Odisha’s beach town Puri promotes public health, eco awareness

Puri: After a huge success of Mo Beach campaign and the Blue Flag eco label accorded to the Golden Beach, Puri, the district administration started a beach based public health programme – Mo Beach YOGA – today.

The initiative is aimed at promoting public health and environment education in a novel way amidst COVID-19 after the Golden beach identified under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) recently received the ‘Blue Flag’ certificate.

Mo Beach Yoga is a first of its kind beach campaign that is aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle and Sustainable Development Goals in the most natural way while leveraging public participation for fostering wellbeing tourism, Puri administration said in a release today.

The programme is a pilot project of the Directorate of AYUSH, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Odisha. In collaboration with Beach Management Committee of Puri district administration, the health programme is being organised at 5.30 am at Puri beach for two days — on October 17 and 18 — with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.

It starts with 200 participants, all COVID recovered persons spread across in 10 selected locations of the beach. All COVID Guidelines will be maintained through the programme. Each location will have 20 participants and one instructor along with one onground trainer to help in improving the postures. The instructors have been trained and oriented by Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Puri for this special purpose, the release said.

The programme is organized on a pilot basis to learn from the experience of recovered COVID-19 patients from all walks of life. It is an initiative to promote efficacy of Yoga which can be a useful aid in facilitating early recovery of COVID-19.

The pilot project would also set the benchmark for resilient and safety methods to be adopted for on-ground implementation while making judicious use of traditional therapies and local sustainable solutions. The participants will be provided with basic support infrastructure and amenities like drinking water, organized platforms etc. This Yoga on the Beach will be conducted in a well-organized ambience providing a very special experience of yoga with the sound of the waves and perfecting your poses to a breathtaking panoramic view of the sea early in the morning – the ideal time to recharge your mental and physical energies, the administration said in the release.

Yoga is a form of self-healing techniques practised in India from ages. It is a great tool to help improve respiratory health and immunity. Useful in allaying fears and anxiety, Yoga plays a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation and has been helpful during the pandemic for people in quarantine and isolation. The Yogasanas, Pranayam, meditation & relaxation practices are known to help modulate physiological responses to stress. On top of it, practising Yoga amid nature – with the Panchatatva (Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Sky) – play the most pivotal role in the overall functioning of our mind and body.