On the International Day of Yoga, Széchenyi István University held an event in cooperation with the Embassy of India in Hungary at the Management Campus building on the Győr campus. It was said at the event that yoga is not just a fashion, but also a way of life that can help us find peace of mind.

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga to raise awareness of the positive effects of yoga on physical and mental health. Since then, the Embassy of India in Hungary has regularly approached Széchenyi István University, with which it has a close relationship, to commemorate the World Day in Győr, and the institution has embraced the initiative every year.

At this year's event, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations, welcomed the participants on behalf of the University and reminded them that the International Day of Yoga was initiated by the UN General Assembly on the initiative of the Prime Minister of India. The resolution was one of the most rapidly adopted proposals in the organisation's history, supported by almost all member states, and was a huge diplomatic success for India. Dr Lukács added that she considers it one of the great gifts of her life to have been a practitioner of the “Yoga in Daily Life” system for twenty-five years, and expressed her pleasure that the Indian Embassy was represented at the event at the highest level.

Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

H.E. Partha Satpathy, India's Ambassador to Hungary, said that yoga is much more than a set of practices. "Today, yoga has become a global leisure activity, which is why it is important to recognise its true importance. Although yoga is fashionable, it is not just a fashion, it is also a lifestyle. It is a state of mind that can help us find mental peace. Yoga helps to reduce anxiety and relieve stress. Through movement, it tells us how to become one with nature. It also teaches us humility and respect for our fellow human beings. Not only can we become more flexible and shapely through yoga, not only can we live longer, but we can also become happier. Yoga actually helps us adapt to the challenges of modern life," said the ambassador.

"You are the ambassadors of yoga. Pass on to your family members and friends what yoga is really about," Ambassador Partha Satpathy said, asking his audience to pass on the message. (Photo by József Csaba Májer)

During the event, Babita Wagh gave a yoga class to participants (Photo: Csaba József Májer)