DAY 4 OF GMVN INTERNATIONAL YOGA FESTIVAL UNITES ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN SCIENCE IN SACRED RISHIKESH
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RISHIKESH, UTTARAKHAND: Day 4 of the GMVN International Yoga Festival opened with a sacred Hawan Ceremony at the revered Swami Narayan Ashram, setting a deeply spiritual tone for what would become one of the festival’s most rich and varied days. Participants from universities, yoga schools and international delegations gathered at the foothills of the Himalayas for an immersive journey spanning classical yoga traditions, wellness science, Ayurveda, and a vibrant cultural evening.
Yoga & Wellness: A Day of Deep Practice
Swami Akhandandanda opened the yoga programme with a powerful Kundalini Yoga Kriya session, guiding participants through energy-awakening techniques drawn from the classical tradition. This was complemented by an Art of Living Pranayama session that brought together students from multiple universities participating in the festival, offering accessible breathing practices for modern-day stress and wellbeing.
Swami Jitananda led a dynamic Ashtanga Yoga session focused on the classical eight-limbed system, while Yogini Ekta and Raju Batra conducted dedicated Iyengar Yoga sessions exploring precise body alignment — a hallmark of B.K.S. Iyengar’s globally celebrated method.
Prof. Om Narayan Tiwari, Dean of SGRR University, delivered a scholarly session on the Concept of Panch Kosha (the Five Sheaths of Human Existence), bridging yogic philosophy with contemporary academic discourse. Dr. Yogi Mahesh rounded out the classical sessions with a live yoga demonstration.
Healing Sciences: Marma, Ayurveda, Sound and Sleep
Dr. Laxmi Narayan Joshi presented a highly attended session on Nadi Vigyan and Marma Therapy, demonstrating how the ancient science of vital energy points can be used to alleviate pain in specific regions of the body — drawing considerable interest from both students and practitioners.
Dr. Amrit Raj shared foundational principles of Ayurveda — India’s 5,000-year-old system of natural medicine — illustrating its deep integration with yogic practice. Yogi Jaidevan spoke compellingly on Yoga for Mental Health, exploring how consistent practice fosters emotional balance, cognitive clarity, and resilience in daily life.
Swami Bodhi Vartman introduced participants to Osho Meditation, sharing Laughter Yoga and Kundalini activation techniques as taught in the tradition of Osho Rajneesh. Yogi Ajay Rana concluded the wellness sessions with a transformative Yoga Nidra — the yogic science of conscious deep sleep — offering profound rest and mental restoration to all participants.
Deepak Prajapati brought the healing dimension to a close with a Sound Healing session, introducing ancient and contemporary sound instruments and explaining how specific frequencies can relieve pain and restore harmony in the emotional, mental, and physical body.
Philosophy, Continuity and Yogic Tradition
Yogi Chetan Mahesh led a session on Akhand Yog — the practice of unbroken, continuous yoga — while Swami Shiv Brahmanand shared deep insights into Yoga Philosophy, grounding the day’s diverse practices within their classical textual and spiritual framework.
Cultural Evening: Cricket, Music and Celebration
The evening opened with a special fireside-style conversation featuring Sehra Rana, player of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, in dialogue with MD Prateek Jain of GMVN. Sehra’s candid account of her journey through Indian women’s cricket — the discipline, dedication and dream it demanded — resonated deeply with the young student audience.
Musical highlights included a spirited performance by Nikhil Saklani, followed by a serene Mindful Piano recital by Pratham Vashney. The celebrated comedian Rajiv Thakur — known to audiences across India from The Great Indian Comedian — delivered an evening of warm laughter, before the night concluded with a soulful Bhajan Clubbing performance by the Keshavam Band that drew participants into collective devotional song.
2nd Heritage Walk: Connecting Cultures in Rishikesh
GMVN International Yoga Festival organised its Second Heritage Walk of the festival, welcoming students from various yoga schools — including a significant number of international participants. Heritage guide Raju Gusain led the group through historically and spiritually significant sites of Rishikesh, sharing his deep experiential knowledge with foreign yoga students and fostering authentic cross-cultural dialogue in the sacred city on the Ganges.
