that counteracts the shortening of telomeres increased by 30 percent.

A follow-up study five years later, featuring 10 of the same subjects, confirmed significant increases in telomere length.

The authors noted the potential of these findings for cellular longevity, tissue renewal, disease prevention, and increases in life span. Even in the understated language of science, this is bold new fountain-of-youth territory.

AN AURA OF SPIRITUALITY

Yoga has always had this mystique, a touch of the exotic and the supernatural.

In 1965, B.K.S. Iyengar the man who did more than any other to popularise yoga in the West wrote in his seminal book, Light on Yoga, how this practice can bring one to the crossroads of his destiny.

I remember coming across an old book, in a library overseas, with the intriguing title Christian Yoga. Written in the sixties by a French priest, J.M. Dechanet, the book was an intimate and inspiring memoir of his experiment to reconcile yoga with the Christian tradition.

Early in the book, he notes that reading the Bible made the contemplative lives of prophets seem distant from our noisy modern existence. Later, he realises that practising yoga, surprisingly, allowed him to experience, to an extent, the serene calm hed read about.

These are very interesting claims. We see a faint reflection of these in the science. For instance, a review paper surveying some 30 studies finds that [yoga] may be positively associated with several aspects of spirituality.

In his book, A Life Worth Breathing, author Max Strom describes a complaint that many of us will find familiar: In the morning I cant wake up, in the day I am bored, in the evening I am tired, and at night I cant sleep.

Yoga can be a wonderful antidote. Even a few weeks of practice are enough to realise that yoga facilitates a contemplative state.

Multiple surveys from different countries find that, whereas most people start yoga for its physical benefits, a large number end up maintaining the practice, primarily for its spiritual side-effects.

MORE STRENOUS THAN SPORTS

However, for those who may be motivated to jump on to a mat right away, it is important to sound a note of caution. The good news is that statistics on yoga injuries are largely reassuring: the rate is low.

A Danish study of almost 3,500 participants reported an injury prevalence of one percent for yoga. To get a sense of comparison, this figure was 38 percent for soccer players, 19 percent for runners and nine percent for those undertaking strength training. However, the bad news is that there are abundant accounts of injuries and harms.

Journalist William Broad, author of the highly recommended book The Science of Yoga, comments that [yoga] makes most other sports and exercises seem like childs play.

There are reports of students pushing their bodies beyond their limits to achieve challenging poses, resulting in torn tendons, popped ribs and blood clots. When one digs into these incidents, two main reasons pop out.

One is basic common sense: a wide-ranging survey of yoga teachers, therapists and clinicians finds that the most commonly cited culprits were [p]oor technique or alignment, previous injury, excess effort, and improper or inadequate instruction.

The second reason behind injuries is more serious and more subtle: ego. Some people tend to bring a materialist and competitive drive to yoga and rush themselves into advanced poses, out of a sense of achievement. But the pose should always be part of the journey and not the goal. It is vital to listen to the body attentively.

To quote author Max Strom again regarding yogas transformative magic: Remember, it doesnt matter how deep into a posture you go what does matter is who you are when you get there.

Like most quotes on yoga, this, too, can be maddeningly cryptic for an outsider. At the end of the day, the secret of yoga cannot really be explained. Like many of the truly good things in life, it can only be experienced.

The writer teaches at the NUST School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Islamabad. He can be reached at taha.ali@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 23rd, 2024

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HEALTH: IS YOGA ALL ITS CRACKED UP TO BE? - DAWN.com

