From illness to wellness with yoga

With this theme in mind, the embassy is organising a series of events that will not only follow “social distancing” but will also connect with as many people of Hungary as possible. Beginning with the Videolog contest announced by the Ayush Ministry, India, the embassy has also announced an essay contest on the topic “The Science behind Attainment of Holistic Health through Yoga” for college students, and a poster contest on the topic “Yoga For a Better World” for school students.

The jury members are senior academicians of eminent Hungarian universities. The winners will receive attractive prizes. A daily quiz contest also began on June 10.

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his UN address suggested the date of June 21 as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.

To celebrate the 2020 International Yoga Day, the Indian Embassy in Budapest is collaborating with eminent yoga teachers from major Hungarian cities including the capital, Szeged, Debrecen and Pécs to participate in “live streaming” of Common Yoga Protocol from their studios. This will be led by Ankita Sood, yoga teacher of the Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre, Budapest, from Heroes Square using the “live streaming” method.

Highlighting the importance of the occasion, Ambassador of India to Hungary Kumar Tuhin said: “This year the whole world has faced unprecedented challenges. The global pandemic has severely impacted the world economy, our health – physical and emotional – and our wellbeing.

“The positive role that yoga plays in teaching us the path from illness to wellness and in connecting our body, mind and soul so as to bring holistic health is well recognised.

“As the theme itself beautifully conveys, yoga is able to meet diverse needs and is adaptable in different situations. It gives the maximum health assurance at individual, family, society and global levels.”

Ambassador Tuhin added that through the various digital activities, the embassy is hoping to further expand the outreach of yoga this year and involve as many persons as possible on the digital domain, paving the way for a unique experience for yoga enthusiasts and contributing to the success of this significant international event.

India’s Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (abbreviated as Ayush) is purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems.