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UCL and High Commission of India host yoga celebration

15 June 2022

Ahead of International Yoga Day (21 June), MASc Creative Health students Tori Bate and Katherine Liddell started the celebrations early by jointly organising a yoga session with the High Commission of India at UCL's Bloomsbury campus.

UCL MASc students, Professor Monica and HCI London representatives

The yoga session, in collaboration with UCL Global Engagement, the South Asia Regional Network and UCL Arts and Humanities, was a sold-out success with representation from the High Commission in attendance.

Yoga is an essential component of the history of India, in sharing it more widely it serves to commemorate 75 years of the country's independence, also known as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative by the Indian government.

On the day of the yoga session, Tori and Katherine hosted an Instagram takeover, highlighting a blog they wrote about the meaning behind yoga and its practices.

Tori, who’s travelled to Bali and India for six months, said: “Research shows yoga creates a normalisation state within heart rate variability (HRV), and blood pressure. This is amongst other optimal records of other physiological outcomes.”

Katherine, a specialist in pre- and post-natal yoga added: “Yoga is much more than physical exercise. It stems from ancient Vedic Texts (circa 3,000 BC) from Ayurveda which translates from Sanskrit to mean ‘The Knowledge of Health’.”

Yoga in action

Professor Monica Lakhanpaul, Pro-Vice-Provost (South Asia) said:

"We at UCL recognise the importance of yoga for physical and mental well being but we also respect its origins. Being able to celebrate International Yoga Day with colleagues and students alike and in the presence of representatives from the Indian High Commission was an honour and a pleasure."

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Tori and Katherine for all the effort they put in towards the yoga session; Happy International Yoga Day to all!

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