The 9th International Day of Yoga
Moscow, Russia: In 2023 the 9th International Day of Yoga had been widely celebrated all over the world. The interest in yoga is growing everywhere, and yoga is becoming more and more popular with people of all ages. Yoga has already won the hearts of many far beyond India and has become their way of life.
Since the beginning of the month of June the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre at the Embassy of India in Moscow, various yoga studios, Ayurveda centers, Indian Cultural Centre “Sita” and the Brahma Kumaris Center for Spiritual Development have joined different events of this occasion.
On June 3rd and 10th, the Embassy of India in Moscow organized yoga in Izmailovskiy and Vorontsovskiy Parks public events, where representatives of Brahma Kumaris Bro. Harish (Shantivan, India) and Dr. Alexey shared special exercises for harmonious body and mind.
On June 10, the Indian Cultural Center ‘Sita’ gathered various yoga studios and Ayurveda centers in the “Muzeon” Art Park. BK Sudha didi, the General Director of the Brahma Kumaris Center for Spiritual Development in Moscow, attended the event having congratulated all the participants on this wonderful day.
On Sunday June 18th, yoga united all her admirers in the national museum-reserve “Tsaritsyno”. Yoga master classes, lectures on Ayurveda, meditation and much more were included in the program of the main Moscow event of the 9th International Day of Yoga. The event was officially inaugurated by the Ambassador of India to Russia H.E. Mr. Pavan Kapoor, who reminded participants of the main idea of the International Day of Yoga: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of the ancient traditions of India. It embodies the unity of soul and body, thoughts and actions, harmony between man and nature, a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about physical exercises, but about finding a sense of unity with the self, with the whole world and nature. If we change our way of life and create a new way of consciousness, it will help everyone’s well–being”. The Indian Ambassador added that yoga is not a one-day practice, but a life-long path to a harmonious and peaceful inner state, and noted that the International Day of Yoga is the most widely celebrated, especially in Russia.
Dr. Brijesh Gupta, a yoga teacher at the J. Nehru Cultural Center in Moscow, together with his students, conducted theGeneral Yoga Protocol demonstrating the basic asanas. Everyone followed him with enthusiasm.
BK Sudha didi gave a lecture on “Meditation for purifying the mind”. She shared with the audience a method of meditation based on understanding the self as a spiritual being, eternal and initially absolutely positive. Awareness of such a simple axiom of spirituality helps to control your thoughts and clear your mind of everything unnecessary and negative. Many people became interested and wanted to learn more about the practice of RY meditation. They asked questions and were interested in deepening their meditation practice. Invitations to the upcoming programs were distributed instantly.
At the end of the event, BK Sis. Olga Streltsova, a gymnastics coach and teacher of Raja Yoga, conducted on the main stage a set of stretching exercises and inspired the participants to chant the mantra “Om Shanti”, which calms and disciplines the mind. This was an inspiring conclusion to the wonderful celebration of ancient yoga in the reality of the modern world.
