The phenomenon of Yoga has embraced the entire world. It spans across continents, races, regions, religions, nationalities, genders, age and professions of its adherents. Yoga has now become an
independent academic stream, a career option, a profession in itself, a business venture, a therapy for health and well-being, probably the best anti-dote to stress, a fertile field for research, a symbol of style and sophistication in society, and the means leading to excellence in life. Hardly is there a walk of life untouched by Yoga. In fact, Yoga has become implicitly, involuntarily and unintentionally, a universal
cohesive force, a binding mechanism. This fact needs to be recognized and urgently capitalized, and the services of Yoga utilized, for bringing about peace, harmony and happiness in a world that is hurtling downwards due to factors like casteism and racism, religious fanaticism, destruction of natural resources for power and pelf, irrational craving for geographical dominance, etc.
In this scenario, we who are fortunate to be in the field of Yoga, have the responsibility to ensure that the essence of Yoga is not diluted and its practices not distorted. Else, Yoga will also serve as grist to the mill of human greed and nature’s destruction.
To the question, ‘why should one do Yoga?’, the most appropriate answer is, ‘to become a better human being’. Yoga takes an individual from the periphery of the social, moral, physical, physiological, mental, psychological, intellectual and intuitive to the core or essence of human being, where there is identity amongst all living creatures!
Yoga is an aastika darshana prescribing a view and way of life, a universal human culture (manav samskriti), a holistic discipline providing a perspective and purpose to life, a life style leading towards happiness for all.
I congratulate and offer my best wishes to the Yogavani Team for all their efforts in spreading the true message of Yoga as represented by IYA
DR. N. Ganesh Rao
Director Academics & Accreditation Committee
(SAAC), IYA,
Founder – ACT Yoga,