Chandigarh: UT launches free yoga classes for Tricity residents
The UT administration on Friday launched free yoga classes for Tricity residents in 38 schools of Chandigarh in the first phase of the initiative. Officials said the programme would be further extended to other government schools of the city later. Yoga classes will be provided at these schools in the mornings free of cost. The health department said the starting of classes is among the initiatives aimed to promote yoga among citizens of the city. V P Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator, inaugurated the event at the Tagore Theatre.
He also released the Yoga Fest Publication on the occasion, which is a compilation of various activities that took place during the Yoga Festival held last year in Chandigarh. The occasion also marked the release of a documentary on the 2nd International Yoga Day and the launch of a new website created by the Department of Ayush where anybody can register herself/himself for free yoga classes.
Badnore during his address said that yoga is the epitome of Indian legacy. “It is the very essence of our culture and this ancient discipline traces its roots to the pre-vedic times. Yoga is an invaluable gift of the ancient Indian tradition. It represents unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being,” he said.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a new era of yoga which would inspire humanity in its quest for peace and harmony and every step taken in this direction would aid in achieving that aim. “Declaration of 21st June as International Day of Yoga by the United Nations was a giant step towards giving international recognition to yoga and it was indeed a proud moment for the entire country. It is really commendable that the idea of organising an academic conclave was conceived and executed by the Chandigarh Administration as a prologue to the International Yoga Day celebrations,” he said.
He also asked the health department to step up the setup of the 50-bed Ayush integrated hospital in Sector 34 in the city. Providing information about the free yoga classes in the city, Dr Rajiv Kapila, National Ayush Mission nodal officer told Chandigarh Newsline that anybody can come to attend these camps. “The timing is between 6 am to 7.30 am,” he said. “All those interested to join the classes have to fill up a form and start the classes.” He said that in the next phase, around 100 schools will be proposed for this initiative.
