Marking the International Day of Yoga on June 21st, Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra (BYVK) championed the theme of “Vasudeva Kutumbakam,” encapsulating the sentiment of “the world as one family”. Across 3 continents: India, the United States, and New Zealand, BYVK hosted workshops demonstrating the transformative power of yoga.
By fostering diverse participation, BYVK sought to showcase yoga’s capacity for unity and harmony, aligning with the spirit of Vasudeva Kutumbakam. BYVK’s alumni network played a crucial role, orchestrating sessions where attendees discovered yoga’s various facets, from asanas and pranayama to meditation and mindfulness. Here are some glimpses.
Pune: 100 Participants across 4 sessions
IDY-Pune: Top Picture- Open Session for all; Bottom left: Session for street cleaners; Bottom right: ‘Office Yoga’ at GenePath Diagnostics; Yoga Ambassadors- Nandita Bal, Laxmikanth Tendulkar, Rohit Pandit, Vikas Taneja.
In Pune, employees at GenePath Diagnostics kick-started their day with a unique workshop on “office yoga”. Meanwhile, an all-female program at Pune Kendra offered a well-rounded session encompassing asanas, pranayama, and meditation techniques, offering stress relief. Furthermore, a partnership with Pune Municipal Corporation brought yoga to 45 street cleaners, focusing on alleviating back pain and enhancing overall wellness.
New Delhi: 70 Participants across 3 sessions
IDY-Delhi: Top Left and Bottom Right Picture: Yoga Session at the old age home- Nirmal Hriday; Top Right: Yoga at Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya; Bottom right: Open Yoga session at Zorba,The Budha; Yoga Ambassadors- Nitya Bhatia, Nithi CJ, Pawan Tripathi, Dharmendra Arora, Udit Arya.
In Delhi, an enlightening yoga session at Chanda Satsang Vidyala was delivered by BYVK’s Yoga Ambassadors. A heartwarming yoga session was also conducted at the old age home, Nirmal Hridaya. This session was a unique experience not only for the elderly participants but also for the Yoga teachers. The week-long celebrations ended with an open session at Zorba, The Buddha’s Lao Tzu hall, where participants immersed themselves in a serene yoga session.
Mumbai: 344 Participants across 5 sessions
IDY-Mumbai: Top Left Picture-Yoga session at Municipal School, Goregaon West; Top Right- Open Session at Avalon Community; Bottom left: Chair Yoga for Senior Citizens; Bottom right: Yoga for Jail Inmates at Thane; Yoga Ambassadors- Prachi Joshi, Pushpalata Lenka, Gouri Keskar,Radhu and Yadhunath Sriniavas.
Meanwhile, Mumbai’s Thane Central Jail held gender-separated sessions for inmates. A neighborhood session in the Avalon Community kick-started the fitness journey for six residents, and chair-based yoga was introduced to senior citizens, promoting health during their golden years. And a fun and laughter filled Yoga session for approximately 250 children studying at the Goregaon west Municipal school.
Coimbatore: 16 students in 1 session at the Government Blind School
IDY-Coimbatore: Yoga session at the Government Blind School; Yoga Ambassadors- Subhadhra Murali, Dhanya Sukumar and Venkatesh Natrajan.
In Coimbatore, BYVK brought light to The Government Blind School, where 16 students participated in a session tailored to their unique needs, involving Sukshma Vyayam, deep breathing exercises, Om meditation, and prayers.
The inclusivity extended to online sessions, attracting 96 attendees from various backgrounds. These sessions offered relief to participants suffering from body aches through warm-ups, Surya namaskar, pranayama, and meditation.
Further sessions in Bengaluru, Trivandrum, Goregaon, Hyderabad, Georgia (US), Auckland (New Zealand), amplified BYVK’s reach to over 400 participants.
IDY Other Cities: Top Left Picture- Open Session at the International Yoga Research Centre, Trivandrum; Top Left- Yoga Session in Auckland, New Zealand; Bottom Left: Open Session in Gurgaon; Bottom right: Yoga for Seniors at Vallabh Niketan, Bangalore; Yoga Ambassadors- Dr Shubha Chetan, Shagun Butani, Anish Babu, Santosh Kumar, and Aakash Deshmukh.
These endeavors by BYVK underscored the ethos of Vasudeva Kutumbakam, promoting holistic well-being through yoga. Our commitment to community outreach underlined its mission to positively impact all lives, irrespective of age, gender, or background.
