WB SCC organizes first Annual Yoga Meet

The West Bengal State Chapter Com­mittee, IYA organized a 1st Annual Yoga Meet on March 20, 2021 to sen­sitize the yoga fraternity of WB about the activities of IYA and the therein. The workshop aimed to develop IYA team down to the grassroot levels of the State includ­ing teams at various West Bengal districts. More than 100 Yoga teachers participated in this workshop. The meeting was held at the Heartfulness Center, Sri Rama Chandra Mission Ashram, Anandpur, Kolkata. The event commenced with havan and vedic chanting at 8 am.

The event was taken place on 20th March 2021 at Shri Ramchandra Mission in Kolkata in the pres­ence of Shri Ravi Tumuluri Joint Secretary, IYA, Shri Chandrakanta Rathore, Vice Chairperson, WBSCC, Dr. Abhijit Ghosh, Secretary, WB SCC, Swami Kirtipradananda, Joint Secretary, WB SCC, Shri Sisir Biswas, Joint Secretary, WB SCC, Shri Joyhari Jana, Treasurer, WB SCC, Shri Amlan Dutta, Member, WB SCC, Shri Shambhu Raj Pan­dit, Member, WB SCC, Smt Ajanta Acharya Ba­nerjee, Member, WB SCC, Smt Priti Nandi, Mem­ber, WB SCC, Dr. Sridip Chaterjee, Member, WB SCC and many other eminent yoga personalities.

Dr. Abhijit Ghosh welcomed all. After a long dis­cussion about IYA activity and its promotion under the supervision of Shri Sirir Biswas, district coor­dinators were deployed to promote IYA Yoga activ­ity at district level. All selected district coordinator pledged to spread awareness about yoga and yoga education.

Team IYA on a successful trip to Gujarat

Shri Haresh Bhai Trivedi, Director, Standing Legal and Standards Committee and Shri Ravi Tumuluri, Joint Secretary, IYA went on a short tour of Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodara from March 16-18, 2021

IYA team meets Swami Paramatmananda ji, Arsha Vidya Mandir

The IYA team met Swami Paramatmananda ji, Arsha Vidya Mandir, Anand Niketan Trust, Ra­jkot to discuss various issues. Swami ji suggest­ed ways to include more members to IYA and also gave an insight into the working of other or­ganisations. The IYA team also requested Swami Paramatmananda ji for a 15-minute video on the occasion of IDY 2021.

IYA team seek blessings from Shri Apurva Muni ji, BAPS

Thereafter, on March 16, 2021, IYA Team met Shri Apurva Muni ji, Head, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Rajkot. He suggested we meet the Pramukh Swami at Ahmed­abad to discuss IYA Membership for BAPS. He also suggested he would himself send the proposal to Pramukh Swamiji. He has also agreed that Rajkot center’s IDY activities could be organized with IYA and the same could be planned.

He further informed that BAPS has a rigorous course of seven years to ini­tiate Sanyasis and the same has yoga as part of its curriculum. IYA sug­gested that this curriculum could be wetted and improvised by IYA. IYA requested Apurva Muni ji to record a video for IDY.

JSRT and Shri Haresh Trivedi visits Yogidham Educational Commune

After this, the IYA team sought blessings of Shree Tyagvallabh Swami ji, President, Yogidham
Educational Commune, Rajkot which is part of Shri Hari Ashram, ‘Haridham’, Sokhada. Swamiji agreed to conduct the Foundation Course in Yoga for all their students for this IDY. At the moment, the Atmiya University alone has 10000 students. The Yogidham Educational Commune also has a number of other educational institutes and the FCY could be conducted to all of them. Swamiji also agreed to record a video for IDY. Atmiya will soon apply for the Associate Center membership of IYA.

Team IYA visits Ramakrishna Math, Vadodara

Shri Haresh Bhai and Shri Ravi Tumuluri were joined by Mauli Bavisker, Joint Secretary, GJ SCC, IYA for the Vadodara tour. Here, they were again joined by Dr Ritesh Patel, Life Member, and Smt Meeta Shah, Joint Secretary, GJ SCC, IYA.

