Chennai, 21 June 2017: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) observed 3rd International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2017 to generate awareness on healthier way of life for future generations. The event was presided by Prof. M. S. Sivakumar, Dean (Students) and Lt. Col. Jayakumar (Retd), Joint Registrar (Students) and students, faculty, and staff members of the Institute attended the event.
The Alumni of IITM Mr. Prashanth Vasu and Mr. Bharath Madhvan conducted a talk cum mediation practice session. Mr. Prashanth spoke on ‘Experience the original intention of Yoga through heartfulness’.
A Yoga session of about 45 minutes on ‘Asanas, pranayama and meditation,’ was organised. The session was led by Ms. Katyayini Reddy, who conducts yoga sessions at the Institute on a regular basis. Tadasna, Trikonasana, Pada-hastasna, Vrksasana and Surya Namaskar, to mention a few, were demonstrated during the occasion.
According to her, “Nowadays most people know the benefits of Yoga but they don’t really realise the extent to which it benefits body and mind, Yoga brings discipline into life, as it makes the body as well as the mind healthy. Yoga is more like a health investment where you don’t have to spend energy like other forms of exercise. Pranayama (a form of breathing practice) is also hugely beneficial to health, in this when we breathe using alternate nostrils we stimulate both hemispheres of brain and thus nervous system which in turn helps the endocrine system, thus helping us avoid most health issues related to hormones”.
Prior to the main event held today, a ‘Yogathon’ and a Yoga Quiz were held on 19th June 2017. The Yogathon was to test the participant’s endurance and durability while performing yoga continuously for an hour with perfection in the Asanas. The participants were asked to perform based on instructions and a panel of volunteering Yoga experts. Suman Deb, Aswathy K Raghu and Yashwanth Pratap Kharwar were the top three winners of the competition.
TheYoga quiz was also held on 19th June 2017, with an endeavour to create awareness on yoga among the students. The questions focussed on knowledge of yoga, asanas, and their benefits. The winners of the quiz were Aravind IB, Naveen Minnie and P. Dileep Kumar.
IITM conducts yoga session at its Gymkhana Yoga studio on regular basis for students and staff members of the Institute. A booklet on Common Yoga Protocol was also distributed to the participants at the event.
