PM’s guru leads drive to include yoga in Britain

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s yoga guru H R Nagendra will join hands with other experts to ask the British government to include yoga as part of that country’s National Health Services (NHS).

Dr Nagendra, who is all set to address the British Parliament on June 21 on the occasion of World Yoga Day, will ask yoga’s inclusion into the NHS as a holistic health system.

As chancellor of Swamy Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samasthana (S-Vyasa), Dr Nagendra has assured support to the British government in offering yoga in the NHS.

S-Vyasa’s director for Research and International affairs Dr Manjunath M K said there has been a move to make yoga a part of the United Kingdom. “The NHS is UK’s primary health provider. There’s a proposal to include yoga in the treatment programme. S-Vyasa will be happy to be the technical partner,” he said.

Dr Manjunath said the UK’s All Party Parliament Group will propose the inclusion of yoga into the NHS, backed by the yoga groups taking part in the Yoga Day celebrations in the House of Commons.

Dr Nagendra said S-VYASA is giving a push to research at the integrated care centre established and inaugurated by Prince Charles last year.

On the World Yoga Day, Dr Nagendra will deliver the keynote at the Commons, followed by the get together of the Parliamentarians and practitioners.

On the special day, a public demonstration of yoga has been organised at Victoria Gardens near the Parliament. It would be preceded by a symposium. The event has been coordinated by the Government of India.

Dr Nagendra told DH that introducing yoga in the national health systems would benefit thousands, as research-based evidence indicate that it has a positive effect on patients with non-communicable diseases.

“Based on suggestions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we surveyed 2.5 lakh diabetic and pre-diabetic people in 60 districts across the country. We introduced one group to yoga.

“The results across all age groups and genders have been positive. Yoga has now been introduced in all wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat. Karnataka will also start this soon,” he said.