“Yoga for Space,” a symposium to honor the International Day of Yoga 2024.
The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, in partnership with Svyasa, Deemed to be a University, organized a conference on “Yoga for Space” at S-Vyasa University in Bengaluru in honor of the International Day of Yoga 2024, with the subject “Yoga for Self & Society.”
The meeting focused on the collaboration of specialists from diverse professions to benefit society, especially astronauts. The conference described the events and challenges of IDY 2024, which were organized by the Ministry of AYUSH for society, including the “Yoga with Family” worldwide video contest, YogaTech Challenges for creative yoga concepts by Indian start-ups, Yoga Quiz, and Yoga Jingles, among others.
These projects seek to improve public awareness and promote vigorous yoga practice, realizing that a healthy individual nurtures a healthy society, as stated in the IDY 2024 theme.
The symposium featured speakers from the Human Space Flight Center, ISRO, IIT Delhi, and the Institute for Aerospace Medicine. Dr. Manjunath NK, Vice Chancellor of Svyasa University, kicked off the inaugural session by welcoming the keynote speakers.
Dr. Manjunath also highlighted the yoga-related events for IDY 2024 and emphasized the importance of yoga in promoting a healthy society, using passages from ancient literature such as “Vasudaiva Kutumbhakam.” He spoke about Dr. H.R. Nagendra, the originator of S-Vyasa, and his path from NASA to the establishment of Vyasa.
Dr. Raghavendra Rao, Director of the Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy in Delhi, shed light on the inclusivity and diversity inherent in the IDY journey, showcasing yoga practices in extreme conditions on land, in the ocean, and across a day spanning from Japan to California, culminating in the exploration of yoga in space with this conference.
Dr. B.R. Ramakrishnan, Pro-Chancellor of S-Vyasa University, used the quotation “Gyanam Vigyanam Sahitam” to describe the conference’s goals, emphasizing the integration of ancient wisdom with space science and the convergence of the finest from East and West.He emphasized the importance of yoga.
The scientific session began with a presentation on “Gaganyaan: Mission and Crew Safety” by Dr. C. Geethaikrishnan, Deputy Director (SRQ) of the Human Space Flight Center, ISRO, chaired by Dr. Satyaprabha T.N., Head of the Department of Neurophysiology at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
The post-lunch session began with Dr. Biswajit Sinha of the Department of Physiology at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru. The topic was “Beyond Earth: Understanding Microgravity’s Influence on Physiology and Earth-Based Simulations,” and he explained the physiological effects of the space environment on the human body.
Following that, Lt. Col. (Dr.) Saveena George, also from the Department of Physiology at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru, gave a presentation titled “Exploring the effects of microgravity on the neurovestibular system.” She explored a fundamental physiological difficulty encountered in space: neurovestibular imbalance, which causes challenges in posture, orientation, and visual perception, resulting in health conditions for which astronauts get training.
