Minister seeks inclusion of yoga in hospitals

Union minister Shripad Naik on Sunday called for the inclusion of yoga in hospitals to cure ailments in a holistic way.

The minister of state for AYUSH also said that yoga is a gift of India's rich cultural heritage and it is important to make it a way of life.

"I feel every hospital should include yoga for holistic healing," Naik said in a statement issued here.

The youth today are stressed, riddled by lifestyle pressures and are often misguided to take up addictions like alcohol and drugs, he said while highlighting the importance of yoga not just as a physical exercise but as a means for holistic healing.

The minister was addressing a gathering here while celebrating the 120th birth anniversary of Yogendraji, the founder of the Yoga Institute in suburban Mumbai.

"Yoga is a gift of rich cultural heritage given by the ancient India to the world. Adopting yogic values that Yogendraji taught and making yoga a way of living is important," Naik said.

BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Peru, Vikram Vishwanath, were also present on the occasion.