Bengaluru joins world cities in celebrating yoga

The universality and timelessness of yoga found resonance when yoga ​enthusiasts​ from around 100 cities across the world, including Bengaluru, rose with the sun and rolled out their mats in front of historic locations to practise yoga as a prelude to​ International Yoga Day on June 21.

“Just like the sun, yoga is age-old and yet ever-ne​w. It ​is a holistic way of life that integrates all elements to make a prayerful discipline uniting the body, mind and soul,​” said Kamlesh Barwal, Global Head, The Art of Living Yoga.​

Titled, ‘Sun Never Sets on Yoga’, th​is​ magnificent event spanning five continents witnessed the world literally wake up to yoga.​ Setting pace from​ the Land of the Rising Sun - Japan - to Budapest to St Petersburg to London to New York to Rio de Janerio, the event saw enthusiasts flock​ing​ to unique and historic locations in Istanbul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland, among others. Many cities in Russia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Canada, Lithuania Cambodia, the UAE, Oman,Turkey, Indonesia also followed the sun and joined in hallmarking the comprehensiveness of this ancient technique.

The ​historic ​Taj Mahal at Agra and the grand​ Vishalakshi Mantap at The Art of living International Centre in B​engaluru​ also saw this event in India.

Allaying any fear that yogic practices leads one away from his or her religion, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living, says, “Like eating pizza or chowmein doesn’t make one Italian or Chinese, doing yoga isn’t going to make one Indian or Hindu. When we accept cuisines, fashion, music and technologies from every part of the world as a sign of progressive thinking, why not wisdom of yoga from India.” He adds, “Yoga has today become synonymous with relaxation, happiness, or a creative mind. The world is embracing it as a skill to enhance the quality of life.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will also​ be present at The United Nations on June 21, 2015, where International Yoga Day will be declared open. “Sri Sri has played a big role in sensitising the world about the essence of yoga.

“From European Parliament to Capitol Hill in the US to Unesco headquarters in Paris, Sri Sri has been travelling around the globe to demystify yoga and make it more acceptable and appealing. His pragmatic approach of presenting yoga away from dogmatic beliefs has helped in taking yoga to people of all class, creeds, religions,” Barwal said.