International Yoga Day: Relevance of Yogic practices – Pranayama in tackling Covid challenges and beyond

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 15: Being celebrated as an annual event, 21^st June is celebrated every year as International Yoga Day globally. As coincidentally coinciding with the summer solstice, the day is relevant in our nation as having a connection with the ancient practice of yoga. This day was internationally given recognition by the United Nations General Assembly and the proposal of recognizing it specifically on 21^st June was given by our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. International Yoga Day is not just a day but a beginning and a practice to create positive awareness regarding Yoga worldwide.

Yoga has got its origin before the Vedic period as mentioned in the oldest Veda, Rig Veda. But its popularity was mainly seen in the 1980s as the Western World brought it into practice in the form of physical exercise. Indeed, practicing yoga today is not just a trend in India but also abroad too. A 2017 National survey report states that about one in seven U.S adults practiced yoga and the percentage of people practicing yoga has grown since a decade i.e. from 2007-2017.

Yoga, in a layman’s language, is just a physical exercise that heals physical problems, but it is not just limited to physical issues. It’s more of a therapy and a spiritual practice that heals both the mind and the body and gives it relaxation. According to a report, it has been mentioned among the top fitness trends in 2019. Its popularity has increased more due to its diversity of providing long-term benefits in every chronic problem. It has been found and observed that yoga is more beneficial in relieving stress and solving several mental issues related to stress such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. Along with that its practice has helped treat ailments like hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, and many others. India, the birthplace of Yoga has seen drastic popularity among the people. A study conducted in 2017 has witnessed the fact that over half of the 200 million people practicing yoga are of Indian origin.

Dr. Arunaagiri Mudaaliar, a global trainer, industrialist, author, and international sportsman is also a yoga teacher. He is the founder of E-cube India Pvt. Ltd. (Empower, Enable, educate), a training team that uses the science of “Pancha Kosha Shuddhi”, inner engineering technology to help an individual to release its potential in order to achieve productivity in both personal and professional life. The team has a deep understanding of yogic inner sciences and the mastery to use them in the transformation of an individual and organization. It is an initiative to create a proactive and performance-driven culture in the organizations.

Dr. Arunagiri has been studying, practicing, and teaching yoga as a human empowerment tool for the last thirty years.

The current pandemic has negatively impacted the respiratory tract functioning of people. So, E-cube has been conducting free pranayama shivirs to teach people about strengthening their immune system. Apart from that, they are also helping to boost their lungs and respiratory tract functioning to prevent covid ailment and in the recovery of infections. This year, on 21^st June, on International Yoga Day, E-cube India under Dr. Arunagiri’s leadership has planned to conduct a pranayam yogic shivir for children to assist them in understanding and experiencing their mental and physical well being. E-cube India under Dr. Arunagiri’s leadership is growing rapidly due to the deep yogic practices, corporate work experience, and delivering impactful training methods of its founder.

Dr. Arunagiri has completed five batches of yogic practices training including Pranayama and positive mindset strategies covering over a thousand participants from India and abroad. The participants range from students, homemakers, executives, business owners, politicians, etc.  All of them have immensely benefitted from this well-designed customized yogic shivir.  Many of the participants were infected with Covid and some were in the post-Covid phase. The customized Pranayama and mindset strategy program helped the participants hasten their recovery.

In 2018, NITI Aayog suggested that Yoga should be introduced in schools, universities, and other organizations as a regular activity to revolutionize the value of education and turn the attention also towards health and self-care. A study by the authors of the University of South Australia stated that around 131 volunteers suffering from mild to moderate levels of stress found yoga effective in reducing stress and providing calmness and relaxation to the body and mind.

Yoga has entered into the tourism industry as well with the name ‘Yoga tourism’. Various yoga schools and centers have welcomed the concept of ‘yoga retreats and cruises’ in cities like Kerala, Rishikesh, Pondicherry, Goa. The present pandemic period has witnessed the enormous effect of yoga and the way it has helped people. Even medical science has recommended yoga for people to give spiritual and physical well-being to their bodies and mind. Yoga, although an ancient practice, today is a modern way to keep you balanced mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Dr. Arunaagiri is committed to helping business owners and organizations to reset their businesses using yogic practices of body and mind in these challenging times.