12 hours ago
Bengaluru's NIMHANS to celebrate International Yoga Day with focus on mental health of older adults
The Department of Integrative Medicine at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, is all set to celebrate the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, with a number of programmes dedicated to promoting mental wellbeing through yoga.
This year's celebration at NIMHANS features a unique initiative titled 'Yoga Samavesha – A Yoga-based Mental Health Initiative for Older Adults,' supported by the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Union Ministry of AYUSH. This special programme is aimed at bringing attention to the mental health needs of senior citizens and older adults, particularly those residing in old age homes across Bengaluru, said Hemant Bhargav, Associate Professor of Integrative Medicine, who is leading the initiative.
The day's events will include yoga sangama, mass yoga session for staff and students at Gymkhana grounds, yoga for patients at Ashwini Hall, and yoga samavesha - a dedicated yoga practice session for older adults at the Gymkhana community hall.
Senior citizens from various old age homes across the city will gather for a specially designed yoga session tailored to support their mental health, emotional balance, and physical vitality. This inclusive session will be led by yoga therapists from the Department of Integrative Medicine, and is part of a broader outreach effort to make yoga more accessible to the underprivileged and vulnerable segments of the society, Dr. Bhargav said.
A special panel discussion will follow the yoga samavesha session, where leading experts from NIMHANS will share insights on how yoga and lifestyle practices can support mental wellbeing in older adults, he said.
