Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described Yoga as an effective medium to achieve global peace and welfare of humanity, apart from being a means to stay healthy both physically and mentally.

Speaking on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day at a programme organized at Mahant Digvijay Nath Smriti Auditorium on Wednesday, Yogi described Yoga as a precious gift of the Indian sage tradition to the world to achieve global wellness.

The chief minister was addressing practitioners and trainees of Yoga prior to doing it himself on the premises of the Gorakhnath temple. He congratulated people of the state on the Yoga Day and expressed his gratitude Prime Minister Narendra Modi for restoring the glory of Yoga at the global platform.

“PM Modi inspired people at the United Nations to use Yoga for global wellness and peace. Today, about 200 countries of the world are expressing their gratitude towards India’s sage tradition by joining various programmes of Yoga,” he said.

Yogi said India has become a world ‘guru’ because everything here is practical and already proven. “Our legacy includes thousands of years of Indian sage tradition and knowledge. We should be proud of our legacy of Yoga. Yoga, which we have been incorporating into our lives for hundreds of years, has now spread to the world and is attracting people from different parts to practice it,” he added.

Yogi Adityanath recalled how in the last three-and-a-half years, when the whole world was battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian AYUSH system was in great demand at the global platform as people considered it as a source of complete health. The Indian AYUSH system has paved the way for the welfare of humanity, he added. He further informed that the demand for AYUSH is continuously increasing.

“Those who used to drink tea and cold drinks earlier began drinking Ayurvedic ‘kadha’ during the Covid period. This is the contribution of Ayush of India. Turmeric is a major part of Indian cuisine and its increasing demand in the world provides a new opportunity for the farmers of India”, he pointed out.

The chief minister said Yoga is a means to stay healthy physically and mentally, emphasizing the importance of both in a person’s life.

CM Yogi outlined the significance of Yoga, claiming that ‘Pranayama’ practitioners barely felt the effects of corona even during the deadly second wave of the pandemic when people were having issues related to lungs and facing respiratory problems. Even those ‘Pranayama’ practitioners who got infected by the virus, recovered within a few days of the infection, thanks to the ‘asana’.

Pranayama, he said not only strengthens people, but also serves as a medium of physical purification. Similarly, the ‘Yogasanas not only give us stability but also provide physical strength. Besides, Yoga is the way to enter the spiritual realm which leads to a wider dimension of consciousness.

Yogi further said that Ashtanga Yoga is an important Yoga tradition in which Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi are different activities. “There are different types of these genres which provide us all with the medium of physical and mental purification”, he added.

He further said that Yoga gives relief from all types of cold, cough disorders. Along with explaining the importance of asanas and pranayama, he discussed the purification of the ‘nadi’.

He emphasised that Yoga is effective in reducing stress, which is common these days because of unhealthy lifestyle. It relieves anxiety and stress and also controls blood pressure and sugar. He appealed to all the people to make Yoga a part of their regular routines.

On International Yoga Day, Yogi Adityanath witnessed the live address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the program organized at Mahant Digvijay Nath Smriti Auditorium of Gorakhnath Temple. Later, he practiced Yoga with practitioners and trainees present in the auditorium.