Thousands join in Meghalaya

A Reporter

SHILLONG, June 21: Along with the rest of the world, the Intertiol Day of Yoga was observed at fourteen venues across the State of Meghalaya on Sunday.

Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmugathan visited one such gathering at the Garrison Ground, Rhino Training Centre, Shillong and participated in the yoga exercises along with the cadets.

The mega event was planned and organized by the NCC Group Headquarter, Shillong wherein yoga teachers from the Art of Living Foundation imparted training to the NCC cadets. Out of the total number of 4,958 cadets that participated in 14 venues across the entire State of Meghalaya, a total number of 2,055 cadets assembled to do yoga exercises at the Garrison Ground. SPARK too took the initiative to celebrate the day as a beginning for introducing yoga in the curriculum of its programmes for the underprivileged children.

 The initiative was taken with an understanding that family problems, fincial crises, difficult life situations and peer groups take a toll on a child's psyche and physical health as well as success in studies.

 The founder president of SPARK, Shima Modak introduced the children to the concept of yoga and explained them its all-round benefits. She urged the children as well as the parents and community as a whole to include yoga in their daily lives as a means to get relief from stress and other ailments to which they are prone to due to their life situations.

 "Yoga would help in giving relief from countless ailments at the physical level and the practice of the postures (asans) strengthens the body and creates a feeling of wellbeing from the psychological view point. Yoga sharpens the intellect and aid in concentration; it steadies the emotions and encourages a caring for others," said Modak.

 The day was observed in all the educatiol centers of SPARK with more than 100 children benefitting from the first day of yoga.

 Modak also announced that from this day onwards, SPARK has included yoga in its curriculum where children will be practicing yoga 10 minutes every day before the class.

 The children seemed to enjoy practicing yoga thoroughly and had lots of fun besides its other health benefits.