While the world took to yoga mats to perform asanas and exercises, CR officers sat on comfy chairs and sofas and performed breathing exercises; they later ‘learnt’ yoga exercises by watching a film
While the country and many parts of the world partook in observing International Yoga Day yesterday, the Central Railway headquarters in the city bore a different look. The officers here ‘performed’ yoga while being perched on comfy chairs and cushioned sofas.
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While a small group of employees demonstrated the asanas (below) on World Yoga Day yesterday, officers and other staff members of Central Railway did breathing exercises and ‘learnt’ yoga by watching a lecture
mid-day had reported on June 12 that Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu wanted each and every employee from his 14-lakh-strong workforce to perform yoga for the health benefits it offers. At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) office of CR yesterday, barely ten employees were seen actually performing asanas there.
Sitting yoga
The session began at around 9 am, with around 300 people showing up. But a miniscule portion of these ‘enthusiasts’ actually sat down on yoga mats and carpets; sources claimed these were the participants of CR’s recently started yoga classes, which is attended by around 60 employees.
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The administration had placed rows of cushioned sofas and chairs on which sat the officers, wearing track pants, t-shirts, and shoes. The other staff sat on rows of chairs behind them. A small group of about ten staffers demonstrated the asanas in front of the dais. Teachers from Kaivalyadham, a yoga institute, also showed people how to do exercises.
“We were all ready to perform yoga, but after reaching there we realised we wouldn’t be performing yoga, apart from a few breathing exercises sitting on our chairs,” said a CR official on condition of anonymity. Some officers were unhappy with this arrangement, as they too were keen on doing yoga.
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The sitting crowd then watched a lecture on yoga. Staff members at other railway colonies and offices, meanwhile, did yoga asanas in the open, till 11 am yesterday. Western Railway, too, organised a yoga seminar-cum-workshop at Churchgate, for their officers and staff members.