When Covid Hit, No Country Was Prepared; Yoga Helped: PM Modi

Yoga became a source of inner strength among people amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and inculcated faith in them that they could fight the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. "Yoga shows us the road from stress to strength and from negativity to creativity," PM said as he addressed the nation on the occasion of the 7th International Yoga Day.

"When Covid emerged, no country was prepared. At this time yoga became a source of inner strength. Yoga helps in self-discipline, it inculcated faith in people that they could fight this virus. Frontline warriors told me that they made yoga a tool in fighting the virus," PM Modi, who was dressed in an orange kurta, said.

PM Modi also said that India, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), will launch the M-Yoga application, which will have many videos of yoga training based on Common Yoga Protocol available in different languages of the world.

This will help us in making the ''One World, One Health'' motto successful, he said.

"For most of the countries of the world, Yoga Day is not their age-old cultural festival. In this difficult time, people in so much trouble could forget it, ignore it. But on the contrary, people's enthusiasm for yoga has increased, love for yoga has increased," PM said.

Yoga often gives us a way of holistic health, he said, adding that several studies are taking place around the world on the benefits of yoga on our body and immunity.

"Yoga not only focuses on physical health but also mental health. During Covid, several studies are going on, researching the benefits of yoga on our body and immunity. We see that yoga and breathing exercises are being done at the beginning of online classes. This is helping children in fighting the virus," PM Modi said.

Highlighting the importance of yoga on one's overall wellbeing, he said, "Yoga shows us the road from stress to strength and from negativity to creativity. Yoga tells us that so many problems might be out there, but we've infinite solutions within ourselves. We're the biggest source of energy in the universe," PM said in a televised address to the nation.

Many schools now begin their online classes with yogic exercises like pranayam, he said, adding that this prepares children physically to deal with Covid.

International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. The UN General Assembly in 2014 overwhelmingly adopted a draft resolution, declaring June 21 as International Yoga Day. A record 177 countries supported the resolution.

As per the UN website, the theme for Yoga Day this year is "Yoga for Well-Being" and how the practice of yoga can promote the holistic health of every individual.

(with inputs from PTI)