The 10th International Yoga Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm around Meghalaya, no less in the centre of Shillong as the state’s first citizen, Governor Phagu Chauhan, also took part in a yoga programme at Raj Bhavan here today.
The United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as International Yoga Day back in 2015. The resolution was moved by India and co-sponsored by a large number of nations.
Today’s event at Raj Bhavan was organised by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) North East region directorate and Shillong Group HQ on the theme ‘Yoga for Self and Society’, which emphasises yoga’s impact on personal well-being and community health.
The Governor along with the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Harish Chandra Chaudhary, Additional Director of the NCC NE region, Maj Gen Gagan Deep, 700 NCC cadets, officers and staff of Raj Bhavan performed the asanas under the guidance of experienced yoga instructor Bramachari Prem Swaroop from the Art of Living.
At North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), the state’s central university held its programme in collaboration with the National Service Scheme (NSS). The chief guest was Padma Shri Trinity Saioo and also present were NEHU Vice-Chancellor Prof PS Shukla, Registrar Col (retd) Omkar Singh, teachers, non-teaching staff, students, etc.
Saioo highlighted the calming benefits of yoga for the mind and soul and underscored the importance of the theme ‘Self and Society’. She addressed the societal menace of drug abuse, advocating for self-control among youth to combat this issue and encouraged unity in the face of diversity.
Shukla was pleased by the large turnout of students and said that they should integrate yoga into their daily routes for overall benefit.
The event featured a demonstration led by Anamika Upadhaya and her team from the Art of Living Foundation. The session included basic yoga poses (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and meditation techniques for the more than 300 participants.
Other educational institutes also held their own International Yoga Day celebrations.
At St Anthony’s College here, an event was jointly organised by the Health and Wellness Committee and the NSS. The event featured Srishti Gupta, a certified Hatha Yoga practitioner with 200 hours of teacher training certification (TTC), as the resource person.
Students across various departments took part as Gupta guided them through a series of yoga poses and breathing exercises, emphasising the benefits of yoga for personal well-being and community harmony.
In Tura, the College of Community Science organised a yoga workshop and yoga session led by Nilesh Trivedi and Shraddha Karki. Participants included CCS Dean Jyoti V Vastrad, faculty members and students. The event was sponsored by the Inter-University Centre for Yogic Sciences (IUC-YS) of Bengaluru.
Following the session, a competition for the best yoga pose was held for students. Additionally, the Laboratory Nursery School of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies observed International Yoga Day with special activities designed for preschoolers, promoting early awareness of the benefits of yoga.
In Shillong, William Carey University in collaboration with the NSS unit, celebrated International Yoga Day on the theme ‘Yoga for Women Empowerment’, which saw participation from approximately 120 students and faculty members.
The programme was divided into two sessions – a theoretical session and a practical demonstration. Satabdi Banerjee, Assistant Professor and member of the IKS cell at the university, conducted the theory session. This was followed by a demonstration led by Kashmiri Begum, Assistant Professor and certified yoga instructor.
Other organisations that held their own events included the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), Border Security Force (BSF) and Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).
The CBC held its programme at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Happy Valley with more than 1,000 students participating. The Common yoga protocol practice was demonstrated by yoga trainer Usha Ghosh from Meghalaya Yoga Samiti.
Wing Commander Sreeprakash J, Public Relations Officer Defence, Meghalaya attended the programme and said that yoga has become a global mass movement in the last 10 years.
Inter-house quiz, drawing, painting and debate competitions were organised among the students. Special sessions were also held where students presented talks on the common yoga protocol and benefits of performing various asanas.
CBC’s field office in Nongstoin also observed International Yoga Day, with Riba Jana demonstrating Surya Namaskar. Archana Upadhyay, PT teacher of JNV Nongstoin, led the demonstration with students taking part.
BSF personnel observed International Yoga Day at its various headquarters and border outposts. Following the theme, family members of BSF personnel also participated in a yoga session at the force’s HQ in Umpling here. The BSF had spread awareness on yoga in the run-up to today with rallies and display of banners.
At the IBSD, all scientific staff, researchers and other employees at the Upper Shillong centre performed yoga postures under the guidance of Neeta Pathaw and Augustine Lamin.
Several of the above-mentioned sessions were led by Art of Living instructors. AoL also facilitated yoga programmes at the Shillong Cantonment Board, Christ College in Umroi, Shillong Airport, Sarojini Naidu Girls’ Secondary School, Assam Rifles Public School, Shangpung village, IGNOU Shillong and Chilliangraij Jowai Community Hall, among others.
