Breathing practice and Meditation: International Yoga Day celebrated in Ashgabat
Everyone has their own yoga, they reasoned in ancient India. The International Yoga Day, celebrated annually on June 21, is a good opportunity to understand how diverse and unique this Indian practice is.
As for the date — June 21, it is also quite symbolic, because it is the longest day of the year. The day of the summer solstice is revered as a holiday in many cultures. People practicing yoga are sure that on this day the energy of the Earth and its inhabitants reaches its greatest peak, and any actions performed at this time have a special power.
Turkmenistan also does not stand aside and celebrates the International Day of Yoga. Earlier, the Embassy of India in Ashgabat held festive celebrations in various cities of the country. On June 21, directly on the day of the celebration of the ancient occupation, the turn of the capital overtook.
In Ashgabat, the venue for the International Yoga Day has traditionally been the Bagtyyarlyk sports complex, where a mass yoga class, breathing exercises and meditation took place.
In the early morning, yoga lovers of various age categories began to flock to the vast territory adjacent to the sports complex, gathering a total of about a hundred citizens.
At the beginning of the event, the representative of the Indian Embassy in Turkmenistan, Vidhu Nair, addressed the audience, noting that yoga is not tied to any particular religion, belief system or society, and also stressed that the first Yoga Center of Central Asia operating in Turkmenistan since 2015 remains one of the most important symbols of India's close cultural relations with Turkmenistan.
It is appropriate to pay attention to the fact that at present, more than three thousand people practicing yoga are registered in Ashgabat alone and about seven hundred people regularly practice it in this center.
Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan Atageldy Germanov, congratulating the audience on the International Yoga Day, stressed the importance of practicing ancient Indian practice and the positive impact it has on the body.
The lesson was conducted by a qualified specialist Maria Baryshnikova, who introduced the participants to a basic set of asanas of varying complexity, which made it possible to relax and feel your body. The main advantage of yoga is that it can be practiced by people with different levels of physical fitness.
Teenagers and older people found a place for themselves at the festive yoga class in the open air. Next to them is a group of elderly yoga fans. They tried to perform simple exercises, practicing without much stress and with pleasure.
Throughout the event, yoga lovers were accompanied by the instructor's advice explaining the correct technique of performing exercises.
At the end of the lesson, demonstration performances by experienced instructors of Turkmenistan took place, demonstrating the most complex elements of ancient Indian practice.
And the participants of the festive celebration themselves probably left the territory of the sports complex with a pleasant physical "aftertaste". After all, even the simplest things, like walking and breathing, begin to deliver considerable delight.
Artur PETROSYANTS
