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Australia, Italy and Greece. Swami Vivekgyanam (earlier Pathros Yanakiens) is one of the 108 Greeks on a visit to India in connection with the yoga meet. He had been in close contact with Swami Satyananda's ashram in Greece for the last 20 years.
"Greeks have accepted yoga with great enthusiasm. After all, there is so much similarity between the Greek and Indian cultures," he says with a smile. Vivekgyanam says most Greeks love India and are always eager for a visit to this “Wonderful land”. After a long stint of yoga, Vivekgyanam feels, "good and lighter. I have developed an inner awareness through regular yoga practice," he says.
The Hitis have started their own yoga school in Slovenia.
Manjula Hiti is a doctor and her husband Janez is an electronic enginer. Their Tara Yoga Center has 90 students. Manjula is of Indian origin and she has been practising yoga for 30 years. Through yoga she has overcome several health problems, including headaches and stomach disorders.
Convinced that yoga is the best remedy for all diseases, Manjula is now trying to treat her patients, combining yogic techniques with ayurveda and acupuncture along with allopathy. She says, “Regular practice of yoga means freedom from ailments and medicines."
She is proud to trace her origin to India.
The Times of India
4.11.93
YOGA FULFILLS SPIRITUAL NEEDS THE WORLD OVER
MUNGER, Nov. 4 (PTI) - The World Yoga Convention, which concluded here today, gave a lie to the saying that the east and west shall never meet.
A large number or foreign delegates from various corners of the globe were seen moving in groups sharing a new cultural experience with Indian yogis. The sprawling venue presented the look of a fair ground with shops and stalls selling soft drinks, snacks, books and beads while the Departments of Post and Telecom set up a communi
cation center and a post office for the visiting delegates. This correspondent, who spoke to a cross section of the foreign delegates, found that yoga was very popular abroad particularly in Australia, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. Australia sent about 300 participants, about 80 delegates were from Italy, and the largest European contingent of 106 was from Greece. When asked why yoga was so popular in their respective countries, the delegates said that due to social tension and mental
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