Lima, Peru—More than 150 guests attended UPF-Peru’s celebration on June 28, 2022 of the UN International Day of Yoga. The forum was held at the auditorium of Libertador Ramón Castilla Institute and was co-sponsored by the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Peru, and the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSPP) Peru.
The Forum brought together outstanding leaders, including the general secretary of IAPP Peru, Dr. Teresa Otiniano, and the secretary general of UPF-Peru, Mr. Jaime Fernández. Mg. Carlos Alberto Yrigoyen, president of Ricardo Palma Foundation; Carlos A. Espinoza, president of Cosmobiological Scientific Association, Maravilla del Universo; Ysabel Rodríguez, a psychologist; and Leia Rojas Reategui, a lawyer representing the Women’s Federation were invited speakers.
“Yoga is important for our health, to reduce stress in these difficult times where almost every day we are facing new challenges on every side.” With these remarks, Dr. Trevor Jones, executive president of UPF-Peru, opened the forum. Dr. Jones also shared with the audience the goals that UPF achieved in the last years, focusing on the need to develop initiatives in each of the UPF Associations around the country.
“Yoga is a great power itself, an adapted form of existence that allows us to achieve our maximum well-being,” said the cosmo-biologist Carlos A. Espinoza. “When we practice yoga, we become aware of something within ourselves: inner peace. Peace is inside us.” He reminded us of the importance of this date by citing the words of the former secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon: “Yoga can bring communities together in a global way that builds respect.”
Likewise, psychologist Ysabel Rodriguez showed the impact of mental health problems in the population, focusing on the increase of anxiety and depression in youths and adults. Ms. Rodriguez also pointed out the effects of good habits like yoga in mental health: “In order to find peace, we should find our purpose of life, becoming aware that we are an integrated being.”
“Yoga is the world’s heritage. Thanks to the development of contemporary thinking, we understand that we are part of a greater whole,” said Mg. Carlos Alberto Yrigoyen. “Yoga means unity. The unity of the visible and invisible, the material and spiritual, what we can grasp emotionally and intellectually. When we reach unity, we are doing yoga.”
“Yoga helps us with our mental health,” said Ms. Reategui from WFWP-Peru. She proposed the importance of promoting mental health topics and good habits like yoga to our children and families. “We can do more and we should do more for our children and for us, in order to improve our mental health.”
As part of the forum, 25 new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed, among which were district authorities, academics, religious leaders, businesspeople and civil society leaders. The new Ambassadors for Peace were introduced by Dr. Trevor Jones and the incorporation of New Ambassadors for Peace ceremony was conducted by Mr. Jaime Fernández.
Among the newly appointed ambassadors were the congressman of the Republic of Peru, Dr. Raúl Huamán Coronado; the dean of the Callao Bar Association, Dr. Guillermo Aguilar Velásquez; and the national dean of the College of Teachers of Peru, Mg. Pablo Ocaña Alejo.