MUMBAI: A Bandra-based yoga teacher's quick thinking of clicking pictures of a man who inappropriately touched her bottom last year has ensured that he was arrested and subsequently convicted and sentenced to a one year rigorous imprisonment. Finding Dhanbhai Muzumdar (21), guilty, magistrate Komalsing Rajput said, "..the defence of the accused is of total denial and false implication. However, except bare denials and certain suggestions, there is nothing in the cross examination (of victim) from which it can be inferred that accused has been falsely implicated by the informant. Admittedly, informant and accused were unknown to each other before the incident. There is no reason to drag the accused in the false case. The evidence is cogent and trustworthy. Merely because no other witness or evidence is collected, informant cannot be disbelieved." The victim, among the two witnesses to depose in court, said that on May 23, 2023, at about 7.25am was going to her studio from her place of residence. At that time a man unknown to her came from behind, touched her on her bottom and crossed her, she screamed. Listening to her screaming, he turned around. At that time, she took his photograph on her mobile phone. She was frightened and ran to her studio. Then she called her parents and narrated the incident to them. They went to police station and lodged a report. While lodging the report, she showed the photograph taken on her phone to police. The victim identified the accused present in the court as the same person who touched her and outraged her modesty. A police officer who deposed said that on the basis of photograph taken by informant in her mobile phone, the present accused was traced and arrested the same day. Relying on the evidence, the magistrate said that it is proved that accused touched the victim with the intention to outrage her modesty. The prosecution prayed for severe punishment. "The offence is serious and against woman," the prosecution said. However, seeking leniency, the accused said that he has been in jail since his arrest. He also submitted that despite granting bail, nobody turned up to comply with bail order. He also submitted that he is a resident of West Bengal and from poor financial background. While sentencing him, the magistrate said, "As submitted, there is a sister and mother dependent on him. He is the only earning member of his family. Considering the period of custody undergone and these aspects, leniency needs to be shown to accused while granting punishment."

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Yoga instructor clicks pic of molester, gets him convicted - The Times of India

Isha Foundation's Sadhguru Sannidhi, located near Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district, organised a mega programme on Friday on the occasion of World Yoga Day.

Around 1,000 NCC cadets of the 5 Karnataka Battalion from 20 colleges in Chikkaballapura, 200 soldiers from the Madras Engineering Corps (MEG) of the Indian Army, 120 Jawans, and 2 officers from the Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of the Border Security Force (BSF) participated in yoga sessions led by Isha Hatha Yoga teachers.

Air Commodore SB Arunkumar VSM, Deputy Director General, Karnataka, Goa NCC Directorate, and popular Kannada actor and model Srinidhi Shetty participated as special guests at the yoga event.

READ | YouTuber Ajeet Bharti gets notice from Karnataka Police over Rahul Gandhi video

Taking to his social media handle on X, Sadhguru, Founder of the Isha Foundation, said, "Yoga is a science, and, if you wish, an art form with which you can unfold your nature to its ultimate possibility and also create a conscious planet."

While speaking at the event at Sadhguru Sannidhi, Air Commodore SB Arunkumar urged all citizens, especially the future citizens of the country, to embrace yoga as a lifestyle choice. He said Yoga was not just a "physical exercise" but a "holistic practice" that rejuvenates the body and mind.

"It's a reminder that we all are connected all over the world, and through Yoga, we can transcend barriers and come together as one global family as we all are here today," he said, adding that "Yoga instills discipline and focus" and urging the students and NCC cadets gathered at the venue to adopt the practice.

Popular Kannada actor of KGF fame, Srinidhi Shetty, said, "We all know what is right, what is wrong, what we should do, and what we should not do. It is just a matter of (taking) action."

She said that with excessive contamination of our environment, it is imperative that people turn inward to enhance their health and well-being.

"The air we inhale, the soil we walk on, the water we drink--everything has been degraded," she said, and she urged the audience to take up regular practice of yoga "for you to be internally joyful."

Air Commodore SB Arunkumar also virtually inaugurated the community Yoga hall at Sadhguru Sannidhi.

READ | Pavithra hit Renukaswamy with slippers, police note says, indicating she was present at murder site

As per the Isha Foundation, "30-minute sessions will be conducted by Isha-trained teachers from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day throughout the year. The sessions will be conducted in five languages: Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English."

There are several proven benefits of yoga, including enhancing vitality, focus, memory, and productivity; stabilising the body, mind, and emotions; and relieving back pain, stress, anxiety, and tension.

