Address by Governor at the Commemoration of International Day of Yoga organized by the University of Mumbai

Address by Shri Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the Commemoration of International Day of Yoga organized by the University of Mumbai in association with Kaivalyadhama at University Sports Complex, Vidyanagari, Kalina Campus, Santacruz (W), Mumbai at 0900 hrs on Tuesday, 21 June 2016

Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, Vice Chancellor, University of Mumbai, Shri Subodh Tiwari, Chief Executive Officer, Kaivalyadhama, the Registrar, Director, BCUD, senior officers and faculty of the University, Yoga instructors, practitioners, students, invitees, sisters and brothers,

Good morning and greetings to you.

At the outset I extend my heartiest greetings to all of you on the occasion of International Day of Yoga.

I congratulate each one of you for being a part of the worldwide celebration of the International Day of Yoga.

I also congratulate the University of Mumbai and Kaivalyadhama for organizing this yoga session for the benefit of students, teachers and staff.

This is a memorable day for India. The International Day of Yoga is a tribute to the past great masters who invented Yoga and those who improvised on the various Asanas through research.

Yoga is India’s gift to the world. As recipient of the great heritage of Yoga from our sages, it is our collective responsibility to practice yoga and also to propagate Yoga in the world.

Friends,

Yoga is not just a set of physical exercises to keep the body healthy. Yoga is a complete exercise involving body, mind and soul. It is a way of healthy living.

The ultimate goal of Yoga is to develop inner peace, inner harmony and self-restraint.

This quality of self-restraint and tolerance that one develops through yoga can help us create peaceful and harmonious communities.

It is a matter of great concern that the burden of diabetes and other lifestyle diseases in India is growing at an alarming pace. Yoga can help us prevent the epidemic of diabetes from spreading.

The biggest strength of India is its youth power. We have the largest young population in the world. By 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, almost 8 years younger than an American or a Chinese.

Yoga can help in the physical, mental and spiritual empowerment of this youth power. It can help us achieve the goal of Healthy India.

Thanks to the celebration of Yoga Day, massive awareness has been generated in favour of yoga. We have to take forward the momentum generated so far with greater and more active participation of all sections of the society particularly the youth. All our efforts should be made to make yoga a people’s movement by highlighting the benefits of yoga for better physical and mental health and social harmony.

As Governor and as citizen of India, I feel sorry to see some of our youths falling prey to addictions. Yoga can help prevent the youth from becoming victims of such addictions.

The Ministry of AYUSH has designed a Common Yoga Protocol. I understand that the Kaivalyadhama has prepared a module to teach the Common Yoga Protocol.

I wish and hope that we train more youth volunteers who will teach the Common Yoga Protocol in schools and colleges.

I will call upon the Universities to ensure that all University Departments and all affiliated colleges have trained youths to teach the Common Yoga Protocol.

Organizations like Kaivalyadhama should help us create an army of trained yoga instructors.

I will appeal to all of you to make Yoga a part of your daily life. Let this day be the beginning of a new life, full of health, good thoughts and Godliness.

With these words, I congratulate the University of Mumbai, Kaivalyadhama and to each one of you on the occasion of International day of Yoga and wish good health and happiness to all.

Thank you

Jai Hind ! Jai Maharashtra !!

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