This event marks the seventh international yoga day. The embassy organized it virtually as part of its ongoing celebration of India@75 ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

Underscoring safety, This year’s theme was ‘Be With Yoga, Be At Home’, to make people practice yoga ‘for wellness’.

The Ministry of Ayush of Government of India approved a lecture-cum demonstration as part of the Common Yoga Protocol. The protocol oversees the celebration to be broadcast live on TV with Nepali Voiceover. It was organized by Swami Vivekanand Culture Centre of the Indian Embassy.

The same was broadcast on its Facebook page. Yoga Guru Loknath Khanal conducted the yoga workout. The Indian Embassy stated that people across Nepal watched the entire event. The celebration was aimed at taking the spirit of yoga to every Nepali home.

The relevance of yoga during this contagion was discoursed upon by Yogacharya Sunil Maan. The discourse was broadcast on ten radio channels across all the Nepali seven provinces. The embassy also virtually organized an essay writing contest as part of the celebration.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on June 21 after its inclusion in United National General Assembly in 2014. Narendra Modi, the incumbent Indian Prime Minister, suggested June 21 as it happens to be the longest day in Northern Hemisphere.

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Despite its tremendously growing popularity, very few of us are actually aware of what meditation is.

Meditation is the practice of concentrating or focusing upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself to increase awareness of the present moment, promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance personal and spiritual growth. 

While meditation has been in practice in the Eastern countries for thousands of years, it is now gaining wide acceptance in the West.

Meditation helps us slow down and reduce the incessant activity of our minds and achieve a higher level of awareness.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the inherent ability of human beings to be totally present, be aware of ourselves and our surroundings, while not reacting excessively to the happenings around us. Adopting mindfulness is the key to overcome suffering and enhancing the natural wisdom within us and others.

Ways to Achieve Mindfulness

Here are a few popular ways to achieve mindfulness:

• Being consciously present – Focus on the work or activity at hand with awareness rather than operating unconsciously.
• Engaging in mindfulness exercises – By working on mindfulness exercises you can rebalance your nervous system and engage the brain optimally.
• Avoiding multi-tasking – It is always better to take up one task at a time instead of trying to multi-task. Multi-tasking only results in the brain losing data by switching in between tasks and thereby leads to unproductivity.
• Setting up mindfulness reminders – Instead of operating mechanically, try being mindful at repeated intervals by using some form of a reminder.
• Accepting what you cannot change – Being mindful means accepting the present moment just as it is without thinking about what could have been.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindful meditation is a fantastic way to decrease stress, increase focus, and stimulate your creativity. By taking up mindfulness meditation you can reap several benefits including:

• Reduction in anxiety and fear
• Ability to focus on the positive aspects of your life
• Better physical health
• Strengthening of cognitive skills

Though we lead extremely busy lives with seemingly little time for relaxation, by regularly practicing mindfulness meditation for a few minutes you can experience a deep calm and tranquility no matter whatever be the circumstances.

Make “living in the moment” your mantra and experience the magic!

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Yoga means addition – addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind and soul.  – Amit Ray

June 21^st, 2018 – the world was celebrating the 4^th International Yoga Day! This day is a reminder of how yoga started more as a spiritual ritual and is now a routine almost every individual follows. It’s so fascinating to see an individual transform into being of light, a source of positivity and an energy that is in sync with the rest of the universe.

The Inception of International Yoga Day
International Yoga was first celebrated in 2015, it was proposed by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). While addressing his audience at the UNGA Modi said,

“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

When Modi proposed June 21^st as the day, he said that the given date was the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere which is considered to have special significance in many parts of the world.

Lord ‘Shiva’, the first yogi or guru began sharing knowledge about the spiritual practice to mankind on this day also known as ‘Guru Poornima’. It is a Nepali and Indian festival that honors spiritual and academic teachers.

History & Origin
Yoga is a practice that can be dated back to earlier than the 5^th century B.C. Embodied in mystery and mythology, yoga, as mentioned by historians is the practice of Himalayan Shamans which is still being observed in Tibet and Nepal.

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuja’ meaning ‘to bind’ ‘to align’ ‘to hold’.

Celebrations Across Nepal
Nepal, a country that has its roots grounded into ancient traditions and practices, religiously performs Yoga. Even though the country has scaled many heights of urbanization, it has done so while being rooted in its traditions and culture.

Below some of the celebrations that occurred before and on International Yoga day:

• Muktinath Temple

Prior to the celebrations marking International Yoga Day, the Muktinath temple in Nepal took Yoga to a higher level when monks, spiritual teachers and locals practiced Yoga Asanas at an elevation of 12500 ft above sea level on June 17, 2018. This Yoga camp was organized by the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu.

• Yoga Camp in Kathmandu

In another event held organized by the Indian Embassy on June 19, 2018 hundreds of people including representatives from, Yoga associations, officials from the embassy, film personalities like Malina Joshi (also Miss Nepal 2011), friendship societies and school children participated in the camp enthusiastically.

At the occasion, many victorious school children who participated in Yoga competitions were awarded certificates by Indian Ambassador, Manjeev Singh Puri.

• Nepal Police Academy

Despite intermittent rain and cloudy weather, people from all walks of life performed ‘Yoga Asanas’ on the occasion of the 4^th International Yoga day, in the vicinity of the Nepal Police Academy. The event that saw the participation of 200 people including Acting Nepali Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, was co-organized by the Patanjali Yog Peeth and the Indian Mission to Nepal.

Speaking at the occasion, Sadhvi Devastha a disciple of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev says, “We all performed yoga despite the rains, which testifies what we are doing is for the nation’s prosperity. We want to interlink and connect people from various backgrounds through yoga so that our nation, whether it is India or Nepal, progresses further.”

• Yoga Session in Basantapur, Kathmandu

Many government schools in Basantapur took part in a Yoga session organized by the Daya Foundation and the Art of Living Nepal. It was heartening to see the children participate in the event with good cheer and a lot of enthusiasm.

4th International Yoga Day Theme
The theme for this year’s International Yoga day reads ‘Yoga for Peace’ which was created by the permanent mission of India to the United States.

Yoga connect people from different nations and different walks of life, it fosters a sense of harmony among fellow beings and with the rest of the universe. It is a constant self-improving, self-nourishing source that helps you evolve to your highest self.

In Countries like Nepal and India, Yoga has been the center of their age-old practices and traditions and by sharing this art with the world, these countries are inculcating a sense of oneness and eliminating geographical barriers. They are treating the world as one ‘global village’ where different people co-exist in peace and harmony.

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