In celebration of the International Day of Yoga, Isha offered more than 1,400 free yoga sessions across India, according to a release.

The events were conducted at prominent institutes, including ISRO, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, IIT Madras, and Foxconn, among others.

The celebrations included hundreds of CRPF soldiers participating in a yoga session held in front of Adiyogi at Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore, on Friday.

Stay updated Karnataka Election Results 2024 and with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Bengaluru. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and more across India . Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.

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Isha Foundation's Sadhguru Sannidhi celebrates World Yoga Day with mega program in Bengaluru - Hindustan Times

Yoga Class by Shilpa Shetty, In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, celebrating International Day of Yoga, we have the one and only Shilpa Shetty Kundra where she guides you through a series of rejuvenating yoga poses designed to enhance flexibility, strength, and inner peace. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned practitioners, here she takes us through her love for yoga and shares with us all the tips and tricks for a holistic experience, blending physical postures with mindful breathing techniques. Embrace the spirit of Yoga Day with Shilpa Shetty and discover the transformative power of yoga for your mind, body, and soul.

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Shlipa Shetty's Love For Yoga | International Yoga Day | Yogasan | Yoga for Beginners | Weight Loss - Black Belt News Network

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Brand allegiance is strong among those who practice on Manduka. During our recent testing of best yoga mats, many teachers and students explained that they preferred the dense cushioning and durability of Manduka mats. One shared, Ive been a Manduka girl for almost 20 years. Theyre the most slip-proof and long-lasting yoga mats.

In collaboration with Manduka, were giving away two matsyour choice of style and color*so you can experience what inspires such commitment and appreciation from those who practice on them.

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Welcome to June month of Pride, Juneteenth, Fathers Day and the official start of summer. Youve probably got a lot already planned for the weeks ahead beach vacations, summer cookouts with your nearest and dearest, tickets to see that big blockbuster in an air-conditioned movie theater but allow us to share a few more suggestions for wellness-boosting ways to spend this time.

Heres our guide to enjoying summers simple pleasures (perfectly ripe tomatoes! vitamin D! switching your out-of-office email responder on!) while doing some good and keeping your health top of mind.

Upgrade your diet. Unless you're part of the 1.58% of American adults who have an ideal diet, you could stand for some improvement. One way to get started: Look into the Mediterranean diet, which research shows has lots of health benefits. Here's what groceries to stock up on and what a meal plan looks like.

Try mall walking. It's got A/C ... and an Abercrombie. If you want to keep up your daily step count without subjecting yourself to triple-digit temperatures, consider escaping to your local mall. Mall walking is free (no gym fees), accessible (great for all ages and no pesky hills or uneven sidewalks) and air conditioned. If you simply want to beat the heat, here's a guide to other public places where you can cool down this summer.

Visit a farmers market. June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, and its a great excuse to skip the grocery store checkout lines and instead see what local producers have on offer. Summer cookouts call for recipes featuring the best in seasonal ingredients think cherries, berries, peaches, corn, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans and more so grab a tote bag and stock up. (But watch out for those summer fruit injuries.)

Take a CPR class. June 1 to 7 marks National CPR and AED Awareness Week. Recent research shows that lifesaving AEDs (or automated external defibrillators) are rarely used in cases of cardiac arrest occurring outside of a hospital setting, even though experts say they are pretty simple to use. And just last week a survey from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that only about half of Americans feel they could perform CPR in an emergency. If youre not one of them, take time to sign up for a course through the American Red Cross (or brush up on your training with these tips).

Time to see the doc, dude. Fellas, its Mens Health Month an important reminder to follow through on any delayed checkups (like getting to the bottom of that pesky twinge in your knee youve been brushing off as no big deal) or kick-start any wellness goals you might have. Sign up for a gym membership trial. Improve your mood by making plans with that buddy you havent seen in forever. Make like Guy Fieri and work out with a weighted vest. The skys the limit!

