Organised by Traditional Yoga, a city based NGO, in association with Namaste India, this yoga symposium was the first of their series of lectures on yoga and meditation to be held in city and other places across the country.
According to many yoga practitioners, who assembled for the symposium, Hyderabad has emerged as the ‘Yoga Capital’ of the country.
The primary objective of the symposium of yoga preachers, teachers, trainers, gurus, master to bring all of them on single platform and to discourage the practice of branding of yoga in India and abroad. There was a overwhelming response to the symposium, which was attended by over 500 people and included Sudershan Reddy, president of Andhra Pradesh State Yoga Association, senior yoga practitioners like Balaiah, Pratap Reddy, Ramchandra Reddy, Raghav Reddy, Prakash Rao, Subba Rao, Suresh Agnihotri and Raja Reddy. P Ravi Kishore, president of A P Yoga Forum participated as a special invitee.
A L V Kumar, a living store house of yoga and a scientist spoke on — ‘The Trends in Modern Yoga vis-a-vis Ancient’. He said, “It is ironical to see foreigners do yoga exercises more perfectly than us Indians, considering that yoga was born in our country. We Indians don’t pay much attention to the pracitce of yoga, whereas our foreign counterparts attach lot of importance to practice rather than just preach.” he said. He further opined, “Yoga means ‘union’. It is a practice that uses posture and breathing technique to induce relaxation and improve strength, and it’s health benefits may surpass those of any other activity. Though there are many kinds of yoga — ranging from Hatha Yoga. Power Yoga, every form of of yoga improves your health from head to toe.” Kumar further added, “Yoga is secular. It doesn’t belong to any single religion. Foreigners have embraced yoga more than we Indians have.”
Speaking on branding of yoga, Kumar opined, “In the recent times we have seen a proliferation of branded styles of yoga, some named after their founders and others after some yogic word or concept. Even ashtanga (literally, “eight limbs”), the name Patanjali gave to the practice of yoga, has become a brand name for a particular style of yoga. With branded styles of yoga teaching, branded yoga clothing, branded training programs, branded certificates, and branded instructors, present trends suggest that yoga and marketing go hand-in-hand.”, questioning, “Is it all required today?”
On a concluding note, he said, “Branding is selling one’s image or self, rather than offering Yoga is a service. Yoga today is totally scattered, which is quite disappointing.”