International Yoga and World Music Day, 2022

When two global events concur, the effect is phenomenal. NPS KRM celebrated International Yoga Day and World Music Day on 21st June 2022. The confluence of the two events finds best expression in the words of the legendary yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar “Yoga is like music: the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” The music, the yogic and the musically yogic performances by students of Grades 2-12 were a glowing tribute to these forms. A yoga performance by students of grade 6 beautifully complementing the euphonious recital of shlokas at the very outset created a melodiously peaceful aura. This year being Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, students of grades 6 to 8 presented a graceful yoga piece set to the patriotic ‘Ma Tujhe Salaam’, to mark the 75th anniversary of our independence. Fusion music (by proficient veena, violin, tabla and keyboard players) on Muthuswami Dikshitar‘s compositions by students of grades 6-12 spread the message of this year’s International Yoga Day theme, ‘Yoga for Humanity’. When it seemed that the program had reached its crescendo, in came students of grades 2 to 5 who floored the spectators with their flexibility and grace while performing yogasanas in incredible formations. The upbeat western music that followed serenaded and drew everyone along, clapping and singing, into a musical rapture. 'Adi Yogi' , a performance by students of grades 9 to 12 exquisitely showcased how yoga can be a medium to connect to the supreme being and bring harmony and spirituality into our lives. The finale of this spectacular day was equally immersive; a foot-tapping fusion of veena and mridangam by two students of grade 12 - a soul-lifting rendition, indeed! A pleasant surprise awaited the audience; NPSK alumnus Dr Melvin Matthew’s dulcet crooning left the spectators asking for more…... The programme ended with everyone coming together for a brief meditation, underlying the significance of silence and stillness in our otherwise chaotic lives.