Gayatri Mantra & Pranayama

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has funded a clinical trial at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, to determine if the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, a religious hymn, and performing the Yoga practice of Pranayama, can aid the quality of recovery as well as cure COVID-19 quicker in a subset of patients.

Pranayama is the practice of breath control in yoga. In modern yoga as exercise, it consists of synchronising the breath with movements between asanas, but is also a distinct breathing exercise on its own, usually practised after asanas.

Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. The World Health Organization mentions yoga as a means to improve health in its Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world. United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga
Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda, and also referenced in the Upanishads, though it most likely developed as a systematic study around the 5th and 6th centuries BCE, in ancient India’s ascetic and Śramaṇa movements
The science of yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religions or belief systems were born. In the yogic lore, Shiva is seen as the first yogi or Adiyogi, and the first Guru or Adi Guru.
The Number of seals and fossil remains of Indus Saraswati valley civilization with Yogic motives and figures performing Yoga Sadhana suggest the presence of Yoga in ancient India. The phallic symbols, seals of idols of mother Goddess are suggestive of Tantra Yoga. Presence of Yoga is available in folk traditions, Indus valley civilization, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darshanas, epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Tantric traditions.

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has listed Yama, Niyama, Asana, etc. among popular yoga ‘sadhanas’ in its Common Yoga Protocol
Yoga is also a part of the Fit India Movement
The Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC) has vocational courses in Yoga for CBSE schools.

Gayatri Mantra was first recorded in the Rig Veda and was written in Sanskrit around 2500 to 3500 years back.
The Gayatri Mantra comprises twenty-four syllables organized inside a triplet of eight syllables.

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