Shri Haresh Bhai and Shri Ravi Tu­muluri were joined by Mauli Bavisker, Joint Secretary, GJ SCC, IYA for the Vadodara tour. Here, they were again joined by Dr Ritesh Patel, Life Member, and Smt Meeta Shah, Joint Secretary, GJ SCC, IYA.

The IYA team visited Ramakrishna Math, Vadodara and met Swami Ishtamayananda ji, and sought his blessings on March 17, 2021. Swami ji assured us a support for the FCY as well as other activities of IYA.

He also suggested that we could take this program to all RK Mission and RK Math schools, and educational institutions if it is agreed to at the center. Ramakrishna Vivekananda Education and Research Institute is a Founding Member Institution of IYA.

A fulfilling visit to Aurobindo Nivas, Aurobindo Society, Baroda

After the RK Ashram visit, the IYA team visited the Aurobindo Nivas, Aurobindo Society, Baroda, where Sri Aurobindo had lived for 13 years before moving to Puducherry. Prof. Sharad Joshi of SAS, Baroda hosted the IYA team. Here, Ms Meeta and Dr Ritesh, called for a meeting of yoga teachers and a good gathering of 62 teachers assembled for this meeting. It was a very interesting interactive session between the IYA team and the yoga teachers and the beginning of a good team-building for Vadodara IYA activities. Sri Aurobindo Society is a Founding Member of IYA.

A fruitful meeting at Yoga Niketan

From Aurobindo Nivas, the IYA team visited Yoga Niketan, Vadodara, an educational institution registered as NGO with name “Sir Sayajirao Institute of Research in Yoga, Ayurveda,
Naturopathy, Music and Allied Sciences”. Smt Shalini Srivatsava, a volunteer with the IYA
Secretariat in Delhi and a staff member of Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, joined the team for this meeting. The team met the Director, Dr Kiran N Shinglot, who clarified many questions regarding IYA PrCB, IYA Certification, Accreditation and other activities of IYA. Yoga Niketan
would soon apply for Member Institution membership of IYA under the State Registry of Gujarat. This was seen as a good move as Yoga Niketan had always declined joining all associations thus far.

Team IYA seek blessings of Guruma

The IYA team of Shri Haresh Bhai Trivedi and Shri Ravi Tumuluri met Swamini Samananda Saraswati ji (Guruma), Arsha Vidya Mandir, Samdarshan Ash­ram, Gandhinagar to seek her blessings on March 18, 2021. Guruma appreciated the efforts of IYA and agreed to give a video recording for the IDY.

After this meeting, the team met Dr Mehul Rupani, Member Senate and Syndicate, Saurashtra Univer­sity, an Educationist and involved in Educational policy in Government of Gujarat. He asked for a roadmap for Yoga at Saurashtra University. Also, being the Secretary of many Associations, he has asked IYA to develop an App that can provide yoga protocols, yoga activities and events to all the 22 lakhs members of the associations. He has also said that he would process Associate Center membership for Saurashtra University and his own education group.

GJ SCC meets at Samutkarsh Academy of Yoga Music and Holistic Living

On March 18, 2021, in the afternoon, a meeting of the GJSCC was held at Samutkarsh Academy of Yoga Music and Holistic Living, the Annexure 2 Member Institution of IYA.

Chairperson of GJ SCC Acharya Birju Maharaj chaired this meeting in the presence of many committee members and elders including Shri Surendrabhai Patel ji, Prof Chandrasinh Jhala ji, Kamlesh Udasi ji, Mauli Bavisker ji, Harish Shukla, Jaimini Trivedi ji, Purvi Shah ji, Dr Ritesh Patel ji, Viral Raval ji, Sagar Soni ji, Shri Karan and a few others who were specially invited. An overview of IYA was presented.

Smt Purvi Shah, who is a Life Member, asked about 10 yoga teachers also to gather to understand the activi­ties of IYA.

