Yoga has nothing to do with religion: Venkaiah

NEW DELHI: Yoga has nothing to do with religion and those who attribute religious connotations to the "ancient science" cause "immense harm" to humanity, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

Stressing on more research in this field, Naidu said yoga was a science of well-being that needed to be studied and practiced just like any other medical system.

"Yoga has nothing to do with religion. Some people unfortunately attribute religious overtones to this ancient scientific system. Those who do this are causing immense harm to humanity," he said while inaugurating the twoday 'International Conference on Yoga for Wellness' here.

He termed yoga as the mother of all exercises which provided physical fitness, mental well-being, spiritual succour and also took care of "medical bills".

The theme of the conference, Naidu said, was very relevant and timely as it provided an opportunity to deepen understanding of the ancient science and the possible ways in which this knowledge could be applied to make lives healthier and happier.

He also lauded Yoga guru Ramdev for taking the practice to every household and said yoga was the best medicine as it cost nothing.

"Ramdev made yoga reach every house. That is the greatness of that individual. He made this herculean task simple by explaining what yoga is and how it helps you lead a better life," he said.

In a lighter vein, Naidu also urged AYUSH Secretary C K Mishra, who is also the health secretary, saying, "If you popularise this ministry (AYUSH), your expenditure on health on will come down."

Naidu said yoga was a heritage received from forefathers and emphasised on conserving it.

Stressing that yoga should become a part of the daily routine to combat modern-day health problems, both physical and mental, he said there was a misconception that it was only a physical exercise meant for fitness.