Women to Lead UAE's Indian Mission Yoga Day

In line with the theme "Yoga for Women Empowerment," women will be the focal point in this year's 10th International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations in the UAE, announced on Wednesday.

Observed annually on June 21, events in the UAE will be held over the weekend for residents' convenience. This year, June 21 falls on a Friday.

At a pre-event function, Consul General of India in Dubai Satish Kumar Sivan revealed that the Indian Consulate in Dubai will officially celebrate IDY on June 22.

An estimated 4,000 attendees are expected at the event, held in collaboration with Friends of India (FOI) from 5 PM to 7 PM at Sheikh Saeed Halls in the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Consul General also teased special surprises for female attendees.

Registration Details

A new website for registration was launched, closing on June 18. Registrants will receive a free yoga mat, T-shirt, and refreshments.

The consulate’s website will feature a QR code to direct users to the event registration page.

Sivan noted that the consulate had set a trend a few years ago by organizing a women-only Yoga Day in Dubai.

"This year, the government of India has announced that International Yoga Day will focus on women’s empowerment, following in the consulate’s footsteps," he said.

Highlighting the importance of the theme, Sivan emphasized that women's health and well-being are crucial for the overall health and well-being of families.

He added that India has been a global leader in empowering women through various political, economic, and social initiatives over the past decade.

"These efforts will continue, and I'm glad that Yoga Day will spotlight women’s empowerment," Sivan said.

Personally attesting to the benefits of yoga, Sivan encouraged community members to incorporate it into their lives.

"We hope members of the Indian community, friends of India from all nationalities, and the diplomatic corps will join us," he added.

Events in Abu Dhabi

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is organizing two events to mark IDY, including an exclusive session for women.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, will be the chief guest at the main event on June 22 at the Atrium at ADNEC, starting at 6 PM. Participants will receive yoga mats, IDY T-shirts, water bottles, and healthy refreshments.

Another event will be held on June 23 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, featuring a special session for women.

An all-women team will lead the free yoga session at the museum’s Promenade.

Registration is available through the museum’s website, with doors opening at 7.30 PM. The yoga session will run from 8 PM to 8.45 PM.

Women's Health and Yoga

On Wednesday, the consulate hosted a panel discussion themed “Yoga with AYUSH: Empowering Women’s Health.” AYUSH represents traditional Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.

Women doctors practicing AYUSH participated in the discussion.

Dr. Einsha Huda, president of the Emirates Ayurveda Graduates Association and moderator of the session, stated, “It was a very fruitful discussion where all the doctors spoke about integrating yoga into their practice and how they can encourage speedy recovery from women’s health issues like gynecological problems, PCOD, PCOS, postnatal care, menopause, and perimenopause through yoga.”

Additionally, the Consul General mentioned that the consulate, in collaboration with community organizations and partners, will celebrate IDY in Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah.

“We are reaching out to specific partner entities, particularly women, to join. The theme will be truly reflected at the venues,” Sivan said.

In response to a Gulf News inquiry, the Consul General revealed plans to potentially organize regular yoga sessions at the consulate.

Following this year’s IDY event, the mission aims to hold events outside office hours and over weekends.

“If that system is restored, we will have regular yoga classes, which will be open to the community,” he added.

Source: gulfnews

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.