Two institutions from Chennai — National Institute of Siddha in Tambaram and Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine in Royapuram — figure among the list of spaces in various that are to be promoted as Yoga Parks.

An initiative of the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, Yoga Park Portal encourages corporates, resident welfare associations and other like-minded groups to promotes these spaces for wellness programmes.

As on the date, the portal has more than 60 parks across cities registered with them with four being from Tamil Nadu.

A ‘Yoga Park’ would serve as a dedicated space developed within existing ‘parks’ in both rural and urban areas, with support from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies.

These parks are designed to provide a structured, accessible, and inclusive environment for the regular practice of yoga and wellness activities, says a note on the website. The initiative aims to promote healthy lifestyles, community participation, and preventive healthcare by offering nearby residents a serene and well-equipped space for daily yoga practice and holistic well-being.

On June 21, which is International Day of Yoga, both these institutions will be hosting Yoga Day and other wellness programmes.

The huge space that these institutions have is one reason why they easily qualify to be promoted as Yoga Parks.

National Institute of Siddha, for instance, is spread across 14 acres and runs a medical college along with the hospital. Yoga is offered as a speciality and is also prescribed to patients. The Institute is opening up its campus for corporates to invest in improving its infrastructure. “We have identified an open area roughly measuring 200 sq metre within our campus, which can be promoted for yoga, so we have registered for funding under CSR,” says a senior staff with the Institute.

For more details, visit https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/yogapark