International Yoga Day 2021
/Dear Yogis!
Monday June 21st is International Yoga Day. It came after a speech at the UN by Indian PM Narendra Modi in 2014. In that speech, and in subsequent speeches to mark the day, you can see the political hopes that yoga will help tackle issues of the world... issues being tackled by the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations! Well, they would say that!
PM Modi said: “(W)e need to change our lifestyles. Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy. We can achieve the same level of development, prosperity and well-being without necessarily going down the path of reckless consumption. It doesn't mean that economies will suffer; it will mean that our economies will take on a different character. For us in India, respect for nature is an integral part of spiritualism. We treat nature's bounties as sacred. Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. Yoga 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. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change”.
No pressure when you get on the mat but look at what Amina J. Mohammed (Deputy Secretary-General) said two years ago on International day of Yoga: “The essence of yoga is 'balance', not just within us but also within our relationship with humanity, with the rest of the world. As such, yoga can promote solidarity, integration, tolerance, justice and peace. It teaches us a holistic vision of the world, encouraging us to live in harmony with ourselves, with society, and nature. This is of obvious relevance for our efforts to combat the intolerance that is so prevalent across our global landscape today. And it has a valuable contribution to making and addressing climate change, the defining issue of our time by inspiring us to shift away from the unsustainable practices towards inclusive green growth, conscious consumption, and much more sustainable lifestyles”.
It’s the ultimate Think Local, Act Global!
Zoom Classes
Well! Last week’s Friday Stretch was already more popular than Friday Ashtanga! This week already has more than last week. I think the 5.00pm slot helps too. We can do our Ashtanga practice together again in September. You can book today’s class or all classes here.
Yoga in the news
iNews Euro 2020 has: England players relax in specialised hot yoga pods to help deal with heat of battle. ‘England’s performance staff have close links with the Rugby Football Union who recommended the yoga pods after taking them to Japan for the 2019 World Cup, where they reached the final and finished runners-up’!
Newslaundry has: How a journalist devotee helped expose sexual abuse at Sivananda Yoga. In view of the allegations brought out by the documentary, Ishleen said, Sivananda Yoga has commissioned an independent investigation and reviewed and implemented safeguarding policies and training in the organisation.
People.com has: Yoga Teacher Jessamyn Stanley Believes White Supremacy Has Polluted Yoga - and It's Time to Talk About It. “In fact, she says, yoga is not supposed to feel good. Take the example of someone expecting a Zen-like experience from a yoga practice - only to be disappointed. You're like, 'This is hard. Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. I am not good enough, I shouldn't be doing this, maybe my body is supposed to look different, maybe my life's supposed to be different.' All these feelings start to come up. That's what the postures are leading you towards, is to have that experience."
Keep dry this weekend.
