Spotlight

New Delhi, 8 June 2015

Yoga Manual In Braille

New Delhi, 8 June 2015, (INFA): In the run up to International Day of Yoga on June 21, there’s encouraging news for the visually impaired.  A Yoga manual in Braille, the first copy of which was received by President Pranab Mukherjee, is all set to extend the message of healthy and holistic living even further.

Welcoming the pioneering step, Mukherjee lamented that while majority of external stimuli that our brains receive is channelized through our eyes, it is unfortunate that Yoga, the valuable inheritance of our country, has remained beyond the reach of those large number of our fellow beings who suffer from varying degrees of visual impairment and have found it difficult to fully benefit from the riches of Yoga. 

However that will be passé now. The universal script prepared by a young yoga teacher, Nivedita Joshi in association with scientists at the IIT Delhi and created by Louis Braille shall cut across national boundaries with ease and help empower the visually impaired all over the world.

Yoga, said Mukherjee is an art, science and philosophy. It helps to join the powers of body, mind and soul for achieving self-realization. It is perhaps only yoga that provides the complete answer to a person’s physical, mental, moral and spiritual well-being. The Rishis or ‘Seers’ in ancient India shared their vision for the welfare of mankind and enriched our civilisation with their valuable insights. These Rishis were also known as Yogis as they devoted their lives to the practice of Yoga and the continuous pursuit of holistic knowledge. Their legacy, Yoga, is arguably the most valuable part of our cultural heritage.

According to Sage Patanjali, the Father of Yoga, “Yoga unites body and mind, man and nature”. It enables us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured. Modern medical science has validated that the practice of yoga not only reduces stress but has multiple long lasting beneficial effects. Yogic discipline not only helps control the wavering mind but also inspires the pursuit of excellence.

Importantly, Nivedita Joshi, daughter of senior BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, has fully devoted herself to propagate the teachings of her yoga guru Yogacharya Dr B.K.S Iyengar, following her remarkable recovery from a crippling ailment through yoga. The manual, should be popularised by the Government and enable all people to benefit from this priceless Indian heritage. All eyes should be on its distribution. --INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)