Shanghai, May 31 (IANS). India’s Consul General in Shanghai, China Prateek Mathur inaugurated two curtain raiser events on Sunday. These events were held ahead of the 12th International Yoga Day, showcasing the growing enthusiasm for yoga and Indian wellness traditions in eastern China.
The first event organized for blood donation included a special yoga camp, which is considered to be East Asia’s largest volunteer-run blood donation campaign.
Addressing the participants present at the Yoga Camp, Consul General Prateek Mathur highlighted the role of Yoga and AYUSH based wellness practices in promoting preventive health care, holistic well-being and healthy lifestyle.
He said that Yoga’s emphasis on physical health, mental toughness and social service completely matches with the spirit of volunteerism and social responsibility of the blood donation camp. After this, Prateek Mathur also addressed the opening ceremony of the annual East China Indian Community Badminton Competition.
He thanked the Indian community for its active participation in promoting awareness and understanding of yoga across the region and said that East China has emerged as an important center for yoga practice, with increasing participation from people from different nationalities and backgrounds.
He told that around 500 people participated in both the events. He emphasized that yoga today reflects the common cultural heritage of humanity, which transcends the boundaries of country and culture and contributes to the worldwide pursuit of good health and wellness.
These events were organized as part of the Consulate’s ongoing outreach activities ahead of the International Yoga Day 2026 celebrations on June 21, which are expected to be attended by the Indian community, Chinese friends of India, yoga practitioners, students and wellness enthusiasts from East China.
This year the 12th International Yoga Day will be celebrated, the theme of which is “Yoga for Healthy Aging”. It emphasizes the importance of yoga for people of all ages. According to an official statement from the United Nations, yoga can be a valuable practice for healthy aging because it supports many of the abilities that help people remain active and self-reliant as they age.
Yoga can help improve balance, flexibility, strength and mobility, and improve mental health and manage stress.
Since yoga can be adapted to different fitness levels and health conditions, it offers many seniors an easy way to maintain their physical and emotional health.
These benefits support many of the goals of WHO’s Decade of Healthy Aging (2021–2030), including promoting independence, reducing risk of falls, enhancing quality of life, and promoting person-centered approaches to health and well-being.
–IANS
KK/VC