By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that the yoga education would be made mandatory in the schools of the state. This will help keep the children physically and mentally healthy. If the children are healthy then Madhya Pradesh too would be healthy.
Chouhan made this announcement while participating in the mass “Surya Namaskar” (Sun salutation) and “Pranayam” programme organised at the Excellence School, Morar, in Gwalior on Wednesday. He performed the “Surya Namaskar” and “Pranayam” along with 750 boys and girls students of the school.
From next academic session, the first period of the last working day in every Government schools will be fixed for practicing Surya Namaskar in the State, said Chouhan on the occasion of the mass “Surya Namaskar” organised in the State on Wednesday. The directives are for the students of V to XII.
Maintaining his desire of promoting the practice in educational institutes, the Chief Minister said that the practice would help the people in getting closer to yoga. He further wished of including yoga in the physical education programme of the students. For better implementation of the idea, teacher will be selected and separately trained by the Government. A special policy will be drafted to make yoga popular amongst the common herds.
Besides, the Government will also promote the organisations those are already working in this direction. To mark the remarkable contribution of such organisations an award for Rs 1 lakh will be announced, Chouhan added.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister Chouhan described the yoga as the “moolmantra” of a healthy body and said that if one has a healthy body then one can engage oneself actively in activities such as study, sports, music, art etc. If we are sick we cannot concentrate our mind on any of the such activities.
Explaining further, Chouhan said that as far as possible we should not fall sick. For this, one must practice yoga regularly every day. He said that yoga is a scientific method of physical and mental exercise. Elaborating on the importance of yoga, the Chief Minister said that the entire yoga exercise includes 12 different postures. He advised children to chalk out a schedule of their daily routine and said that the 5.00 a.m. is the ideal time for them to get up in the morning. He suggested them to perform three “Pranayam” everyday so as to keep their mind healthy and sharpen their intellect.
On this occasion, Public Health and Family Welfare Minister, Anup Mishra; Member of Parliament, Mrs. Yashodhara Raje Scindia; district panchayat president Mrs. Dhanno Bai; Collector Akash Tripathi; Superintendent of Police V.K. Suryavanshi; people’s representatives, yoga teachers, school teachers, a large number of students and prominent citizens were also present.