To promote healthy lifestyle through holistic measures, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) launched an awareness programme, titled Illness to Wellness on July 16. The programme was conceived to bring the focus back on the many aspects of life, said Anil Rajput, Chairman of ASSOCHAM CSR Council. These areas include healthy diet, exercise, hygienic habits, timely preventive practices, and such which got relegated to the backburner over the years.
"This pandemic has taught us that medical science may not have readymade answers to emerging health crises. We need to go back to the basics by putting focus on preventive measures and healthy living," said Rajput. The programme, in association with hygiene brand Savlon, started with a webinar 'Illness to Wellness – The Yoga Way' wherein health and yoga experts spoke about yoga's ability to mitigate threats caused by viruses, including COVID-19, and other ailments. All the speakers agreed that yoga has proven to be a tool for mental and physical well-being over the centuries.
As the focus on boosting immunity grows due to the widespread COVID- 19 pandemic, this ancient spiritual practice should be assimilated into daily life, they said. “We have deployed 30 instructors in COVID centres run by the Delhi government to teach yoga to patients. The classes are held for three hours in the morning.
Further, we have also sent yoga instructors to 11 districts in the neighbourhood of Delhi to undertaken yoga classes for COVID patients,” said Dr Ishwar V Basavaraddi, Director of Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Dr Basavraddi informed that the Department of Science & Technology under the Ministry of Science & Technology, has also evinced interest in understanding the benefits of yoga for COVID patients and is undertaking a couple of studies on this. "We are expanding the programme to include family members, police personnel, medical professionals.who came in contact with COVID patients," he said.
At the webinar, Rajiv Chandran, Director and office-incharge, UN Information Centre, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed the concept of wellness. “Now, wellness is not merely an individual's concern. It is a community strategy, being viewed in a very broad perspective of people’s relationship with the planet and the society.” Talking about the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, Dr HR Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Sansthana, said, “A strong immune system can withstand all kinds of viruses. The white blood cells act as a gigantic robust army to defend the body. Stress weakens our immune system, but practicing yoga daily can make it robust.”
IN A NUTSHELL
ASSCHOM’s ‘Illness to Wellness’ event was conceived to bring the focus back on the many aspects of life such as healthy diet, exercise, hygienic habits, timely preventive practices, and such, which got relegated to the backburner over the years. All the speakers agreed that yoga has proven to be a tool for mental and physical well-being over the centuries. As the focus on boosting immunity grows due to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, this ancient spiritual practice should be assimilated into daily life, the speakers unanimously agreed.