“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Yoga” This year’s International Yoga Day theme is ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ which elegantly summarizes our collective passion for ‘One Earth, One Family, and One Future.’

“On June 21, Celebrate International Yoga Day by Stretching your Body and Relaxing your Mind like Never Before”. as the PM mentioned.

Yoga is a wonderful accomplishment of our culture and India’s beautiful gift to the rest of the world. Yoga connects the body and mind and gives a holistic approach to life. Yoga brings us all in a better position to face the continually increasing challenges that surround us.

History

People all across the world are getting ready to roll out their yoga mats and start stretching for International Yoga Day, but they may be unaware that yoga originates back centuries.

Yoga is believed to be an ancient practice that originated in India 5,000 years ago.Yoga was established as a means of connecting the mind, body, and spirit in order to go closer to enlightenment. As yoga achieved popularity in the West, it was promoted as an exercise and relaxation approach, with promises that it could improve the body’s general well-being, alleviate physical ailments, and relieve chronic pain.

It is both an art and a science for living a healthy lifestyle. Yoga leads to perfect harmony between the mind and the body, between man and nature, between individual awareness and universal awareness. It contributes to the development of psycho-physiological health, emotional balance, and the management of daily stress and its effects. Yoga is also beneficial in situations where stress is suspected to be a factor. Yoga Asanas, Pranayama, Dhyana (meditation), cleansing, and relaxation practices have been shown to help modify the physiological response to stressful circumstances.

In light of this, the Ayush Ministry has developed guidelines regarding physical and psychological well-being.

Origin of Ideation

The idea for the Celebration of International Yoga Day was introduced for the first time by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 27, 2014, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where India’s Ambassador, Asoke Kumar Mukerji, sponsored a resolution to establish June 21 as International Yoga Day.

The date of June 21 was selected because it is the solstice of summer, the day with the maximum sunlight of the year. Overall, it received encouragement from 177 countries, which is the largest number for any UN resolution declaring June 21 as International Yoga Day.

On June 21, 2015, nearly 36,000 people, including Prime Minister Modi and many other high-profile political figures from around the world, performed 21 asanas (yoga postures) for 35 minutes in New Delhi to commemorate the first International Yoga Day, which continues to be celebrated around the world.

Today’s Tradition

Because International Yoga Day is a new celebration, there are no time-honored rituals. However, yoga is an ancient art form that refreshes the mind and comforts the soul. The purpose of the day is to encourage new people to embrace the yogi lifestyle and align with their ‘inner chakra’. 

Beginners enroll in yoga and create their own sequence of movements to their favorite soothing sounds. Before beginning yoga, new mats and yoga clothes are purchased. Those who are already proficient in yoga experiment with new combinations and introduce it to their friends. Instructors also provide special group yoga retreats.