Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that permits the mind and the body to be in conjunction with each other. It incorporates meditation, breathing exercises and stretches to allow stress reduction and rejuvenation.

The name ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means to unite, join or connect the body and soul The first text in yoga was written by the sage Patanjali over 2000 years ago in India. Patanjali described yoga as “cittavrtti-nirodhah or stilling the mind .This was achieved through a mix of breath work, meditation, physical movement and body purification practice as well as ethical and moral codes for living a health and purposeful life.

Recognizing its universal appeal the United Nations declared 21st June as International Yoga Day in 2014. Addressing the UN General Assembly on 27th September, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had said yoga is an invaluable gift of India‘s ancient tradition to the world. It embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfillment, harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about physical exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our life style and creating consciousness, it can help in well being. You would agree with me that yoga practice has shown significant benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, it is considered important by the UN to globally acknowledge this wellness practice which originated from India. This year’s International Yoga Day was one of a kind as it marked its 10th anniversary from the time it was declared. The Other Side Foundation School for OVC was privileged to be part of the commemoration. This was made possible because of Mrs Vidya Dasgupta founder of Atman Transformation Daily, Singapore. She offers free online lessons to our orphans and vulnerable children and teachers. In many parts of the world, the sacred art of yoga is being monetised and many new variations of yoga has also been introduced like “beer yoga” which vitiates this ancient art of well being. We are ever so grateful to Mrs Vidya as she renders this service for free.

International Yoga Day further highlights the positive impact yoga has on our daily lives. From building strength and flexibility to promoting relaxation and stress reduction, yoga caters for individuals of all ages and abilities. It is a practice that cultivates mindfulness, improves focus and fosters inner peace. You would all attest that yoga is more than physical activity. In the words of its most famous practitioner, the late B.K.S Iyengar “yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day to day life and endows skills in the performance on one’s action.

Yoga does not adhere to any particular religion, belief system or community. It has always been approached as a technology for inner wellbeing. Anyone who practices yoga with commitment can reap its benefits irrespective of one’s faith, ethnicity or culture.

The introduction of yoga at TOSF School one year ago is a privilege for the learners and teachers. Learners have seen some benefits such as flexibility and concentration and healthier lives. We are hoping to achieve more benefits as we carry on with this practice.

For those of you who do not practice, these are some of the benefits that may interest you.

When holding a yoga pose, it improves strength, balance, flexibility and deep breathing all of which increases blood flow and it improves mobility and strengthens the muscles.

 Yoga has therapeutic benefits it can relief backache because the stretching actually eases the pain and improves mobility in people who have lower back pain.

 With the proper guidance of a yoga guru (teacher/instructor) the “asanas” (postures and movements) and proper diet can also help heal major chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and cardiovascular related illnesses

 According to studies, 20minutes of yoga practice before studying can enhance concentration and intense yoga encourages better circulation of blood from body to the brain. This enables cell growth for cognition and learning.

 Better quality sleep as lack of sleep can be associated with stress, low academic performance, obesity and depression among other health conditions. Yoga increases the discharge of melatonin which is a hormone that manages sleep.

 Help to manage balanced weight- through regular practice of asanas, children and adults can manage a healthy weight. This helps to curb the problems of obesity but is not a weight reduction exercise regime which many yoga schools try to promote .

TOSF School for OVC is very fortunate to receive this online yoga program from Mrs Vidya who has compassionately and wholeheartedly offered her time to expose our students who come from marginalized communities.

At our Values Based free school for underprivileged children it is our strategy to give our students the best holistic education which even some of the private paying schools don’t offer.

Researched and written by Christine Kafimbwa