Yoga embodies unity of mind and body - Ranjan
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday June 19, 2018 14:42
He said that it encompasses a holistic approach to health and wellbeing as well as harmony between man and nature.
Speaking at the yoga day commemoration hosted at University of Botswana (UB) Open Arena, Ranjan said yoga is a way of living that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body. He explained that as a holistic approach to their complete well being, yoga had immense potential for achieving peace, internal and external harmony and happiness.
He said the observance of the commemoration seeks to reinforce that message for individuals and motivate them to join their collective pursuit of those aspirations.
“The true essence of yoga revolves around elevating the life force or ‘Kundalini’ at the base of the spine. It aims to achieve this through a series of physical and mental exercises. At the physical level, the methods comprise various yoga postures or 'asanas' that aim to keep the body healthy. The mental techniques include breathing exercises or ‘pranayama’ and meditation or ‘dhyana’ to discipline the mind. Yoga, which connects body, mind and soul, has played a big role in connecting the world too,” he said.
Ranjan added that it was an applied science, a systematised collection of laws applied to realise their full potential. It takes up the laws of psychology, applicable to the unfolding of the whole consciousness of man on every plane in every world, and applies those rationally in a particular case, he said adding that the rational application of the laws of unfolding consciousness acts exactly on the same principles that are seen being applied around you every day.
“Young people have accepted Yoga as a profession. I am happy to see that lots of yoga centres have come up in Botswana to promote Yoga,” he added.
According to the speaker of the National Assembly, Gladys Kokorwe, the United Nations General Assembly, in the pursuit of long-term objectives of global health recognised the importance of Yoga as one of the healthy choices of lifestyle patterns that foster complete wellbeing.
“The UN General Assembly adopted June 21 as the International Day of Yoga and the first International Day of Yoga was observed on June 21, 2015. Since then, Yoga Day is observed worldwide on or around June 21 every year. Today, Yoga the ancient practice since time immemorial has been welcomed and accepted all over. It is encouraging to note that modern populations across the universe have started realising yoga, which binds the mind, soul and the body, is truly a holistic approach to health and well-being,” she said.