WHO M-Yoga App

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had launched WHO M-Yoga App while addressing the nation on the occasion of the 7th International Day of Yoga 2021.

The Prime Minister in his speech said that:

“When India proposed the International Day of Yoga in the United Nations, the spirit behind it was to make this Yoga science accessible to the entire world. Today, India has taken another important step in this direction along with the United Nations and WHO.

Now the world is going to get the power of the m-Yoga app. In this app, many videos of Yoga training will be available in different languages of the world based on the common Yoga protocol. It is also a great example of the fusion of modern technology and ancient science. I am sure the m-Yoga app will play a big role in expanding Yoga across the globe and making the efforts of One World, One Health a success.”

About the app:

The government of India in collaboration with the WHO has developed M-Yoga Mobile App.

• M-Yoga app will provide different videos of the Yoga practice and training based on common Yoga protocol in different languages.
• PM Modi termed this as a great example of the fusion of ancient science and modern technology.
• Prime Minister Modi expressed the hope that the M-Yoga app will help in spreading Yoga all over the world and shall contribute to the efforts of ‘One World, One Health’.

How will this app help mankind?

M-yoga mobile app will be immensely helpful in the promotion of Yoga and wellness among people around the world, especially during pandemic situations. The app will also play a crucial role in boosting up the immunity levels and also re-rehabilitation of the health of the Covid patients who have recovered from Covid-19.

Background:

• The Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) had jointly undertaken a project in mid-2019, focussing on the development of mobile Yoga.
• The project envisaged the concept of the ‘Be Healthy, Be Mobile’ (BHBM) under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
• Be Healthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) initiative is a global partnership which is led by WHO. It supports the scale-up of mobile health (m-Health) technology within the scope of the National Health System to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

In order to achieve the above objectives, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in July 2019 between the Ministry of AYUSH and the WHO.

The m-Yoga project focused on four areas:

1. Yoga for Adolescents;
2. Common Yoga Protocol for General Wellness;
3. Yoga for mental health and resilience; and
4. Yoga for pre – Diabetics

Based upon this initiative, a mobile application and a requisite handbook were to be developed by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) in consultation with the WHO technology partners. The work on the handbook is in the final stages and the app which is currently launched is available in two of the six official languages of the United Nations i.e English and Hindi. In the handbook, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) played a crucial role to facilitate the preparation of Common Yoga Protocol for General Wellness of various duration, Common Yoga Protocol booklets, video shoots, their translations in six major United Nations languages, and designs of the booklets under the directives of Ministry of AYUSH, GOI.

Expected questions:

1. What is the importance of the M-Yoga app?
2. Essay- Importance of Yoga in today’s world.