Donate blood. June 14 is World Blood Donor Day. If youre able, roll up your sleeve and do your part. Bonus: Its good for your health.

Roll with it, baby. June 18 is International Sushi Day. If you plan to celebrate with a bento box order for lunch, read up on the health benefits (and not-as-healthy aspects) associated with the Japanese dish. In short: Go easy on the rice, fried dishes (shrimp tempura, we're looking at you) and sauces (especially if they're mayo-based or high in sodium); choose low-mercury fish like salmon and crab; and add a side of protein-packed edamame.

Consider an international sunscreen. There's a lot of buzz surrounding international sunscreens, which are subject to different guidelines and have SPF filters not yet approved in the U.S. Here's what dermatologists told us about their appeal and whether it's worth swapping out your usual sunscreen stash.

Embrace the summer solstice. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice as in, the official start of summer and the longest day of the year falls on Thursday, June 20. Some experts associate the solstice with improved moods, though its unclear whether thats because of the extra sunshine it brings or the effect on circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. Either way, the sky has another trick up its sleeve that week that might also lift your spirits. On Friday, June 21, there will be a strawberry moon so named by Native American tribes because it coincides with the peak of summer harvesting season and is not a reference to its color shortly after sunset.

Strike a pose. The dog days of summer are calling for some downward dog. June 21 is the International Day of Yoga, a United Nations-recognized observance that encourages people the world over to try the practice. Research shows that yoga offers a number of mental and physical benefits (including increased flexibility and strength), so roll out your mat and get started with some simple poses.

Boost your brain health. June is Alzheimers & Brain Awareness Month, so look for opportunities to keep your mind sharp. As Yahoo Life recently reported, that could include starting your day with Wordle or some other type of brain teaser, picking up a new skill that challenges you or just focusing on healthy habits like sleep, diet and hydration.

Find a pool. In a perfect world, youd have an Olympic-size pool in the backyard to keep you cool. In reality, youre sticking your ankles in a plastic kiddie pool you picked up at Walmart. But a refreshing splash is more attainable than you think. If your communitys public pool doesnt appeal to you, look into buying a day pass at a local hotel or resort, where you can enjoy poolside perks without being a registered guest. Services like Swimply also serve as an Airbnb of sorts for privately owned pools, with rates charged by the hour. Its definitely something to consider when temperatures climb and the risk of heat illness gets very real. Just make sure youre following water safety rules, especially if kids are around.

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A healthy (and fun!) guide to June: Why yoga and the strawberry moon should be on your to-do list - Yahoo Life

The first State-level yoga conference conduced by Department of Kannada and Culture and Karnataka Yoga Teachers Federation was held in the city on Saturday underlining the benefits of yoga to the world at large.

The conference was inaugurated by Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao who said that yoga promotes mental peace in individuals leading to peace in society and the world.

He said the conference was being held to highlight the benefits of yoga and pointed out that Swami Vivekananda introduced it to the west and with it a slice of Indian culture. Apart from physical well-being it also promotes concentration of mind achieved through meditation, he added.

The Minister said yoga would be revived in educational institutions and the recently held Yogothsava reached about six lakh people in the State including ASHA and Anganwadi workers. Yoga kendras have been established across the State to promote the discipline in view of its health benefits, he added. Apart from physical and mental well being it also promotes spiritual growth resulting in peace and amity in society, the minister said.

Harish Gowda, MLA, Yoga convention committee president S.P. Yoganna and others were present.

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State-level yoga conference held in Mysuru - The Hindu

Updated: 21/06/2024 - 11:56 GMT+2

In India's capital city New Delhi, hundreds of people gathered at the ceremonial Kartavya Path boulevard to celebrate International Yoga Day.

In India's capital city New Delhi, hundreds of people gathered at the ceremonial Kartavya Path boulevard to celebrate International Yoga Day.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the event.

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Video. Hundreds of yogis gather in New Delhi to celebrate International Yoga - Euronews