The corona crisis has offered an opportunity for the people to explore the true benefits of yoga this year. The prime Minister in his 65th Mann ki Baath program on 31st may 2020 said that “Yoga has assumed importance across the world and people who were not aware of it have also started learning it.During the corona crisis, people in Hollywood to Haridwar have become conscious of the benefits of Yoga. Sitting at their homes, people are learning about Yoga”. Yoga is good for community, immunity and unity. He further added that in times of corona crisis, its importance has increased as Yoga is mainly about strengthening the respiratory and immune system. Unlike the previous years this year the IDY is being done in the confines of your home. You may involve your family in the practice of Common Yoga protocol during IDY on 21st June 2020 between 7am to 7.45am.
Yoga is an invaluable ancient Indian practice with numerous benefits to both physical and mental health. Given, the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic including restrictions on the movement of people and a slowdown in economic activity, the benefits offered by Yoga have become especially important for physical and mental wellbeing. Of particular importance are its proven benefits on general health and immunity enhancement, along with its globally accepted role as a stress buster. This year International Day of Yoga will be celebrated in the confines of your home.
IDY-2020 presents on occasion for all organizations devoted to the promotion of Yoga to come forward and spread the message about the rewards of regular practice of yoga among the general public. Every individual stands to gain from the regular practice of yoga through long term benefits in health, happiness and well being. Yoga professionals can play an important role in making IDY an effective national movement for health and wellness. Here are some suggested activities to reach out to the people and induct them into the blissful world of yoga:
IDY-2020 presents on occasion for all the Central Ministries and their Departments to come forward and spread the message about the rewards of regular practice of yoga among their staff and the public. Every individual stands to gain from the regular practice of yoga through long term benefits in health, happiness and well being. Central ministries and their Departments can play an important role in making IDY an effective national movement for health and wellness. Here are some suggested activities to reach out to all the employees/staff and induct them into the blissful world of yoga:
IDY-2020 presents on occasion for all the States/UTs Governments to come forward and spread the message about the rewards of regular practice of yoga among the people of States/UTsas well as government employee. Every individual stands to gain from the regular practice of yoga through long term benefits in health, happiness and well being. Every individual can play an important role in making IDY an effective national movement for health and wellness. Here are some suggested activities to reach out to all the people of the States/UTs and induct them into the blissful world of yoga:
IDY-2020 presents on occasion for all the PSUs and Autonomous Bodies to come forward and spread the message about the rewards of regular practice of yoga among their staff and public. Every individual stands to gain from the regular practice of yoga through long term benefits in health, happiness and well being. PSUs and Autonomous Bodies can play an important role in making IDY an effective national movement for health and wellness. Here are some suggested activities to reach out to all the employees/staff and induct them into the blissful world of yoga:
IDY-2020 presents on occasion for all the Universities & their affiliated colleges along with all the schools to come forward and spread the message about the rewards of regular practice of yoga among their students/employees/staff. Every individual stands to gain from the regular practice of yoga through long term benefits in health, happiness and well being. Each Student/Staff can play an important role in making IDY an effective national movement for health and wellness. Here are some suggested activities to reach out to all the students/employees/staff and induct them into the blissful world of yoga:
One of the important benefits of yoga is to maintain health. It helps to build psycho-physiological health, emotional harmony; and manage daily stress and its consequences. Yoga is also useful in conditions where stress is believed to play a role. Yoga practices usher in relaxation response that modulate stress hormones, autonomic nervous system and immune response to a stressor. Yogic practices are found to be useful in management of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, diabetes, sleep disorders, depression, obesity etc. that can be comorbid conditions in patients with COVID 19. It is also found to be useful in vulnerable segments of the population such as the elderly and children.
The function of the immune system is critical in the human response to infectious disease. A growing body of evidence identifies stress as a cofactor in infectious disease susceptibility and outcomes. Studies on yoga in managing flu symptoms during an Influenza season have shown yoga to reduce onset of flu, and symptom severity. This has been due to effects of yoga in improving mucosal immunity, reducing airway reactivity and inflammation and improving lung function. This is facilitated by Yoga practices such as Kriya, Yogasana and Pranayama.
Yoga may additionally play a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in quarantine and isolation. They are particularly useful in allaying their fears and anxiety. This document provides guidelines for a safe set of Yoga practices based on available scientific evidences.
Yoga based lifestyle modules which can be used for different sections of the society in the present scenario are presented with the following objectives –
To reduce disease susceptibility in high risk population:
Yoga based lifestyle is recommended for hospitalized cases without acute respiratory distressto promote health of the respiratory, cardiovascular and the immune systems. As these subjects are hospitalized and they remain in bed without respiratory distress, the meditative practices without breath awareness practiced repeatedly is recommended. Practice of deep relaxation of the body, slowing down of the breathing rate and calming down of the mind using any of the practices from any school of Yoga for twenty minutes repeated once every 3-4 hours during the daytime using audio instructions is recommended. Some examples include mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, Yoga Nidra, progressive relaxation, quick relaxation, deep relaxation etc.
For symptom management
NetiKriya: Netikriya with luke warm water helps in cleansing sinuses, is beneficial in allergic conditions and reduces upper airway reactivity.
Yogic SukshmaVyayamas/SthithilikaranaVyayamas/Pavanamuktasana series (Joint movements): Reduce joint stiffness and improve mobility.
Asanas: Asanas that increase respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Pranayama: Breathing practices that improve lung function and reduce airway reactivity eg Yogic Breathing, Kapalabhati, Nadishodana, Ujjayi and Bramari pranayama.
Yoga Nidra (Pratyahara): Deep guided relaxation to calm the nerves.
Meditation: Mindfulness practices to stay calm and resolute.
Always consult your physician before practicing yoga if you have covid 19 symptoms.
For asymptomatic individuals: One should perform Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) for 45 minutes (once daily) or 10 minutes (more frequently).Apart from CYP; JalaNeti, Sutraneti and Bhastrika Kriyas are recommended once or twice in a week and YogaNidra for 20-30 minutes twice or thrice a week.
The International Day of Yoga 2020 is approaching on the 21st of June 2020. As always, this year too, the mass performance of the Common Yoga Protocol will remain at the heart of the International Day of Yoga, but IDY 2020 will be observed in a non-congregative manner. Therefore, you and your family are requested to join thousands of others on this day from your respective homes by doing the 45 - minutes CYP drill at 07:00 a.m. on the 21st of June 2020.
To make the observation of IDY at home possible, the Ministry of AYUSH and other stakeholders have been running multiple training programmes on Yoga and CYP. You may follow the Ministry’s social media handles for additional details. Announcement on specific activities for 21st June 2020 will also be made available on these channels as we approach the IDY. Please use the attached resources in preparing yourself and your family for IDY 2020. If you are already trained in CYP, please start teaching the same to your family members.
As June 21st is just a few days away, prepare yourself and be there to do Yoga with the world. See you at 07:00 a.m. on the 21st of June 2020.
Disclaimer: These guidelines are in addition to the standard treatment guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India and also vetted by the Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force setup by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
