Guinness Record Expected:India International Yoga Day

India expects Guinness record on mass Yoga Day

  

The heart of India’s capital will transform into a sea of colorful mats June 21 as thousands perform the camel, cobra and other postures for the first International Yoga Day championed by Narendra Modi.

Shortly after dawn on a New Delhi boulevard, some 35,000 bureaucrats, students, soldiers and others are to take part in the 35-minute mass outdoor yoga session, hopeful of qualifying for the Guinness Book of Records.

Yoga enthusiasts in other countries are also expected to stretch and bend for the celebration of the ancient Indian practice, including in Britain where mats will be rolled out along the banks of the River Thames.

İndia’s Prime Minister, a vegetarian who practices the craft daily, has made Yoga Day a key initiative of his Hindu nationalist government since he took office 13 months ago. Preparations in India have been getting pace since the United Nations agreed to the day, with schools, military barracks and even jails encouraged to participate in their own sessions on June 21.  Posters and other advertisements have also been published throughout the country encouraging residents to descend on their local park for “yoga for harmony and peace”.

Starting at 7 a.m. instructors will teach the session, to be beamed on giant screens along the historic avenue. Modi wants to reclaim yoga as an historical part of Indian culture which has been lost to the West.

Scholars believe yoga dates back 5,000 years, based on archaeological evidence and refrences to yogic teachings in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the Vedas.

International Yoga Day

SpiceJet takes yoga to the skies; over 180 passengers,crew members performs asanas mid-air

With the stage set for International Yoga Day this Sunday, yoga asanas were performed mid-air at 35,000 feet above the sea-level, arguably the first time ever!

The asanas called Upayoga or useful yoga were performed as a trial-run aboard the Delhi-Guwahati and Guwahati-Delhi flights of budget airline SpiceJet with over 180 passengers and crew

The Gurgaon-based carrier has teamed up with Isha Foundation of Sadhguru to conduct mid-air yoga sessions on its selected Boeing flights on Sunday, which is being observed as International Yoga Day.

Talking about the yogic postures demonstrated, Gita, a teacher with the Isha Foundation said the session was designed to reduce stress for passengers who travel long hours.

“These are safe, simple postures which can be done by anyone, and can be practiced anytime and anywhere. They help in relieving stress accumulated in the upper neck and spine region,” Gita told PTI.

The passengers on board, who had no clue about the onboard yoga demonstration, were mostly taken by surprise, but observed the postures being performed keenly with some even joining along.

“Yoga on flight is good. People travel for different reasons- business, meetings, leisure. And everyone carries different stress. Such an exercise will benefit them, because it helps us relax,” said Dhritismita, a passenger.

Spicejet said this was part of its endeavour to do something new for passengers. “Since yoga day is being sponsored by India, it is very important for us. Initially we had planned to distribute pamphlets and CDs from Isha Foundation, but then we got the idea that we’ll make our own crew do yoga on board,” Senior Vice President In-flight Services Kamal K Hingorani said.

The airline will have its crew perform yoga on about 22-25 flights on June 21. They will be distributing CDs and pamphlets as well about the practice and benefits of yoga.

The flights for on board yoga have been selected keeping in mind minimal turbulences so as to allow a hassle free 15 minute yoga demonstration, along with a minimum two-hour long flight duration, said Hingorani.

Many passengers attempted to follow the volunteers as they were seen rotating their necks, shoulders and arms, while sitting on their seats.

“It’s such a great idea. So good for creating awareness,” businessman Ramesh Makwana said.

Some travellers, however, could not decide how good or bad this trend of taking yoga to aeroplanes is. “I have always done yoga in the morning, so after having my meal this was not very relevant for me. But it’s a new experience and there is a long demand for yoga now. Who knows it may catch on,” said another passenger Prabhjyoti Chaddha.