Sharing the skills of Yoga for Immunity with peers across the world.

“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.” - PM Narendra Modi

The Indian School-Second Shift believes that the incorporation of meditation and breathing exercises can greatly help  mental well-being. Understanding its importance, School organised numerous virtual sessions with peers across the globe from 27th January 2022 to 31st January 2022.

A few selected students from classes 3 to 8, namely, Modabera Aftab, Aqib Jalil, Daksh Malik, Suryanshi, Vishakha Majumdar, Ransher Sharma, Shaumik Sannigrahi and Akshadhaa Yadav led the sessions with presentations to showcase several distinctive Yoga exercises  to peers across the screen.

The sessions were held with educators and their students from schools in Hungary, Russia, Poland, Vietnam, Argentina, Albania, Nigeria and Egypt. A timetable was formulated for the sessions, incorporating all the collaborators. Understanding the need of yoga, our students took this wonderful initiative to create awareness about building immunity in times of pandemic to fellow students in the different parts of the world. The students were excited and eager to meet their counterparts in the other countries and prepared for the sessions with utmost zeal and enthusiasm.

The event began with a joyful ‘Hello Song’ by Madabera which prompted all to clap their hands and welcome each other.  A Power Point presentation by Aqib Jalil explaining the benefits of Yoga was shown to his peers.  Gayatri Mantra, a highly revered mantra was chanted by Daksh Malik and its meaning was shared with all. He explained that, reciting it not only cleanses the mind helps the listener as well.

Suryanshi and Ransher exhibited the popular yoga asanas like the butterfly pose, the tree pose, child pose and many more. Several breathing exercises were performed by our students which was duly followed by peers in the other countries as well. Anulom Vilom, a specific type of controlled breathing (pranayama) in the practice of yoga was particularly appreciated by the guest students. Its physical and psychological benefits include stress reduction and improved breathing and circulation.

Surya Namaskar, also called the Sun Salutation, is an ancient yogic practice of paying respects to the sun. Seven different postures or asanas are done cyclically into a specific 12 steps pattern in a Surya Namaskar. These postures were well portrayed by Vishakha, Akshadhaa and Shaumik. The guests across the screen were excited to learn the various postures and repeated them in excitement along with the children.

Everyone was motivated to perform the asanas and conveyed the importance of making yoga an integral part of our daily lives by extending the practice of yoga beyond the mat. The session concluded with an interactive session between the peers and the teachers in which the queries of the teachers were addressed satisfactorily.

The foremost priority in this hour of crisis is to provide a holistic approach to the health and well being of our students, keeping a healthy balance of mind and body. Yoga, being a catalyst to mental well being embodies the unity of the mind and body. Yoga also provides tools for practising compassion, mindfulness, generosity, focus, strength, and flexibility. Yoga is a mental, physical and spiritual practice that needs to be carried out everyday.