INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA CELEBRATIONS 2015

Organised from 21st to 26th June 2015 by the Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and
Research (CYTER) at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute under the
auspices of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, Pondicherry.
While addressing the 69th session of United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014, the Honorable
Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi urged the world
community to adopt an International Day of Yoga.
"Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. It embodies
unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and
fulfillment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic
approach to health and well-being. Yoga is not about exercise but to
discover the sense of oneness with ourselves, the world and Nature.
By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us
to deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an
International Yoga Day," Shri Modi said.
On December 11, 2014, the 193 member UNGA approved the
proposal by consensus with a record 177 co-sponsoring
countries a resolution to establish 21st June as "International
Day of Yoga". In its resolution, the UNGA recognized that
Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being
and wider dissemination of information about the benefits of
practicing Yoga for the health of the world population.
Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for the integration of various traditional
healing techniques including Yoga to promote healing, health, and longevity. It is imperative
that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of Yoga to face the current challenges
in health care. Under the dynamic leadership of the Chairman Shri MK Rajagopalan,
authorities of Pondicherrys Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, one of the innovative
universities in the country set up in 2010 a full-fledged Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education
and Research in its Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute. This initiative is
being personally guided by the Chancellor Prof P Rajaram, the Vice Chancellor Prof KR
Sethuraman and the Dean (Research and PG Studies) Prof N Ananthakrishnan under
the SBVAIM HIGH initiative for Alternative and Integrative Medicine. Numerous research
studies have been completed and 35 papers published under guidance of Dr. Madanmohan,
Professor and Head, Department of Physiology and Director CYTER.
A scientifically sound Yoga therapy programme is imparted through the Yoga Therapy OPD
that is functioning daily from 9 am to 1 pm. Consultations are offered by Dr. Ananda Balayogi
Bhavanani, Deputy Director and Dr. Meena Ramanathan, Coordinator and Yoga Therapist and

qualified Yoga instructors are imparting the schedules. Individualized and group Yoga
therapy sessions are being conducted for various medical conditions such as diabetes,
hypertension, musculoskeletal and psychiatric disorders with excellent feedback from
participants. More than 12,000 patients have benefited from Yoga Therapy consultations and
sessions since 2010.

To celebrate the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2015 CYTER has planned a week-long
programme with various multifaceted activities from the 21st to 26th of June 2015. This
includes:
1. A PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMME with free Yoga therapy consultations, talks
and lec-demonstrations in collaboration with the Pondicherry Yogasana Association
at MGMCRI City Centre from 7am to 1.30pm on June 21st.
2. YOGA AWARENESS PROGRAMMES FOR MEDICAL AND PARAMEDICAL
STUDENTS from 22 to 25 June.
3. NATIONAL SEMINAR & CME on THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA
in collaboration with Dept of Physiology at MGMCRI on 26 June 2015.

PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMME: The Public Yoga Awareness Programme on 21st June
will be conducted at the City Centre of MGMCRI that is near the Balaji Theater in Pondicherry.
This will be in collaboration with the Pondicherry Yogasana Association that was founded in

1975 by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry. There will
be a Mass Yoga Practice of the Yoga Day Protocol from 7 to 7.33 am as per guidelines issued by
Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of India. It is to be noted that Dr Ananda is one of the experts on the
AYUSH committee constituted for the IDY 2015 Celebrations.This will be followed from 9am
by Yoga demonstrations by staff and students of CYTER, and students of Yogachemmal
Senthil Kumar. Dr Madanmohan. Prof & Head, Physiology & Director CYTER, MGMCRI will
give a talk on What is yoga and yoga therapy? and then the inaugural address will be
delivered by Prof KR Sethuraman, the respected Vice Chancellor of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth
University. A special address will be delivered by Dr KV Raman, Director Health Services and
Director Indian System of Medicine & Homeopathy, Pondicherry and the event will be
felicitated by Dr S Ravichandran, Additional Director, MGMCRI and Dr S Thiyagarajan,
Medical Officer of the MGMCRI City Centre. Lecture-demonstrations will be then presented
by Yogachemmal Anbhazhagan on Managing diabetes through yoga, Yogacharya O
Gangadharan on Yogic management of cardiovascular disorders and Yogachemmal E
Gajendiran on Yogic management of back and neck pain. This will be then followed by lecdems on Yoga for children by Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani, Yoga for women by
Yogachemmal Lalitha Shanmugam and Yogic management of respiratory disorders by
Yogachemmal Dr R Balaji. There will also be concurrent free Yoga therapy consultations from
11.30 to 1pm and free general Yoga sessions from 9 to 10am and from 11.30 to 12.30pm. The
event will conclude with open forum, feedback from participants & valedictory at 1.30 pm.

