Yoga can help one live up to 100 years without problems: MP CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal: The 10th International Day of Yoga was celebrated across Madhya Pradesh on Friday with the theme ‘Yoga for self and society’, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav asserting that one can live up to 100 years without problems by practising yoga.

Due to the rains, the state-level function was moved from Lal Parade ground to the auditorium at the CM’s official residence, where Yadav performed yoga with students, public representatives, and officials “Nearly 10 years ago on this day on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UN and most of its members, except for a few, decided to adopt the ancient Indian practice of yoga and a proposal on ‘yog se nirog’ was passed, hoisting the flag of Indian culture across the globe,” the CM said.

On the occasion, Yadav also launched the ‘Shri Anna Samvardhan Abhiyan’ to promote millets and said diet is equally important besides physical fitness through yoga.

Indians are fortunate that “Shri Anna like jowar, bajra, koco-kutki and ragi” have been a major part of their diet for a long time, he said.

“However, as time passed, wheat was popularised in our food habits. But I would like to tell everyone that wheat has not originated in India. It came to our country from abroad.

“An example of this fact is that in our religious traditions, along with ‘roli’ and ‘kumkum’ on a plate, rice is used for performing rituals and where rice is not available, jowar or macca is used. But wheat doesn’t occupy a place on that thali (plate),” he said.

This means Shri Anna is the country’s ancient foodgrain and “our” religious rituals can be performed with it only, he said.

The CM also said that in its first cabinet meeting in Jabalpur, dedicated to Rani Durgavati and Rani Avanti Bai, his government decided to give a “bonus of Rs 1,000 to encourage cultivation of the kodo-kutki crops”.

Yadav said yoga is associated with people’s daily routine and the state government had earlier constituted a ‘Yoga Aayog’ (commission) and Anand (happiness) Department. “We have decided to carry forward the work of these institutions in the interest of the people,” he said.

The current BJP government has also decided to open 11 new Ayurvedic medical colleges in the state which is a major decision of that scale for the first time in the country, Yadav said.

Referring to Yoga, Yadav said that to encourage this ancient Indian practice, the government has incorporated it in the syllabuses of educational institutions and yoga teachers are now treated on a par with regular teachers in the higher education department.

“This reflects our commitment to yoga,” he said.

During the COVID-19 crisis, it was observed that those following yoga and Ayurveda traditions suffered less compared to those not used to these practices.

Yadav said that regular yoga exercises will prevent a man from visiting hospitals and help in attaining 100 years of age without any problems.

“People should leave their bodies after that (100 years) only like a fully ripened fruit that falls from a tree on its own and should go back to God in the same manner as the almighty had sent us at birth,” he added.

Similar Yoga Day programmes were also held at district headquarters in the presence of the state ministers.