This should not come as a surprise: a number of Indian bureaucrats swear by yoga and practice it regularly for its various benefits. Among them is Mr. Ratan Lal Dangi, IG of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh who is often seen posting pictures and videos of yoga on his social media platforms.
For the past one year a day does not pass without the IPS officer Ratan Lal Dangi posting a picture or video related to yoga on his social media handles. This is how much time he dedicates to yoga, and has been a force of inspiration for hundreds of people.
While speaking to Indian Masterminds exclusively, he said “Yoga is a major part of mission ‘Guide the Youth, Grow the Nation’, which aims at motivating the youth towards policing and army. As yoga involves physical, mental, and spiritual fitness, it is firstly the main practice which I want the youth to do, and is also one of the ways by which I connect with them.”
BENEFITS OF YOGA
“During the Covid pandemic the mental stability of people had definitely been affected, which has led to an increase in the cases of depression, frustration and domestic violence etc. So last year during the first wave of Covid 19, I started practicing yoga and found out that it is best thing to divert the negative energy which was affected people mentally. As mostly the youth follow me on social media platforms, I try uploading some moments of my yoga workout every day. This engaged many people and now it has become a habit which I follow rigorously,” he added.
Mr. Dangi started practicing yoga from March 2020 like a beginner, but he gained momentum by practicing daily.
He said, “Perfection don’t come from within, but practice makes a man perfect. Yoga has made me physically confident and happy at the same time. Since the day I started practicing yoga, I have also lost around nine kilogram of weight which has brought me back to my training days. By posting photos and videos on my social media handles, I have become successful in engaging with the youth and motivating them. It has also developed a good relation between the people and police.”
As 7th International Yoga Day is being celebrated today, Mr. Dangi shared a message for all the citizens in the country and abroad. He said, “It is rightly said that ‘Health is wealth’ and the meaning of this phrase is quite relevant during the ongoing Covid19 pandemic. People who had wealth could not even survive the pandemic as good health was required more than wealth during such testing times. The main lesson we got from this pandemic has been to maintain a good healthy lifestyle and invest more time in fitness activities.”
PRIME MINISTER TWEETS
Yoga, which originated over 5,000 years ago in India, is one of the traditions in Indian culture which the whole world accepts and follows for various benefits. Today on 21 June 2021, International Yoga Day is being celebrated for the seventh time since it started in 2015.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who suggested the date 21stJune for celebrating Yoga Day in his UN earler, attended a Yoga program on the occasion. He tweeted: “Tomorrow, 21st June, we will mark the 7th Yoga Day. The theme this year is ‘Yoga For Wellness’, which focusses on practising Yoga for physical and mental well-being. At around 6:30 AM tomorrow, will be addressing the Yoga Day programme.”
CONNECTING WITH YOUTH
IAS officer Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal also spoke with Indian Masterminds and shared a message to all the people on International Yoga Day. She said, “I’ve always been doing yoga as a child but started practising it religiously during the Covid lockdown period. I think it is perhaps the only form of exercise that rejuvenates you physically, mentally and emotionally. Personally, for me, yogic `asanas’ and `pranayams’ have made me more energetic, peaceful and happy.”
Many other bureaucrats also took to Twitter to spread their messages on International Yoga Day. This includes IAS officer Sonal Goel who posted photos of her practicing yoga and asked people to incorporate yoga in their daily routine.
IPS officer Suraj Singh Parihar also tweeted on the occasion.
