Academic Centre
Yoga practice class
The events dedicated to the International Day of Yoga in Latvia will begin at 8:00 AM, Jelgavas iela 1 – on the lawn by the House of Nature, UL Academic Centre. This morning event will be launched with a brief explanation about the meaning of yoga in promoting physical and mental health, followed by the public demonstration of morning yoga practice, or asanas. Attendees of the class will have the opportunity to learn a complex of strengthening exercises, which can afterwards be performed independently every day.
Attendees are invited to gather on the lawn by the UL House of Nature from 7:30 AM, bringing along exercise mats. People who already practice yoga, as well as those without any previous experience are welcome to join the event.
The morning yoga practice class is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of India in Sweden and Latvia.
International conference “Creative Imagination as a Path to Liberation”
At 10:00 AM, the events marking the International Day of Yoga will continue in the UL House of Nature with the international conference “Creative Imagination as a Path to Liberation”. Recognized experts will share the latest scientific research findings on the benefits of yoga and Ayurveda for stress reduction, improvement of health and cognitive function.
“At the conference, we will discuss the positive effects of yoga on health in general, and particularly – management of stress and emotions, as well as responsible and creative yoga practice. We will invite the participants to become acquainted with yoga as an algorithm for understanding and explaining the functioning of such a complex system as the human body,” informs Professor Valdis Pīrāgs, Director of UL IIIS.
During the panel discussion, experts in psychology, neuroscience and other fields will discuss the holistic benefits of yoga and Ayurveda and explain how yoga and Ayurveda can complement the offer of traditional health care systems and contribute to the overall well-being that people strive for worldwide.
The lectures will be presented by the speakers from Latvia, India, and Great Britain: Professor Madan Thangavelu (Great Britain); Vice-Rector of Dev Sanskrit University Chinmay Pandya (India); Endocrinologist of Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, Director of UL IIIS, Professor Valdis Pīrāgs; Professor of the UL Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometry Mārcis Auziņš; Head of the UL Laboratory for Perceptual and Cognitive Systems at the Faculty of Computing Professor Juģis Šķilters; the Lecturer of the UL Faculty of Medicine, President of the Latvian Medical Association Ilze Aizsilniece; the founder of the North Indian Classical Music School “Saraswati”, virtuoso of sarod, musician and composer Sergejs Ancupovs, UL IIIS yoga teacher Arnis Siliņš, philosopher Valdis Svirskis, Ayurvedic doctor and visiting professor at UL IIIS Shantala Priyadarshini (India), as well as other experts of Indian culture and yoga specialists.
The conference working language is English, combining the onsite event with the participation of lecturers online.
Everyone interested is invited to participate in the events dedicated to the International Day of Yoga after prior registration.
 International Institute of Indic Studies (IIIS) invites everyone to participate in a yoga practice class, as well as attend an international conference, aiming to introduce the wider Latvian society to yoga, which for thousands of years has been helping people to create a more harmonious daily life, improve health, advance spiritual development and interpersonal relationships. The events will take place in the UL Academic Centre in Torņakalns, and anyone interested is invited to attend them free of charge upon prior registration.){kind=link}