The Consul General of Indian in Shanghai, Naveen Srivastava, speaks at Jing'an Park before the yoga session on the International Day of Yoga. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at Jing'an Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

You might have been eating a zongzi (traditional rice dumpling) for the Dragon Boat Festival or preparing to surprise your father last Sunday morning for Father's Day, but for more than 1,000 people in town the day was all about yoga.

Two mass public yoga sessions, organized by the Consulate General of India in Shanghai, were staged to celebrate the first-ever International Day of Yoga.

Both occasions offered an introduction to yoga and followed a set of basic exercises devised by experienced Indian yoga teachers.

The day began at 8 am with a two-hour demonstration in Jing'an Park. About 250 yoga practitioners and local residents followed the lead of Charat Nirwan, who has been teaching yoga in India and other Asian countries for more than 15 years.

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at Jing'an Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at Jing'an Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

The Shanghai University of Sport event, which was led by the Indian yoga expert Balachand Bamboriya, attracted an enthusiastic crowd of close to 600 persons.

The Consul General of India in Shanghai, Naveen Srivastava, told the Jing'an Park participants: "Today Shanghai and you all join with hundreds of people across China and indeed in 192 countries of the world who are celebrating this day."

He emphasized that yoga embodied a unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfillment, as well as harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being.

"Yoga is not just about exercise, though that is an obvious benefit," Srivastava said. "But it also helps discover the sense of openness with ourselves, the world and nature."

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at the Shanghai University of Sport. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at the Shanghai University of Sport. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

 

Yoga studios across the city ran free classes throughout the day. Participant Chen Xiaoni discovered her class involved meditation, which changed her concept of yoga. "I thought it was just about poses but now I come to see it is an overall enhancement of body, mind, and spirituality," she said.

The day was enhanced with video endorsement messages from local celebrities including the famous world champion snooker player Ding Junhui, the actor Wang Baoqiang who provided the voice-over for the Chinese release of the much-loved Hindi movie PK currently screening, and Dragon TV presenter Wan Dini, who also hosted the event at Shanghai University of Sport, and showed her own yoga prowess on stage.

Yoga practitioners follow experienced yoga teachers at the session organized by the Counsulate General of India in Shanghai at Jing'an Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Consul General of Indian in Shanghai

 "Today is only a beginning," Srivastava said. "I hope today's activity will generate more interest in yoga and all of you will become regular practitioners of yoga." All the participants (mostly 30-something women) were given a DVD and an introduction to yoga booklet.