Northern Army Commander leads 1.75 lakh troops, families to perform yoga in J-K, Ladakh

Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday led over 1.75 lakh troops and 75,000 families of the Northern Command to perform yoga and complimented the soldiers for incorporating yoga asanas into their daily routine in extreme high altitude areas.

The Army commander performed various yoga asanas at the forward areas of eastern Ladakh at a height beyond 15,000 feet on the International Day of Yoga, a defence spokesman said. Lt General Dwivedi is on a four-day visit to Ladakh.

A large number of soldiers under the operational control of northern command and their families performed yoga with great enthusiasm throughout the command areas in the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, officials said.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the campaign on yoga was spread over last 60 days throughout the Northern Command from 'Indus to Ganges', they said.

"Over 1,75,000 soldiers and 75,000 families participated in the yoga classes with great enthusiasm throughout the northern command," the defence spokesman said.

He said yoga is promoted as a way of life in the Army, especially for the troops deployed in mountainous and high altitude areas of Northern Command.

"All ranks have imbibed it as a regime to boost their mental and physical health," he said. The spokesman said a unique feat has been achieved by the units and formations of Northern Command by organising yoga at iconic places like Siachen Base Camp, Pangong Tso Lake, Peer Ki Gali (Kashmir), Nathu Auditorium (Poonch), Itrana Palace (Rajasthan), Gangaghat (Prayagraj) and Rezang La.

Army commander Lt General Dwivedi, who performed yoga in high altitude eastern Ladakh, complimented the soldiers for incorporating yoga asanas into their daily routine in extreme high altitude areas and harsh climatic conditions to combat psychological stress and fatigue.

"Yoga is a prime tool for stress management and improvement of combat efficiency," he underlined.

The official exhorted the troops to practice yoga to further expand their horizons of physical and mental capacities.

Meanwhile, a yoga camp was organised at Udhampur on the occasion. The officers and other ranks of Udhampur Military Station participated in the event.

Qualified yoga instructors assisted in performance of yoga and imparted knowledge on the art and science of yoga to all those present, the spokesman said.

Another unique initiative was to train Army dogs and Army horses on yogic exercises. The canines participated in the yogic exercise along with their handlers, displaying the formidable spirit of Northern Command, he added.