Covid-19 pandemic made the world realize that if health is at risk, everything else is at risk as well. Protecting your health will also have a positive impact on every other aspect of your life.
In a cross-sectional study of a sample of older adults in Southern Iran, results of which were first published on December 13, 2022 in the Wiley Online Library’s Health Science Reports, shows that the rising stress due to the coronavirus disease pandemic had significantly affected people’s lives, especially those over 60 years of age. Similar studies conducted all over the world, especially in the aftermath of years 2020-21, have established that mental health is as important as physical health. Therefore, a holistic view of life for physical and mental health is necessary to live a happy life.
In this regard, renowned yoga experts, spiritual gurus and celebrities from different walks of life got together to discuss the art of being happy in life under a unique programme, “Swasthyam”, organized by the Sakal Group. At the programme, famous yoga guru Dr. Hansaji Yogendra and spiritual guru Prabhu Gaurang Das gave useful guidance for daily living. Actors & husband-wife, Riteish Deshmukh & Genelia D’Souza elaborated on the importance of laughter for a happy life. Mrinal Pawar, Director of Sakal Group and Founder of “We Are in This Together” (WAITT) campaign, and Sriram Pawar, Chief Editor of Dainik Sakal welcomed these dignitaries.
Swasthyam is an initiative launched to cultivate a positive attitude among general populace regarding an integrated approach to mind-body health. Mrinal Pawar, while welcoming the audience, said, “In a society that adopts the Swasthyam approach, people can live a happy life free of suffering and pain. The journey of creating such a society begins with self-awareness, curiosity and caring about oneself and others. That is the message we want to convey through Swasthyam.”
Dr. Hansaji Yogendra explained the concept of body, mind, soul, age and pleasure in human life and demonstrated the importance of yoga to maintain balance. He said, “Every person’s body is different. The environment in which we grew up from childhood, the way of life, the experiences from childhood are different in everyone’s case. So something that feels right to someone else can feel wrong to us and that creates stress and how it affects the health of the body.” He also talked about the importance of diet and sleep for a happy and healthy life while giving guidance on when and how to eat.
Prabhu Gaurang Das said, “If one wants to achieve happiness in life, one needs to learn the art of managing the mind, senses, habits and routines.” He explained in detail how everyone can live a happy life through the concepts of expectation, success, comparison, self-praise, principle and tolerance. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, he said that stress is defined as when reality does not work out as expected. Therefore if something happens contrary to our expectations, we should be prepared to accept it our expectations should be flexible, ups and downs are the truth of life, he said.
Ritesh Deshmukh spoke about how laughter relieved stress from life. He said, “Let there be any relationship in human life. Then it will be between lover and lover. Be it between two friends, be it between brothers and sisters, be it between mother and children, human relationship is an important part. There are differences in any relationship. However, laughter is important for them to come together. Ritesh & Genelia, who were also interviewed during the programme, were there also to promote their upcoming Marathi-language feature film “Ved”.
Diet Expert Nupur Patil talked about the significance of a proper diet to stay fit and active even through the sunset years of life. She said, “Keeping a proper balance of food, sleep and yoga leads to a happy life. Also keep the amount of sugar in the daily food low. The Indian diet is low in protein. So there should be a proper balance of leafy vegetables, tubers, pulses, breads, vegetables and all pulses. It is called a balanced diet.”
Shri M shared guidance on how to expand the mind by fixing it on yoga. He said, “Sadhana transforms the self. Sadhana is different according to the situation of the human being.” Talking about the 8 sutras of Patanjali, Shri M said, “It includes Yama, Asana, Pranayama. Ahimsa is important in Yama Sutra. Also Asana Sutra is good for body and mind. In today’s time, it is necessary to give knowledge of mind to students. A unique ability is hidden in the human mind for which meditation is necessary.”
Answering some of the questions asked by Abhijit Pawar, Shri M said, “Guru has a unique importance in life. According to our karma we get the right Guru. Along with respecting the Guru, follow the path shown by him.”
The programme was moderated by Yogesh Deshpande and Vansundhar.