Yoga and Humanity

Yoga in the Media

Yoga has fascinated me for many years now and has been the subject of many articles in The Indian Express and The Hindu. My personal touch with Yoga, began when I wrote about how a programme by the Isha Yoga Centre transformed the lives of prisoners in the Coimbatore Jail.

Later I met around 70 prisoners in the Coimbatore and Madurai Jails, with permission from the State Governments to see for myself, the transformation that Yoga can cause.

I began to personally practise Yoga, by the turn of this millennium and I have continued to this day. I can't think of a life without Yoga anymore.

With several articles in The Hindu about several aspects of Yoga including Pranayama, Asana, Meditation, for stress relief, concentration, for students, for efficient administration, road safety - I discovered that there is not a field of life that is not touched by Yoga. I personally believe that practice of Yoga at the individual and the collective level is one stop solution for all problems ailing society.

While many countries abroad have made it a multi-billion dollar industry, in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, its usefulness is not understood fully.

The Tamil Nadu State Yoga Association today staged a novel protest. Led by its president, the 80-year old Hatha Yoga master, Asana Andiappan, the Association wants the State Government to appoint trained Yoga teachers in its proposed project to teach Yoga in Government schools from the next Academic year.

They also want a Council to be set up to grant accreditation to Yoga therapists and practitioners.

- Swahilya.

Caption: Members of the Tamil Nadu State Yoga Association standing in Ekapadasana or Vrikshasana, pressing their demands on Saturday morning.