Padmashri Dr HR Nagendra, S-VYASA Chancellor, VYASA President and Chairman of Advisory Committee, World Assembly on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy and the Yoga guru of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaks exclusively to Sakal Times about the ‘Fit India Movement’, the inclusion of Yoga in IITs and IIMs, how he met Modi 30 years ago and how the research work at his institute has helped people suffering from diseases. Many feathers adorn Dr Nagendra’s hat, including that of a mechanical engineer, Yoga therapist, scholar and a writer. He has authored 35 books and over 100 research papers on Yoga. He has also been awarded ‘Yoga Shri’ by the Government of India.
Modi recently launched the ‘Fit India Movement’. Do you think it will play a positive role in making India physically fit and active?
‘Fit India Movement’ is a nation-wide campaign which aims at encouraging people to inculcate physical activities and sports in everyday life. The movement is for spreading awareness about significance of prioritising sports and fitness in daily routine. The purpose of the initiative is a healthy India. To accomplish this, it is vital that people change their mindsets about physical fitness and emphasise on becoming healthy.
How important is Yoga in the ‘Fit India Movement’?
Yoga is a tool for ‘Fit India Movement’. It can help India get fit mentally and physically. Great health and mental willingness is the key to excel at all levels. Yoga is one way to help one achieve what they want in life. It is also the greatest contribution of India to the world.
Recently, it was decided to add Yoga in IIMs and IITs curriculum in UP. What is the idea behind this move?
The purpose of including Yoga in the curriculum of IIMs and IITs is to incorporate an innovative aspect in management and engineering fields. We want IITians to make some breakthrough research as they are the best. They should take up socially relevant projects. IIMs have only been following the western model and had been completely neglecting the Indian model, even though new things have been introduced there as well. We want students at IITs and IIMs to have a balanced body, mind and soul so that they can be the leaders of tomorrow.
You are in charge of creating the curriculum. What would you do differently and in an innovative way that students find Yoga interesting in their studies?
We are working on a curriculum that will focus on total personality development. We have developed the curriculum as the ‘Holistic System Management’. This not only takes into account the quality of the product but the quality of life itself. The curriculum will help them grow at social, mental, physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional levels. Yoga can do wonders for youths if they start including it in day-to-day life.
You are Modi’s Yoga guru. How does someone like him, who is always so busy, include Yoga in daily routine? Can common people also do so?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a remarkable person who is very focused and determined. He is a strong believer and practitioner of Yoga. He has embraced Yoga as a way of life. It helps him in working at a blissful awareness, while also working incessantly for the transformation of mother Bharat.
How did you meet the PM and how did he become your Yoga student?
I have been working with the PM for more than 30 years now. He visited Prashanti Kutiram, Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (VYASA) in Bengaluru in 1987. VYASA is a registered charitable institution (1986) working for making Yoga a socially relevant science. It is based on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda — the four streams of Yoga with unity in diversity, - the key essence of Indian culture, applications of Yoga to bring health, harmony and peace in the world over - are now spread in nearly 30 countries. VYASA aims at combining the best of the East (Yoga and spiritual lore) with that of the West (modern scientific research). Modi was extremely impressed with our approach and took to the practice of yoga.
Your organisation S-VYASA has done a lot of research in the field of Yoga and how it can benefit people undergoing cancer. How does that work?
Yoga can treat some fatal diseases. We use ‘Cyclic Meditation’, a combination of yoga postures and guided meditation to alleviate occupational stress and treat diseases like asthma, cancer and psychiatric illnesses. We have evidence where people have been able to reduce their medications or stop them entirely through treatment. The modern medical system deals with the body whereas the root cause is in the mind.
How are Yoga and peace of mind interrelated?
They are indeed interrelated. Yoga takes our reality to the fullest extent. It balances you completely from inside out. It helps you in meeting your true self. It is the science that is being practised from ages. It was the way of life for our ancestors because Yoga offered them the contentment and satisfaction that is missing from our lives. That is why they were healthier.
What message would you like to give to the people of country so that they can have a healthy mind and body?
Practise Yoga. It brings bliss and health for an individual and harmony and peace on the Earth. It can help us deal with the stress of the modern world. It is growing wonderfully well with its true dimension in India.
There is a lot happening in India to promote and propagate Yoga. Among many, one such example is the World Assembly on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy (WAAYN) which is being held from November 7 to 10 this year in Greater Noida.
