In a world suffering from mental stress, Yoga promises calm: PM Narendra Modi

PM Modi said on Monday said that Yoga is one of the most precious gifts given by the ancient Indian sages to humankind.

Pic courtesy: PTI (File photo)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Yoga makes people better individuals in thought, action, knowledge and devotion. He also said that Yoga is not just a set of exercises that keeps the body fit, it is a 'passport' to health assurance and a key to fitness and wellness. 

In a video message posted on his Twitter handle, the PM said Yoga is one of the most precious gifts given by the ancient Indian sages to humankind. "Yoga is not only what you practise in the morning. Doing your day-to-day activities with diligence and complete awareness is a form of Yoga as well... Free from illness, a path to wellness - that is the path of Yoga... It teaches us to see others the same as ourselves, Yoga makes us better individuals in thought, action, knowledge and devotion," he said, ahead of the fourth International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21.  

Referring to the "problems of modern lifestyle", PM Modi said that people suffer from stress-related ailments and also lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. "Stress and depression have become silent killers... In a world suffering from mental stress, Yoga promises calm, in a distracted world, Yoga helps focus, in a world of fear, Yoga promises hope, strength and courage," he said.

Yoga is the journey from ‘me’ to ‘we.’ It promises balance, calm, helps boost concentration and gives immense strength.

As we approach the #4thYogaDay, I urge people around the world to make Yoga a part of their lives. pic.twitter.com/A4zk3ybNye — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2018

Meanwhile, preparations for the International Yoga Day are underway at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus in the city, where PM Modi is scheduled to take part in the event on June 21.

As Dehradun’s FRI campus is getting readied to welcome PM Shri @narendramodi ji for #IYD celebrations, I am sharing Hindi playlist of PM Modi’s Yoga videos in 3D animated format https://t.co/9QSG4Hq1PF #InternationalYogaDay #IYD2018 — Trivendra S Rawat (@tsrawatbjp) June 18, 2018

Leading a 'walk for Yoga' in the city on Saturday, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat appealed to people to make Yoga an integral part of their lives, saying a healthy India cannot be imagined without yoga becoming part of every Indian's daily routine. 

PM Modi is likely to arrive in Dehradun at 9 pm on June 20 to participate in the programme to be held at the FRI from 6.45 am to 7.45 am the following morning. He will stay at the Raj Bhawan on the night of June 20 and will take part in the event early next morning at the FRI lawns with its iconic British-era building in the backdrop, along with an estimated crowd of 50,000 people, before leaving for New Delhi.

(With PTI inputs)