Global Yoga Summit today in Kandy

Rotary Bangalore Global Yoga, the first cause based club in Rotary International, created specifically to spread yoga for health, happiness and global peace, formed in 2020 has partnered with the Family Yoga Academy in Sri Lanka, to hold the Global Yoga Summit that takes place today in Kandy.

In a backdrop of teaching yoga online across the world during the COVID lockdown the Global Yoga summit was initiated in 2022 represented by eight countries. Currently supported by many organisations including Rotary, this annual event now has the representation of 21 countries and well over 3,000 delegates. 

The event will be held at the Bogambara Stadium at the Ehelepola Kumarihami Mawatha in Kandy under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism in Sri Lanka and officiated by many masters of Indian spirituality, especially Dr. Sri Sri Trinetra Mahantha Shivayogi Swamiji, President of the Chandravana Ashram. The event will be attended by personages such as Lalith U. Gamage, Governor of Central Province, Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, Chairman, Family Yoga Academy, Junesh Nanayakkara, Co-Chairman, Bharath Lanka Global Yoga Festival, Dr. Yogi Devara, Rotarian and Chief Organiser, Bharath Lanka Global Yoga Festival, Guruji S.V.A. Jeyakumar, Founder and Executive Director of the Family Yoga Academy, K.P. Nagaraj, Promoter of spirituality development for enhancing Sri Lanka-India ties, who is a Rotarian as well as a leading Indian entrepreneur, Dr. Rajashekhar Reddy P, Neurosurgeon and Vice Chancellor of the Yoga University of the Americas, Dr. Ravindra Kandage, Executive Director Sarvodaya Shanthisena Movement, Smt. M. Chandana, founder, Tapas Health and Wellness Centre Bengaluru, Vinay Kumar, international Yoga Therapist, S.S. Hiremath, Principal of Shivanand Yoga College in Gadang and a host of international speakers including those representing Rotary. 

At every annual event of this global festival held in different countries each year celebrating yogic spirituality, experts who have mastered Indian spiritual knowledge systems are invited to speak on such knowledge and its universal benefits. For example, Dr. Kaliji, born in US and having Yoga studios in 44 countries participated in the Global Yoga Summit in 2023 and spoke of the importance of Lalitha Sahasranama chanting to harness life energy. 

Smt Chandana who is spreading the importance of Agnihotra focuses on educating the masses on aspects of her scholarly research in this sphere. Indian Yoga experts such as Dr. S.S. Hiremath and Sri Vinay Kumar who have focused on creating hundreds of yoga teachers will participate in this event with the intention of encouraging yoga for the wellbeing of all persons irrespective of age.

Those such as Sri Mariswamy are promoting yoga in rural areas in Karnataka and bring forth the Indian regional narrative concerning the relevance of yoga for development and equal opportunity for all persons. 

These are few of the experts who have contributed to the yoga festival which will be held today in Sri Lanka and they will speak about their efforts and experience in the many dimensions of spiritual growth within the yogic traditions. 

The theme of the event in Kandy is Local to Global where spiritual heritage of the Barath is being spread across the world to encourage peace, harmony and wellbeing which are the basic rationale of the Yogic elevation of consciousness. 

The other interconnected global events held last month included the Global Yoga Wellness Summit in the Batu caves in Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia and the International Yoga Summit at the Skyline University in Sharjah, UAE

The Bharath Lanka Global Yoga festival is led by Sri Jeya Kumar Guruji, Sri Thilina Madhusanka and supported by various Rotary Districts such as Rotary District 3191, Rotary District 3192 from India and Rotary District 3220 Sri Lanka and Maldives under the direction of 

Rotary District Governor Sushena Ranatunghe, Past District Governor, Ajith Weerasinghe, Past District Governor, Aruni Malalasekara and Rotarian K.P. Nagaraja.

An international seminar in Yoga will also be held today at the postal complex auditorium in Station Road, Kandy as part of the main event, covering topics such as Yoga as a science, Yoga in sports, alignment of yoga as asanas, women in Yoga, Yoga and music therapy, Mudra and Bandha, Chakra and Aura and Yoga for children.  

The Harmony page will be exclusively covering this event in Kandy as a follow up to our recent in-depth analysis of the spirituality that is at the core of the Yogic asanas.

(https://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Liberating-yoga-from-fancy-mats-and-mere-human-contortion/10523-763089).