RJ SCC organizes Webinar with Heartfulness Institution

The Rajasthan Chapter of Indian Yoga Association held a webinar March 20, 2021 from 6.00 to 7.30 pm with Heartfulness Institution. Shri Pravin Dagdi, Heartfulness Institute was the keynote speak­er for day. In his session he shared in detail about all the three aspects of Sahaj Marg. Sahaj Marg means ‘natural path’. Heartfulness is the heartful approach to this practice, to oneself, to others, and to life itself. Simply put, Heartfulness is the way of living that results from the Sahaj Marg practice.

A meditation session was also held. Session ended with a vote of thanks extended by Shri Vinod Pareek, Chairman, Rajasthan SCC.

UP SCC holds a webinar on the Importance of Yoga

The Uttar Pradesh State Chapter Committee of Indian Yoga Association organised a webinar on ‘Healthy India with Yoga’ on March 11, 2021 under the chairmanship of Dr Am­arjeet Yadav. The webinar saw Dr. VK Aarohi, Shri Piyush Knat Mishra, Shri Prashant Sharma, Smt Deepa Srivastava, Dr. RK Gupta and Nikita Sharma expressing their views.

Speakers pointed out that health is not about just keep­ing the body disease-free as it is mainly divided into two parts— Anatomy, the external part and physiology, the in­ternal part. The physiologic functions operate all the organs of the body normally. The function of the entire body from head to toe depends on physiologic functions. A normal metabolism is essential to keep physiological actions and reactions healthy.

It was further said that a healthy brain resides in a healthy body. A healthy person can efficiently perform all his tasks.

World Health Organisation defines Health as a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. So we can say that mental health and physical health have a bi direction and complex relationship there is no health without mental health.

Towards the end, importance of correct and healthy diet was stressed upon. It is vital to understand what is to be eaten when. There are three types of diet— satvik, rajasic and tamasic. Along with the activities of yoga, if you want to have a healthy body, more attention should be paid to the satvik diet, as it shows com­plete purity.

UP SCC organizes a Seminar on Yoga and Health

The Uttar Pradesh State Chapter of Indian Yoga As­sociation organized a seminar on Yoga and Health on March 14, 2021 at the Mia Purva intersection, Ayod­hya District. The seminar was chaired by Dr. Amarjit Yadav, Chairperson, UP SCC.

In his addressed he said, “Yoga is the way to live a holistic life. This is a transition period for all of us. People today are facing numerous health prob­lems— physical, mental, social, spiritual, and kind. It is because of the incorrect and sedentary lifestyle. Diseases like hypertension, diabetes, stress, arthritis, asthma are on rise. The only way to bail yourself out of these problems is Yoga, pranayama, Shatkarma, bandhas and meditation.”

Shri Janmejaya Partha, Coordinator Barabanki, UP Naturopathy Yoga Teachers and Physicians Associa­tion while addressing everybody present said, “Yoga can help you live a holistic life. The practice of yoga brings about a rhythm in life and work culture. It pu­rifies our emotions and actions which is essential for physical, mental, social and spiritual health.”

Thereafter, Shri Arjun Srivastava, Vice President, UP Naturopathy Yoga Teachers and Physicians Associa­tion said that through Yoga you can develop society, family, and yourself. In the modern age, it is a chal­lenging task to stay healthy and live a full life. On the other hand, it is also necessary for a person to be healthy while being full of human qualities. Learn Ashtanga Yoga to live a successful life.

“Yoga is beneficial in curbing physical and mental illnesses. To equip personal life with human qualities one should practice yoga as described in Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Gharand Samhita, etc,” added Shri Prashant Sharma, Member, UP Naturopathy Yoga Teachers and Physicians Association.

Shri Satyam Kumar, Coordinator Ayodhya, UP Naturopathy Yoga Teachers and Physicians Asso­ciation organized the event and welcomed every­one. The others who participated in the webinar included Shri Ramkaval, Shri Pan Kunwar, Dr. Virendra Kumar Saini and others.

All news from the State Chapters are col­lated by the newsletter team as received from each State Chapter Committee. All State Chapters may take the initiatve of sending your news soonest to include the same in the next newsletter.