The High Commission of India in Ghana has commemorated the International Day of Yoga, with a clarion call for the institutionalisation of the practice in schools and organisations to improve human health and enrich the wellbeing of the citizenry.

Mr Sugandh Rajaram, High Commissioner of India to Ghana, told the Ghana News Agency that Yoga was a holistic health and wellness activity targeted at the mental and physical health of people and thus needed to be inculcated in the youth.

“This is the best exercise that one can have,” he emphasised, and said as a physical exercise, it helped people to stay optimistic, explore new ideas and improve mental health.

International Yoga Day is marked on June 21 each year and since 2015, the Day has been observed to spread awareness among the masses about the importance of Yoga and its effects on human health.

This year’s event saw the India High Commission hosting some diplomats and government officials for a Yoga session to promote their health and general well-being.

Mr Charles Abani, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Ghana, Madam Tina Mensah, Deputy Minister for Health, Madam Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, Mayor of Accra, and other dignitaries from the Indian Community and High Commission participated in the exercise, which sought to, among other objectives, unite them as Yoga denotes in the Indian language, Sanskrit.

The session highlighted the importance and need of Yoga in contemporary times, particularly the holistic experience of Yoga, which strengthens all aspects of the human being physically and mentally.

The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, who lit a symbolic traditional lamp to commence the event, indicated that apart from the physical exercises Yoga presented, it also united the body and the soul to create peace within the self.

“That peace is translated into society for a more peaceful globe. With that, people all over the world will live together in prosperity and growth,” he said.

Mr Rajaram said Yoga was a philosophy of life and humankind and went far beyond mankind and that educational institutions needed to inculcate it as part of the curriculum to build pupils mentally and physically.

According to him: “It should not only be practiced as a tool for exercises but should also be inculcated as an integral part of our lives. We practice it to have full control of our minds and live within ourselves peacefully and happily with others.”

That, he further stated, would create a peaceful and prosperous society, and called on the Government to take a special interest in promoting Yoga by making it structural and introduced to young people, women, and the aged to promote their health.

Madam Tina Mensah, Deputy Minister for Health, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, reiterated the need for the practice to be taught in schools to enhance the health of young people.

As her first time practicing Yogo, the Deputy Health Minister, described the experience as “relieving” and therefore, urged individuals to participate in the sessions to improve their well-being and obtain some level of calmness.

Madam Mensah said she thought Yoga was a religious activity and said she was happy to go through the exercise, adding “it makes you flexible and active to carry on with your daily activities.”

Madam Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, Mayor of Accra, told the GNA that a feel of Yoga was not only refreshing, but afforded an opportunity to exercise the body.

“It is healthy as it challenges your immune system to function properly. Everybody should have a feel of it to promote their health,” the Accra Mayor advised.