America
End war, make peace with yoga: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Washington, April 30
Saying that wars in the
world begin when communication breaks down, Indian spiritual leader Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar has emphasized the relevance of yoga which creates
skills in communication and relating to people.
Yoga is not only
about flexibility in body but also about flexibility in mind and
thinking, he said in a talk on 'Nurturing Peace Through Yoga and
Meditation' at the Indian embassy in Washington.
The purpose of
yoga and meditation is to unite hearts and minds of people and to unite
religions and cultures of the world, Shankar said. The talk marked the
first of a series of curtain-raiser yoga events to welcome the first
International Day of Yoga on June 21.
The UN General Assembly has
declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga at the suggestion of
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Yoga is an invaluable gift
of India's ancient tradition," said Charge d'Affaires Taranjit Singh
Sandhu recalling Modi's speech at the United Nations.
"It
embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and
fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to
health and well-being," he said.
"It is not about exercise but to
discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature,"
Sandhu said. "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it
can help us deal with climate change."
Government of India is planning to celebrate the International Day of Yoga in all the countries around the world, including US.
Wednesday's
talk would be followed by curtain raiser Yoga events at the University
of Maryland, Chinmaya Mission and other places over the next two months.
On
the First International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2015, Embassy of India
would be collaborating with Yoga organizations, practitioners, and
Community Organizations for a day-long event at the Mall in Washington.