The WHO Regional Director recommends yoga for everyone

Yoga has assisted hundreds of millions of people from many nations and cultures during the Covid-19 pandemic to stay healthy, according to Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. She also emphasized that yoga is for all of humanity.

On the eve of the International Day of Yoga (IDY), WHO and its Member States in the South-East Asia Region lead international efforts to recognize yoga’s contributions to long-term health and wellbeing as well as its positive effects on physical and mental health.

“Yoga has helped hundreds of millions of people from all nations and cultures stay well and in good health throughout the COVID-19 reaction, emphasizing that yoga is for all of mankind – the topic of this year’s IDY event,” she said.

She noted that the policy-makers should take into account incorporating yoga into community-based mental health and well-being initiatives, while also stepping up efforts to leverage the power and potential of safe and effective traditional medicine. This is in line with the region-wide push to reorient health systems towards strong primary health care (PHC).