SpiceJet to give on-board yoga classes

To celebrate the maiden International Yoga Day, budget passenger carrier SpiceJet on Friday said it will launch a first-of-a-kind event that would showcase and encourage passengers to practice the ancient art on-board select flights.

The event has been dubbed by the company as "High-on-yoga@35,000 feet". The budget passenger carrier will organise the event on-board select flights on Sunday, June 21, 2015.

"SpiceJet is pleased to be the first airline in the world to demonstrate yoga on board. We are happy to be associated with the Prime Minister's initiative in promoting yoga in India," Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet, was quoted in a statement.

According to the airline, its cabin crew and instructors from Isha Foundation will perform "Upa yoga", in a routine designed specifically to be done in-flight.

The "Upa" is a simple yet powerful style of yoga that activates the joints, muscles and energy system and incorporates pranayams.

"Passengers on-board the select flights will be encouraged to participate in the yoga exercises while seated," the statement said.

The statement elaborated that 50 dedicated Isha instructors and SpiceJet crew members who have been specially trained to perform Upa yoga, will undertake a 10-minute session on-board select flights across the SpiceJet network.

"In addition to the in-flight activities, several hundred Isha Foundations volunteers will perform a simple form of yoga, Namaskar mudra, at SpiceJet check-in counters and boarding gates at select airports," the statement said.

The airline statement added that the yoga programme has been exclusively sketched for Boeing flights bound for destinations exceeding 1.50 hours.