The Consulate General of India and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) Bali in collaboration with The Nusa Dua, ITDC organised the Curtain Raiser of the 10 th International Day of Yoga on 14 June 2024 in Nusa Dharma Island, Nusa Dua. With theme of Yoga for Women Empowerment, the programme was attended by more than 400 people from local government officials, Indian community, yoga enthusiasts, media personalities, academicians, and business personalities.
Yoga is a five-thousand-year-old tradition from ancient India that combines physical, mental and spiritual pursuits to achieve harmony of the body and the mind. In the challenging times we are faced with today, Yoga is a solution that can create global harmony through individual transformation. Yoga is a powerful tool that can help us overcome limitations within ourselves and set us on the path of becoming more joyful, vibrant, conscious, and productive individuals.
The programme started with opening remarks by Consul General Dr. Shashank Vikram. He welcomed the participants and mentioned that this Curtain Raiser event was held a week towards the main celebration of the 10 th International Day of Yoga. This year IDY is being celebrated at a larger scale by CGI Bali. So far over 30 Yoga events have been organised all over Bali Province including Badung, Tabanan, Gianyar, Klungkung, Karangasem, Bangli, Jembrana, Buleleng Regency, and Denpasar City participated by yoga experts and yoga enthusiasts from various yoga communities in the island
In her address to the gathering, the Director of ITDC Business Development Ms. Ema Widiastuti stated that she really supported collaborative programme which provided spirit and value to the area, such as yoga programme which is in demand as a tourist lifestyle and attraction for Indian tourists who are in the top 10 markets of The Nusa Dua. She hoped that through this programme, Nusa Dharma Island, which has an area of approximately 3 hectares, would become increasingly known as the Island of Yoga and Meditation as ITDC's commitment to advancing wellness tourism. She added that wellness activities such as yoga and meditation were in line with the development of The Nusa Dua destination, which prioritized sustainability with quality and useful tourism activities. Apart from that, Yoga programme in the open air with a view and ambience uniting with nature will give a deep impression as well as a relaxed mood and soul for the participants.
The yoga session was led by Director of SVCC Bali Mr. Naveen Meghwal. He conducted Yoga and meditation sessions followed by Shanti Mantra as per the standard Common Yoga Protocol which lasted 45 minutes. The Common Yoga Protocol is a series of yoga positions devised to enable a layman to practice yoga without great difficulty.
The event came to its end by the presentation of awards to seven women from different yoga communities that have contributed more than 5 years in the field of Yoga i.e. running yoga studios and teaching yoga. Refreshments on Indian cuisine were also served to all participants while enjoying the beautiful view of sunset from Nusa Dharma Island.