Vice President Venkaiah Naidu urges educational institutions to include Yoga in online programmes amid COVID-19

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has urged educational institutions to include Yoga in online learning programmes being conducted amid COVID-19 pandemic, calling it as one of the best options to improve the body's immunity.

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has urged educational institutions to include Yoga in online learning programmes being conducted amid COVID-19 pandemic, calling it as one of the best options to improve the body's immunity. Speaking at the digital 'Yoga and Meditation Shivir', organised by SPIC MACAY, the Vice President said Yoga is a science that emphasises balance, poise, grace, equanimity, peace and harmony.

He said children must be introduced to Yoga at a young age. "I am glad that 'UNICEF Kid Power' has listed 13 Yoga stretches and poses for children," he added. Referring to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of the people, the Vice President said, "Indeed the world is going through challenging times and we simply cannot allow the pandemic to get the better of us."

He said that yoga can be an effective solution for the high level of stress that the pandemic has created in our lives. "Yoga is a relatively low-risk, high-yield approach to improving overall health and its full potential must be harnessed," he added. Pointing out that the pandemic was not the only health crisis that was threatening the wellbeing of the people, he expressed concern over the increase in lifestyle diseases.

Quoting WHO, he said it was estimated that 63 per cent of all deaths in India in 2016 was because of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). "Yoga remains an incredibly simple but powerful instrument to prevent and control lifestyle diseases", Naidu observed. The Vice President said that Yoga has become one of the biggest fitness movements across the globe and the onus of keeping it alive depends on all of us.

"The ancient heritage of India, Yoga has had an uninterrupted tradition and the onus of keeping this priceless tradition alive is on all of us," he added. (ANI)

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