Ayush Ministry prepares 5-min yoga protocol for professionals, develops ‘Y-Break’ app

PTI, Aug 31, 2021, 3:39 PM IST

New Delhi: The Ayush Ministry has developed a yoga protocol that can integrate seamlessly with work routine and help professionals de-stress and refocus.

The five-minute protocol encompassing asanas, pranayama and dhyana will be available through an app, which will be launched by Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday.

The yoga protocol can integrate with work routine seamlessly and effortlessly and help professionals refresh, de-stress and refocus, a ministry official said.

”The protocol has been prepared on the basis of a deep and evaluative research and several studies…. Several yoga experts and researchers have effectively used modern technology to bring yoga to corporate employees…and within five minutes, one can have the benefit of many years,” the official said.

The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), an autonomous body under the Ayush Ministry, and several other reputed institutes such as Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram-Chennai, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute-Belur Math, NIMHANS-Bengaluru and the Kaivalyadhama Health and Yoga Research Centre-Lonavla have played a prominent role in developing this app, called ‘Y-Break’.

It will be available on both iOS and Android platforms.

According to yoga experts, continuous sitting for long hours and occupational hazards of sedentary work life has significantly changed the working habits of professionals, leading them into the trap of stress. It not only affects their physical health but mental wellbeing as well.

It has been observed that corporate professionals often experience stress which negatively impacts their work productivity. The five-minute protocol intends to introduce people at the workplace to yoga. It promotes the idea of a break of five minutes from the work schedule to practice yoga to refresh, de-stress and re-focus. The protocol contains stretching exercises such as Tadasana and Kati, the official said.

A pilot study to find the efficacy of the protocol was undertaken in six major metro cities on a sample size of 717 participants aged 18 years and above. Fifteen-day trials were conducted by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in collaboration with six leading yoga institutes of the country, wherein the participants from different private and government bodies took part.

The participants were selected taking into consideration them having various problems such as lower back pain, headache, anger and stress.

The study showed positive outcomes. The encouraging results were reported by all participating establishments.

It was also recognised that yoga break at the workplace enables one to relax fully and frees the practitioners physically and mentally often heightening intuitions and creativity.

MDNIY Director Ishwar V Basavaraddi said, ”Asanas helps to open up the chest cavity, improves lungs capacity and increases cardiopulmonary function, which lead to maintaining physical activity for longer.”

”Nadi shodhana pranayama balances sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Bhramari pranayama facilitates the production and release of nitric oxide (NO) which helps to reduce stress and helps blood pressure by dilating arteries, improve blood circulation and maintain the supply of oxygen to the heart. Dhyana helps maintain focus and concentration and also in reducing anxiety, tiredness and depression,” Basavaraddi said.