International Day of Yoga, or commonly and unofficially referred to as Yoga Day, is celebrated annually on 21 June since its inception in 2015. An international day for yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Maharishi Patanjali is the ‘father of Yoga’ who compiled 195 Yoga Sutras that became the foundation of Yoga philosophy
Why was June 21 selected to be International Yoga Day?
June 21 is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed this date at the United Nations General Assembly 2014.
1. Yoga for health and happiness
It was a Hindu reformer, Swami Vivekananda, who first introduced yoga to a larger audience. Vivekananda originally came to the US to seek funds to relieve poverty in India.
The date was recommended by Modi since it marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere. Many believe that it marks the day that Lord Shiva -- one of the Hindu Trinity -- began imparting yoga to his followers and became its first guru.
2. Value of physical exercise
Most people today associate yoga closely with physical exercise and postures, known as asanas, designed to strengthen and stretch the body. There is more to yoga, however, than the physical. Yoga also encompasses devotion, contemplation, and meditation.
3. Focusing on the self
A central practice of yoga is self-study, known in Sanskrit as “svadhyaya.” In the tradition of Patanjali, this means “the reading of sacred scriptures.”
Ultimately, self-study resides at the heart of a healthy yoga practice.
Ancient, but not timeless
Indeed, there is great power, and great mystique, in just how old yoga is.
"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" remains the first precursor of global citizenship as it is understood today - the concept that all individuals are collectively responsible for each other and their shared future. Ultimately, this "international binding" through International Yoga Day represents India's new global narrative. It could be as important to its quest for great power status as her candidature for permanent membership of the Security Council.
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