YOGA AWARENESS PROGRAMMES FOR MEDICAL AND PARAMEDICAL

STUDENTS: From 22 to 25 June, the CYTER team led by Prof Madanmohan will conduct
Yoga Awareness Programmes from 10am to 12 noon for students and staff of the constituent
colleges of the SBVU. They will give presentations, lec-dems and practical instructions to
nursing students of KGNC on 22nd June, dental students of IGIDS on 23rd June, medical
students of SSMCRI on 24th June and MGMCRI on 25th June. It is imperative that medical and
paramedical students receive a positive introduction to Yoga and its therapeutic potential
during their formative years. This is in keeping with the latest guidelines of the Medical
Council of India that has recommended introduction of Yoga for medical students in its
revised curriculum. Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth is one of the first to comply with these guidelines
and through CYTER is giving regular training to medical and paramedical students in its
Pillayarkuppam campus.

NATIONAL SEMINAR and CME on THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA: The

National Seminar and CME on Therapeutic Potential of Yoga will be conducted from 8am to
5 pm on June 26 2015 in the Ground Floor Lecture Hall, College Block of MGMCRI.

The event will be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Physiology. The day-long
event will begin with a lecture on Psychosomatic mechanisms of yoga by Prof
Madanmohan, Director, CYTER and Professor & Head, Dept. of Physiology, MGMC & RI
followed by the inaugural function with a Special Address by Prof KR Sethuraman, Vice
Chancellor of SBVU and Keynote by Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani , Director of
ICYER at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry. In the forenoon session, there will be invited
presentations on Yoga in mental health by Prof BN Gangadhar, Dean (Behavioural Sciences)
NIMHANS Bengaluru and a lec-dem on the Therapeutic potential of yoga by Dr Manoj
Naik, Consultant physician and direct student of Padma Bhushan BKS Iyengar from
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune. The afternoon session will consist of a
presentation on The heart of yoga therapy by Dr Kausthub Desikachar, son and successor of
Yogacharya TKV Desikachar of the Sannidhi of Krishnamacharya Yoga Chennai and a Panel
Discussion on Integrating yoga therapy in mainstream medicine with panelists including
Dr Prakash Rao, Senior Homeopath and Scientist, Central Council for Research in
Homeopathy, Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani and Dr Meena Ramanathan of CYTER and Sri J
Mohanakrishnan, physiotherapist from JIPMER. The event will conclude with an open forum
and valedictory at 5 pm.

This week long event has received messages of blessings from Shri OP Tiwari (Secretary
Kaivalyadhama and President Indian Yoga Association and Chairperson Council for Yoga
Accreditation International), Dr HR Nagendra (Chancellor SVYASA Yoga University and Vice

President Indian Yoga Association and Vice Chairperson Council for Yoga Accreditation
International), as well as the heads of many major National and International Yoga
institutions.
CYTER invites everyone to participate in this unique event that showcases the therapeutic
potential of Yoga and to support this event that has been mandated by Govt of India as
authorized by the United Nations General Assembly.
For further details, please contact by Email: yoga@mgmcri.ac.in or Tel: +91-413-2615449 to 58
(Ext 317)
Dr Madanmohan, Organizing Chairman. 9442271314
Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Organizing Secretary. 9842311433
Dr Meena Ramanathan, Coordinator. 9790582999