Surya Namaskar, or the sun salutation, is a sequence of 12 Yoga asanas which when performed at the beginning of a Yoga routine is believed to energise the body and have a positive impact on the mind.
As the countdown to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21 is now underway, the Indian Ministry of Culture has been highlighting how accessible and universal the message of Yoga truly is.
According to the Art of Living, Surya Namaskar is best done early morning on an empty stomach and each round consists of two sets, and each set is composed of 12 Yoga poses.
It comes as Indian Health Secretary Apurva Chandra and World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus performed Yoga Asanas at a 'Walk the Talk' Yoga session in Switzerland. They were joined by other senior officers of the Indian delegation for the event organised by India, UN Geneva and WHO in Geneva. The delegates and WHO Chief said they felt re-energised by Yoga asanas at the event held at the Place des Nations in the Swiss city.
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, after the Indian PM’s proposal to dedicate a day to celebrating the ancient Indian fitness routine was formally accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.
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In his 2014 address to the UNGA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed June 21 as the date for marking International Yoga Day, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has a special significance in many parts of the world. The IDY aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing Yoga.
Last year, Prime Minister Modi led a special Yoga session on the lawns of the UN headquarters to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga.
He said at the time: "Yoga comes from India, it is a very old tradition. Yoga is free of copyrights, patents and royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender and fitness level. Yoga is portable and is truly universal."
(*With ANI Inputs)
*Info: Surya Namaskar
