Yoga diplomacy can be a boon for India

Dr Varunveer
Yoga provides an excellent opportunity to make the world familiar with the Indian culture. Realizing the immense benefits of Yoga, the world also did not hesitate to follow and embrace it. Yoga is for complete development and well-being of body and mind. By recognizing this truth, Americans accepted Yoga and established it in the whole world. During my Yoga training in America I realised that Americans are taking more efforts than Indians to spread Yoga. Indian religious Gurus like Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Osho, Shri Shri Ravishankar, Prabhu Pad do spread the Hindu teachings, but as far as Yog is concerned American trainers tried hard to spread Yoga across the world. I found that even in China, there are more people doing Yoga than India. Interestingly, American Yoga trainers are more popular and sought after in China than Indian yoga trainers. They run their classes in entire China. Same situation prevails in Japan, Hongkong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia etc. Even in Sri Lanka I noticed it when I visited there on behalf of ICCR.
Yoga is revered in Jain, Buddhism and Sanatan Hindu religion. In Asia there are several Buddhist Nations, even in central Asia, which now comes under Islamic dominance, had Bodh religion previously. They still have some soft corner for Buddhism. Yoga is a precious gift to the world given by India and it has some linkages in entire Asia.
The Indian Government should use Yoga as a diplomatic tool to strengthen its position and relations in the Asia. Even in the US and Europe Yoga has its significant presence. By merely observing a single day as Yoga day will not produce much desired results. India should endeavour to form an image of nature lover, peace lover, humanitarian country, which respects all ideology and faiths. India has good reputation worldwide and Internationally, Yoga is widely accepted and highly respected by international civilized community. India can take advantage of Yoga immensely even in diplomacy. China is the one country which in recent times has accepted yoga and very quickly yoga has significant presence there. Today, in China gym and health centers are considered incomplete without yoga teaching. Thousands of Indian yoga teachers are teaching in China. A big percentage of China is preferring yoga. Indian Government should utilize it to have better relation with China. According to a study, yoga is being practiced by some 37 million people in the U.S. This is up from 20 million three years ago, which means yoga has nearly doubled in just a few years. It also means about one out of ten people is practicing it, which is pretty impressive: Twenty years ago, not many would have thought it would be this big this quickly.
Yoga is nearly popular in about 200 countries in the world. But the level is different in all countries so they have assimilated it differently. There are three levels of yoga- Physical level, mental level and spiritual level. Europe has imbibed it at physical level only, America somewhat touches its mental level too with physical level. Japan is also the same. All countries are only limited to the physical level of yoga or asana. The spiritual level of yoga which is actually the core of yoga is undiscovered and unexplored by the world. The spiritual level of yoga is only known to India and we have the able instructors and gurus who can teach spirituality to the world through yoga. Yoga diplomacy can be a boon for India.
It is necessary to move forward towards spirituality, means ‘Pranayam’, thoughts (vichara) and meditation (dhyan). By giving importance and necessary attention to the spiritual level of yoga, we should attract the world. The number of yoga practitioners has increased in world due to ‘International yoga day ‘and Prime minister Modi’s diligent efforts to promote it globally. But our aim should be to connect these people with India the mother land of yoga. The Modi Government has increased the credibility of yoga by taking some steps. The Government has introduced Quality Control of India (QCI) to improve the quality and standard of yoga trainers and teachers. Otherwise anyone can become yoga instructor by doing one-month crash course or knowing some breathing techniques of pranayam. As an IICR governing body member and yoga expert, I myself interviewed some 200 teachers. Nearly 100 contestants had tummy belly and 50-60 were only able to perform only light Aasans. Only 25 teachers were eligible to perform Paschimottasan completely and only 5 were eligible to teach a complete class with difficult Aasan. They were persons who were willing to represent India in foreign countries. English fluency, polite behavior with Indian values and vegetarian diet should also be included in high level training of yoga. The Indian teachers on foreign soil should leave an impact on the audience. Otherwise, today we see yoga teachers living abroad are eating non-vegetarian diet, consuming alcohol and indulge in all sorts of pleasures. They are basically spoiling the image of yog and the country. India would be able to take political advantage of yoga only when it has virtuous yog teachers. India has a prestige worldwide and it is considered GURU of spirituality but hard work is required to fulfill it.
(Views are personal)
(The author is Yoga expert & Governing Body Member (ICCR)
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