AP Ministers, officials to undergo course on 'joyful living'

Hyderabad, Jan 28: Andhra Pradesh ministers and government officials will undergo a three-day crash course on 'Inner Engineering – for joyful living' from Thursday.

Nearly 300 people, including ministers and government officials like IAS, IPS and IFS officers, will take part in the course, being held by Isha Foundation run by spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the CMO said in a statement.

"This is the first time that a state government will be working closely with an organisation to incorporate yoga and meditation into its schedules. The government will also work on charity activities with the Foundation," it said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be at the inaugural session and also participate in an 'in-conversation' session with Vasudev on January 31, the closing day of the programme.

According to Naidu, the programme is a team-building exercise which will give clarity of thought, teach how to maintain work-life balance and increase the happiness quotient of officials. This, the Chief Minister believes, would eventually lead to improvement in governance and administration.

The sessions will include preparatory asanas, breathing exercises, exploration of tools for inner balance and joy and tools for translating inner well-being to external effectiveness. The sessions are said to increase efficiency, equip officials with multitasking skills, handle stressful situations with calm and clarity, elevate personal values and life goals and improve communication and relationships through an increased understanding of others, the statement said.

"This will also establish a positive, open approach towards life, transcend limitations and go beyond our fears, live with a deep sense of inner peace and fulfilment, develop a state of happiness and ease, achieve a heightened state of consciousness and awareness of body.

PTI