Morarji Desai National Institute stretches itself to make Yoga Day a hit

[related-post]

“We are organising four free sessions on each weekday and three on each weekend to train participants for Yoga Day. In some of these batches, there are 90-100 people and there is no registration required. Some organisations have also asked us to provide trainers. I just got a request from the Defence Ministry to train 80 people. Others who have written to us include the ministries of Home, Tourism, Tribal Affairs and Health as well as the New Delhi Municipal Corporation. We’re trying to accommodate all requests,” said Ishwar V Vasavaraddi, director MDNIY, which falls under AYUSH department.

[related-post]

Sources in MDNIY said most people turn up on the weekends, when the classrooms — which can accommodate about 30 people — are no longer sufficient. Instead, people are asked to head to the amphitheatre for training. The government has already sent circulars to all staffers, asking them to attend training sessions from 6-8 every morning and evening. The government is aiming for two Guinness records — for the maximum number of people in a yoga session and for the most number of nationalities doing yoga in one place.“The classes are from June 1-19 but it is not essential for a person to attend all of them. Some people attend a few classes and then practice on their own. There are no restrictions, all of these are walk-in batches,” Vasavaraddi said.

For the big day, a Common Yoga Protocol has been drawn up. It would start with the prayer, ‘Samgacchadvam samvadadhvam sam vo manamsi janatam deva bhagam yatha purve sanjanana upasate (May you move in harmony; may you speak in unison; let our mind be equanimous like in the beginning; let the divinity manifest in your sacred endeavours).’

The prayer will be followed by some exercises to loosen up. The asanas included in the protocol are tadasana, vrksasana, padahastasana, ardha cakrasana, trikonasana, bhadrasana, ardha ustrasana, sasankasana, etc. The session will end with kapalabhati, pranayama, dhyana and sankalpa.

Dr Mikhita, a Delhi government employee who has been attending the sessions for the last one week, said, “I am a government employee but I am here of my own accord…

My registration has been done through the institute.” She is among the 1,500 people registered by the institute. Others who would make up the 40,000-odd group on June 21 include 5,000 each from yoga guru Ramdev’s organisations, the Art Of Living foundation, paramilitary forces, Delhi schools and the NCC. There will be 1,000 people from the Isha Foundation and 2,000 from the Gayatri Parivar, apart from bureaucrats, ministers and invitees from 50-odd nations.