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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 21, 2019 10:53 AM IST
The International Yoga Day, which is to be celebrated tomorrow, is a global campaign to spread awareness about the innumerable benefits of this mind-body technique. © Shutterstock.
On 11 December, 2014, the United Nations declared June 21 to be the International Day of Yoga. People all over the world celebrate this day with yoga practices and campaigns to create awareness about the health benefits of this ancient Indian custom. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the idea of dedicating a day to yoga. He also recommended that June 21 be declared as International Yoga Day because it is the longest day of the year. This day is significant in many cultures across the world.
Yoga has gained huge popularity around the world over the last decade. Derived from Sanskrit, the word yoga means 'to unite'. Experts believe, yoga asanas are the most effective ways to establish a deep connection between the body and mind. That is why it is known as a mind-body technique. The International Yoga Day aims to help us reap the benefits this exercise regime.
This day focusses on a specific theme every year. This year, the theme for International Day of Yoga is 'Climate Action'. As the theme suggests, the focus of this programme this year is on making people aware about how yoga can modify human behaviour to build a culture of climate sensitivity in the global community. Yoga helps you be more aware of yourself and your surroundings, which is essential for creating a green, sustainable environment.
Yoga is a way of life. Practising it regularly can take you towards attaining a healthy body and mind. This is what the International Yoga Day intends to highlight and educate the global community about. Due to its numerous science-backed health benefits, even doctors are recommending patients to go for it.
Yoga is not only about holding your breath and bending your body. It can enable the energy within you to become ecstatic and give you a sense of contentment. Yoga improves your body's flexibility and helps build your muscle strength. It boosts blood circulation helping in better transportation of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. You can perform yoga asanas to improve your posture as it teaches how to control and balance the body. Needless to mention, yoga uplifts your mood and infuses your body with fresh energy. Practising yoga can provide anti-aging benefits and help reverse premature ageing. It can lead to better lung function, stimulate organs, increase immunity and improve gastrointestinal health, core strength and pain tolerance. It can also help you improve your sex life and lead to better concentration.
On 27th September, 2014, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of dedicating one day in a year as International Yoga Day. He stated, "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in wellbeing. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."
Following this proposal, the UNGA took the initiative to celebrate International Day of Yoga and held consultations on the draft resolution. Luckily, it received huge support from 175 states which was a record of sorts. After the adoption of the UN resolution, the world observed the first International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2015. This year, we will celebrate the 5th yoga day.
Every year in India, there is a pre-decided venue for the celebration of International Day of Yoga. This year it is in Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand. PM Modi will be attending this event at the Prabhat Tara ground in the city along with 30,000 people, says AYUSH Ministry officials. This nodal body has organised various programmes since the inception of this day. Numerous other yoga programmes will be held at Rajpath, Red Fort, Nehru Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Yamuna Sports Complex, and Swarna Jayanti Park in the National capital of India as well.
In 2015, AYUSH organised an event at Rajpath in Delhi, where 35,985 people, including Narendra Modi and dignitaries from 84 nations, performed 21 yoga postures for 35 minutes. Also, NCC cadets in the country performed yoga at different venues.
In general, the entire world gears up on this day and celebrates it. People from all walks of life come forward and participates in different events. Some organisations set up conferences to make people aware about the benefits of yoga. You can also contribute your bit by making promotional videos about the significance of yoga in everybody's life and posting it on social networking sites. Post awareness posters or even a picture of yourself in a yoga pose. You can gather real life stories of people who have benefited from its practice and share them. This is one of the best ways to motivate people to practice yoga.
