internationa body. You may know that Pilates is largely yoga-based, with simple names for yogic practices (though practitioners, and definitely instructors and franchisees will claim otherwise). So also Bates method, based largely on yogic trataka. Hypnotherapy is also hugely influenced by Indian dhyana, while the popular Progressive Relaxation Technique is based on yoga nidra. Last year an international dancer visiting Mumbai claimed to have created yogic dance therapy (largely, no doubt based on Bharatanatyam, referred to as flowing yoga or vinyasa yoga), while I was amazed to read an article by a popular international yoga magazine the claim by a North European that he had invented rope yoga (which is credited to Lord Hanuman and is a variant of the Mallakhamb or pole yoga). I can cite more examples where claims such as these when left unchallenged, will be granted patents. But we just cannot fret and fume about the government's role. In other countries the baton of such responsibility in promoting and preserving local pride, tradition, culture has been passed on to industrialists. Our country too has to engage private initiative in such issues.
