Lucknow, June 21 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government, in a one-of-its kind initiative to celebrate the International Yoga Day, organised special sessions in the old age homes which saw participation of thousands of elderly residents and students.

The initiative, undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare, marked special yoga sessions across all old age homes and Jayaprakash Narayan Sarvodaya Vidyalayas in Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts.

Held under the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”, the event saw enthusiastic participation from elderly residents, students, and teachers, uniting them in mass yoga practice.

The event marked a significant step towards empowering underprivileged sections of society through health and mindfulness. Over 6,500 elderly residents of old age homes performed yoga under expert supervision.

Students of Sarvodaya Vidyalayas participated in group yoga sessions with their teachers, taking a pledge to lead healthy lives.

The Social Welfare Department operates old age homes with a capacity of 150 in each district.

In Varanasi, BHU yoga expert Vinod Kumar Patel led the session and explained the health benefits of regular yoga practice. In Mahoba, yoga instructor Prem Narayan Swarnkar conducted a special session at the Aadharshila Old Age Home.

Similarly, in Bahraich’s Aminpur Nagaraur old age home, instructors Ajay Kumar Chaudhary, Dr Ram Gopal, and others taught simple asanas to elderly residents. District officials were present and encouraged the elderly to adopt yoga as a daily habit for a healthier life.

At JP Narayan Sarvodaya Vidyalayas, students and staff celebrated Yoga Day with zeal.

In Hetimpur (Chakia, Chandauli), teachers, staff, and students performed yoga together, including asanas like Pranayama, Surya Namaskar, Vajrasana, and Tadasana.

Krishna Prasad, Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department, stated that Yoga Day is a strong step towards building students’ confidence, discipline, and health.

Currently, 100 Sarvodaya Vidyalayas are being run with residential facilities, quality education, and free coaching for competitive exams like JEE and NEET.

“The state government is committed to mainstreaming yoga and integrating it into daily life through grassroots-level implementation by the Social Welfare Department,” a press statement said.

–IANS

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