Workshop on Yoga for Children and Young Readers

National Book Trust, India organised a workshop on ‘Developing Books on Yoga for Children and Young Readers’ in the run up to the celebrations of the first International Day of Yoga on June 21 as declared by the UNO. The workshop was held at NBT Conference Hall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on June 19, 2015. “I am pleased to connect with health, peace and reading,” said Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman director, United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan, the guest of honour on the occasion.

Talking about the benefits of Yoga, she said, “Stress is chronic in this age. Physical inactivity leads to lifestyle diseases like Cancer. Yoga helps in bringing peace of mind and health.” She felt that books are powerful medium to make people aware about benefits of Yoga. She also delivered the message of Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general, UNO on the occasion.

Prof Ramesh Bijlani, eminent Yoga scholar was the chief guest on the occasion. In his keynote address, he said, “Yoga has a set of techniques to give mental peace and health.” He added that asanas, pranayam are the visible aspects of the Yoga but it has invisible aspects, too, which make us realise that we are not the doers but we are instrumental of spiritual guidance. He opined that combination of these aspects is necessary while writing for children.

Earlier, Dr M A Sikandar, then director, NBT, India welcomed the guests. He said that he does Yoga in the morning as it is stress-buster. He also informed that Yoga will be the theme of the upcoming New Delhi World Book Fair and there will be focus on children also.

The workshop brought together Yoga s chol a r s , children authors, artists, child psychologists, editors and book production specialists for brainstorming sessions and suggested a road-map for publishing suitable illustrated books on the subject for the target age-group by the Trust.