Wife of Nigeria’s president, Hajia Aisha Buhari, on Sunday in Abuja
urged Nigerians to embrace Yoga to enhance their physical and mental
well-being.
Buhari, who spoke at the First International Day of
Yoga, organised by the Indian High Commission in Abuja, said, “Yoga is a
gift from India to the world”.
Aisha who was represented by Mrs
Alanyingi Sylva, the wife of the of the former governor of Bayelsa,
Timipre Sylva, pointed out that Yoga had been a success story of India.
“Her
(Aisha’s) message is to thank the Indian High Commission for bringing
Yoga and to encourage Nigerians to embrace the initiative of Yoga.
“This
is because, it (Yoga) is for the well-being of your mind and body. Yoga
is a very welcome initiative by the Indian High Commission because it
has been around and it has been a source of well-being for the Indian
people.
“It is a gift from India to the world. They’ve had a
success story of Yoga for thousands of years and they are bringing it to
Nigeria.
“We hope it is going to add to the well-being of
Nigerians. Nigerians should do what is physically fit for them to
enhance their well-being,” she said.
The Indian High Commissioner,
Mr Ajjanpur Ghanashyam, said Yoga was a concept designed for the
well-being and wellness of humankind.
He said: “It tries to put together the body, the mind and the soul with the rest of environment and nature.
“The
beauty of it is it doesn’t require any money, it doesn’t require
equipment; it does not require any kind of financial investment and it
helps you.
“Basically what it does is to make sure that your bones are fit, the joints of your bones are well-healed and well-oiled.
“You
also feel more focused when you do your work and much more happy with
yourself, with your family, with your environment and with your friends.
“So most people think that Yoga is a form of exercise; it is not just an exercise, it is much more than exercise,” he said.
Ghanashuam said Yoga had the capacity to increase the oxygen content inside the body to ensure well-being.
“It has been proved that children who do Yoga perform better in their examinations.
“They are able to hold their minds and focus on to what they are doing by helping their attention span to go up,” he said.
The
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, whose address was read by
Ghanashyam, said India was proud that the UN had taken Yoga as one of
the world’s invaluable legacies.
“If we really wish to have a stable, stress-free life, we need to have a stable inner self.
“The
opportunity of stability of inner self comes through the practice of
Yoga when we attempt to explore our inner self everyday for a certain
period of time.”
NAN reports that the United Nations General
Assembly on December 11, 2014, declared June 21 of every year as the
International Day of Yoga.