Tag: Yoga Day

1st International Yoga Day Celebrated in New jersey

Ajay GhoshHealth 0

Despite rain and an overcast weather hundreds of yoga enthusiasts joined the First International Yoga Day celebrations in Piscataway High School in New Jersey, June 21 Cutting across age groups, nationalities and religious backgrounds people lined up ahead of time to practice and celebrate the timeless Hindu tradition. The event was jointly organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Overseas Friends of BJP and other likeminded organizations.

The program began with a video, ‘Namaste,’ of Sadhguru Swami of Isha foundation showing people across the globe joining together to celebrate Yoga day. Three parallel yoga sessions were conducted, one for adults that included a 300 plus crowd, one for 75 odd kids and one for senior citizens.

Laughing Yoga by Shri Maheshkant Vasavada from Ahmedabad led the participants roll in laughter and made them relax and get familiar with each other. A yoga warm-up session by. Jayanthi Shriram and her team got the participants ready for some serious asanas (postures).

Following the physical yoga was the meditation and breathing (pranayam). A video message by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from the Art of Living Foundation was followed by a guided meditation and breathing yoga by Shri Manoj from AOL.

A Common Yoga Protocol video from the Government of India played messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stressing the importance of selecting June 21 as the International Yoga day by the United Nations and the benefits of yoga and how this ancient science can elevate the individual consciousness to universal consciousness.

Purushotham Rupala, a vice president of BJP delivered a congratulatory message on behalf of the Government of India for organizing this event. Upendra Chivkula, Commissioner, Utilities, NJ, emphasized the need to work towards making yoga recognized by Insurance companies. A proclamation by the town of Plainsboro was read out by Councilman Nuran Nabi.

International Day of Yoga celebrated at the United Nations

Ajay GhoshHealth 0

United Nations: The First International Day of Yoga was celebrated at the United Nations on Sunday, 21st June. The Function, held under the threat of heavy rain, was presided over by the External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj and attended by the UN Secretary General, the President of the 69th UN General Assembly, diplomats and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

The 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted by acclamation draft Resolution A/Res/69/131 in December 2014, with a record number of 177 countries cosponsoring it. The Resolution established the International Day of Yoga for observance by the United Nations on 21st June each year. The idea for declaring an International Day of Yoga at the United Nations was formally proposed by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his maiden address to the 69th UNGA on 27 September 2014.

The UN celebration featured a special lecture cum demonstration by the Founder of Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event was broadcast live globally on UN TV, as well as to an audience of thousands at Times Square, New York, where another celebration of the Solstice Day was observed with thousands performing yoga exercises.

Around 250 persons participated in the yoga conducted by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon along with his wife led the group of participants. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ambassador Asoke Mukerji and Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay were joined in the yoga exercises by dozens of diplomats at the UN.

The Prime Minister had said: “We need to change our lifestyles. Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy. We can achieve the same level of development, prosperity and well being without necessarily going down the path of reckless consumption. It doesn’t mean that economies will suffer; it will mean that our economies will take on a different character. For us in India, respect for nature is an integral part of spiritualism. We treat nature’s bounties as sacred. Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

The Prime Minister had indicated that 21st June, one of the two solstices, which is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, has special significance in many parts of the world, and could be considered for adoption as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations each year.

Thousands Throng Yoga Day Celebrations At Times Square, Hindu Temple, Lincoln Center, JFK Airport

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health 0

New York: Tens of thousands of people from across all walks of life joined the International Day of Yoga organized by the Consulate General of India, along with several socio-cultural organizations based in and around New York, on June 21, 2015 at more than 50 places in and around the city.

They participated in these events with great pride and enthusiasm. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj represented the Government of India at the Annual Event of Yoga (Summer Solstice) at Times Square and the Hindu Temple Society of North America, Flushing.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who has introduced a Resolution in the Senate in support of the IDY and Madhur Bhandarkar, Film Director, also participated and cheered up the participants at the Times Square where close to 20,000 people participated throughout the day. With the support of the Consulate, the Art of Living Foundation (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), Global Citizen Forum (B.K. Modi Group) organized a three hours program, including yoga, meditation, dance drama on yoga and finally East Meets West by Bhappi Lahri and Judge M. Kelly, famous Jazz maestro.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, B.K. Modi, Judge Kelly, Bhappi Lahiri, Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh and Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser addressed the 2700 strong supporters of yoga at the auditorium. Similarly, Hindu Temple Society of North America organized a daylong yoga and related events. External Affairs Minister participated in the closing ceremony and released a book titled “Yoga-Bharat’s Invaluable Gift to the World” by Mr. V. Ravi Kumar Iyer.

The Indian Consulate had also organized yoga lecture-cum-demonstration at the airports of New York and New Jersey. Passengers practiced yoga while waiting in transit. Photos of these events are available on indiacgny.org. The State Senates of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Westchester as well as several City Councils have issued Proclamations and felicitation messages to support and commemorate the first International Day of Yoga.

Several Senators, Congressmen, Mayors and Councilmen have sent their appreciation letters to the Consulate on the occasion. Indian-American communities represented by several Socio-Cultural organizations including the Overseas Volunteers for Better India (OVBI) were wholeheartedly involved in these events. The Consulate was also supported by Tech Mahindra, the leader in digitalization and business re-engineering for organizing these events.

Following the United Nations Resolution to declare International Day of Yoga on June 21 every year, the Consulate had been organizing yoga related various Curtain Raisers as well as yoga events in areas under the consular jurisdiction of this Consulate. Curtain Raisers were organized in Albany and Queens on June 9 and June 13 respectively. Yoga and related events would continue to be organized throughout the year at different places by this Consulate from time to time.

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