Yoga in the News

Swami Ramdev Ji's recent appearance on a small Scottish island has Scotland—at least—agog. Note that the owners of the island said they are "trying to promote a healthy lifestyle."

I think they have an uphill battle. Scotland is of course the home of Scotch, which is good; but also haggis and deep-fried Mars bars, which are not so much.

The nation has struggled for decades with health problems including poor dental health (making the fried Mars bar iconic), alcohol abuse and excessive smoking. None of that is very comical, considering Scotland's numbers in many health measurements are among the poorest in Europe.

Then there is the climate. Careful observers will note the sullen grey sky in the article's photos. In Scotland, that is called sunshine. It's a little difficult to say where a swami with 80 million followers should start in a first world country that seems to be trying for third world status. As far as I know, changing the climate would be a little bit beyond him. However, it's reasonable to suggest that many of Scotland's health problems are a response to miserable weather.

Therefore, Swami Ramdev might start with something on the lines of "let a swan be your umbrella on a rainy day." It can't hurt to lighten up a few hundred thousands of a country with a notoriously dour attitude.

But I want to see him toss the caber.