Venu Menon
Wellington, June 23,2023
“Some people thought it was funny to do yoga in Parliament. But I can think of no better place for taking a pause and taking a breath,” Minister of Police Ginny Andersen has said.
The minister was addressing a gathering at the Banquet Hall of Parliament to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21. The event was organised by the Art of Living Foundation, New Zealand, in collaboration with the Indian High Commission in Wellington.
Andersen added: “I must be honest and say that at times when I’m under pressure or have to think on my feet quickly or answer difficult questions, it’s often taking a good breath and clearing your mind that enables you to cope with situations that are difficult and stressful.”
Co-hosts Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Ingrid Leary, Member of Parliament from Taieri, and other politicians, joined 3 to 5-year- olds at a special yoga class for children held in the morning.
Later, Leary joined High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan at an inaugural session when yoga mats were rolled out for adults.
“As an MP who leads the occasional yoga class, it was a privilege, and lots of fun to be able to participate in an event which has helped take some of the mystery out of yoga and make it more available to people,” Leary said.
Kulbhushan Joshi of the Art of Living Foundation, and his team of volunteers, were in attendance to demystify yoga for the scores of lay practitioners assembled at the venue in Parliament.
“It was a fantastic day of celebration [and] bringing the art of yoga, breathing and meditation to Parliament,” Joshi said, adding, “It’s great to see yoga accepted in the Beehive with MPs encouraging the end result of [achieving] serenity and a still mind.”
Chairman of the Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed the gathering via video link. He said more than 2.5 billion people in the world practised yoga. He described India as the home of the yogic sciences.
Ayurveda and yoga defined India. “Today, when our society is clogged with either aggression or depression, and sanity is lacking, it’s yoga and Ayurveda which has come to our rescue,” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar noted.
Addressing the audience, Indian High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan said that the theme for this year’s Yoga Day celebration was inspired by “our presidency of the G20, and the theme of that was Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or the World is One Family.”
Describing yoga as an ancient tradition, High Commissioner Bhushan pointed out that yoga was a source of strength during Covid times. “It was proven that some breathing exercises, such as Pranayama, strengthened and immunised the respiratory system, which came under attack by the pandemic,” she added. She said medical science had endorsed the healing power of yoga.
“Yoga is the science which takes us from stress to strength, negativity to creativity and from despair to happiness,” High Commissioner Bhushan observed.
The mantra of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which India has followed for ages, had now gained global acceptance, she noted, and added that [Indian Prime Minister] “ Sri Narendra Modiji had been in New York to participate in the Yoga Day celebrations at the hallowed precincts of the United Nations.”
High Commissioner Bhushan concluded her address by reminding the audience to “take a pause and reset our lives, our breaths and work towards a healthier and more prosperous future.”
The afternoon session closed with the audience participating in a supervised yoga class, which was followed by the penultimate session involving community and ethnic groups and a “deep dive session” focused on exploring “ the tools and techniques to still the mind and access the unlimited energy that lies within.”
Addressing the closing segment, Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan stressed the health benefits of yoga, meditation and breathwork. The opportunity to celebrate International Yoga Day in the New Zealand Parliament spoke volumes about its place in New Zealand and the world as well, she noted.
The evening ended with the singing of Kirtans, Vedic chants and cultural entertainment.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
