Shillong, June 21 (FN Representative) The 9th International Yoga Day and World Music Day was observed and celebrated across music savvy Meghalaya on Wednesday through various programmes, including yoga sessions in government offices, educational institutions besides musical programmes. Governor Phagu Chauhan led the officers and staff of the Raj Bhavan at a yoga session today. The governor and staff performed the ‘asanas’ under the guidance of experienced yoga instructors from the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH), Shillong at the Governor’s House. The state level International Day of Yoga 2023 was celebrated today at the Community Hall, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus, Umshing, Mawkynroh. The programme was organised by the State health and family welfare department and National AYUSH Mission, Meghalaya. State Health and Family Welfare minister, Dr .Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, who was joined others in performing ‘asanas, said, “Yoga is an age-old practice and has been tested through the years”. She highlighted the benefits of Yoga in uplifting not only the physical but also the mental health of people who practice it. “Yoga in recent years has been accepted across the world. Yoga helps in keeping control of oneself without any drawbacks which we cannot achieve through other forms of medication,” the minister underscored. The minister also said that the “government is committed to propagate the practice of Yoga because of its wide ranging benefits”. She encouraged every citizen of the state and also urged the nurses present to practice Yoga in order to cope with their stressful duties and also suggested that there should be a dedicated room and Yoga mats in every hospital of the state to enable the nurses and doctors to practice yoga in their place of work. Lyngdoh also launched the YSLife initiative which stands for Yoga Simplified for Daily Life.
The initiative intends to demystify and popularize Yoga amongst the masses and also significant in light of increasing incidence of Non Communicable Diseases amongst the residents of the state. Following the inaugural function, a mass Yoga demonstration on Common Yoga Protocol was also held in which nurses from Nursing School of Shillong Civil Hospital and Ganesh Das Hospital, Shillong took part along with the minister and other officcials. On the other hand, NEHU vice-chancellor PS Shukla led a total of 245 participants, including teachers, non-teaching staff, students, neighboring dwellers, family members and students of the affiliated colleges of the University at the yoga session at the varsity campus today. “A healthy lifestyle leads to a healthy mind, which has been proved by the practice of yoga since ancient times in India”, he said.The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (DBT-IBSD), Node Shillong, celebrated the International Yoga Day at its campus at 6th Mile, Upper Shillong. The II9 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Assam at Kench’s Trace marked 9th International Yoga Day with great enthusiasm. The Border Security Force also observed International Yoga Day with the theme ‘Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ at its various headquarters and Border outposts all along the India- Bangladesh border in Meghalaya . This year the theme of Yoga Day was ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, a Sanskrit phrase found in the Maha Upanishad, which means “The World Is One Family” or all living beings on the earth are a family.