Yoga has become global and it has reincarnated in various forms for business and commerce, according to outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Arun Kumar Sahu.

He underlined this point while inaugurating the International Day of Yoga 2022, with the theme "Yoga for Wellbeing" at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Cultural Relations on June 14 in Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad and Tobago. 

"During the Covid-19 pandemic, ayurveda, yoga and pranayama played a critical role. People in different geographies and cultures understood that there was no alternative to healthy living. As average life expectancy increases, it is only natural that yoga will play a seminal role in this regards," he told the audience.

Sahu pointed out that as technology makes humanity more connected and mobile, it is crucial for us to maintain a balance between our bodies and mind and fight stress and anxiety. "Yoga is expected to provide global solutions to local physical and mental health issues."

World of yoga

Sahu noted that yoga has its roots in ancient India. Over the centuries, it has spread to other parts of the world including East Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe. 

"Today, it has become global and has reincarnated in various forms of business and commerce. Nevertheless, yoga links one's body with the mind, connects the internal to the external and joins the material energy with the cosmic. Different schools of yoga may vary in their practices, but the fundamentals remain the same.

"This year, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation(MGICC), in collaboration with the High Commission of India and local organizations such as International Day of Yoga Committee, Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) and the various yoga centres in Trinidad and Tobago will be celebrating the eighth International Yoga Day at the Chaguaramas Boardwalk," Sahu said.

The United Nations recognized June 21 as World Yoga Day, and the decision was adopted by 177 countries, marking it as a historic moment in modern history. International Yoga Day has been on the international calendar of events since 2015.

(The author is a Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago-based journalist.)