These days, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, social media is full of quotidian excitements -- celebrities and ordinary folk washing dishes, baking bread or tending flowerpots on their balconies.
Particularly in urban settings, there is the growing recognition of the need to maintain physical and mental health in the confines of one's tiny home, often in isolation. Athletes determinedly pushing iron in their backyards or harried housewives doing sit-ups in cramped bedrooms are the order of the day.
At such a moment, the 6th International Day of Yoga, to be celebrated on Sunday, is a timely reminder that this hoary tradition from India, perfected by yogis or sages several thousand years ago, has much to offer.
Still, after five years of big events celebrating the International Day of Yoga at Chulalongkorn University, the pandemic this year forces the Indian embassy to only hold a small event and live stream it so that yoga lovers can join virtually tomorrow.
The embassy will organise the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the embassy premises with a small gathering of embassy officials at 8am and would like to invite all to jointly the celebration via live streaming at https://www.youtube.com/user/indianembassybangkok/live and perform yoga in their homes.
What is yoga? In English, the word means "union". Union of the mind and the body; thought and action. In 2014, during his address to the UN General Assembly, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that yoga signifies the harmony between humanity and nature, and it is a holistic approach to health and well-being.
Yoga, he said, is not about exercise, it is to discover a sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. Based on the Indian initiative, the UN adopted a consensus resolution declaring June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga has been observed every year with enthusiasm all over the world, including in Thailand.
Over the years, yoga has acquired a universal appeal. While it is difficult to state with certainty as to when the tradition of yoga began. The first codified text on yoga, the Yoga Sutra (sutras are aphorisms) by the great Indian sage Patanjali is said to have been composed about 2,500 years ago.
The best part about yoga is that the practice does not require much space or fancy equipment: a simple mat, comfortable clothes and some peace and quiet will do.
Yoga, combined with Ayurveda, the ancient system of Indian medicine, can greatly boost immunity.
As the world rediscovers the healing powers of herbs and spices, including ginger, turmeric, pepper, honey, as well as easily available fruits and vegetables, it is time that we go back to our ancient heritage which often lives on in our kitchens. To quote Patanjali, "Heyam Dukham Anagatam". The suffering that is yet to come can be avoided -- through the practice of yoga.
Suchitra Durai India's Ambassador to Thailand.