India Celebrates International Day of Yoga; Theme Being Yoga for Wellness
‘International Day of Yoga’ is being celebrated the world over today and this year’s theme is ‘Yoga for Wellness.’
‘International Day of Yoga’ is being celebrated the world over today and this year’s theme is ‘Yoga for Wellness.’ International Yoga Day is celebrated annually on 21 June after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested this date in the United Nations General Assembly back in 2014.
He suggested this date as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.
In his UN speech PM Modi stated: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; 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 the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”
In an event marking the seventh International Yoga Day PM Modi said, “Today, when the whole world is combating the coronavirus disease pandemic, yoga remains a ray of hope.”
He also launched the mYoga app that will be available worldwide in different languages. The app stands for ‘One World, One Health’ Motto.
After the PM addressed the event, the Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga conducted a live demonstration of Yoga from 7 am to 7:47 am. Around 15 yoga gurus and spiritual leaders delivered messages at the event.
Today celebs like Sara Ali Khan, Model Milind Suman and many others took to social media and shared their Yoga centric posts.
Sara Ali Khan wished her fans on this special day and shared a picture of herself striking the Vrksasana (tree pose) pose and captioned the picture with these words, “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self Happy International Yoga Day (sic).”
Malaika Arora expressed that everyday is a yoga day for her. She acknowledged that Yoga helped her to cross some of the toughest days of her life both personally and professionally. It has taught her to be grateful for the life she has and the people in it.
Sachin Tendulakar shared a pic where he’s seen striking a yoga pose with his children. He captioned the post, “Celebrating #InternationalYogaDay by doing some Yoga together! Not just swachh bharat, a swasth bharat is equally important.”
The wellness and holistic occasion will be celebrated in 75 cultural heritage locations in India. Camps were set up across India following Covid-19 protocol in sites like Agra Fort, Shanti Stupa in Ladakh, Ellora caves in Maharashtra, and Nalanda in Bihar. The number of people has been restricted to 20 only. Digital initiatives have also been taken up Ayush Ministry to help people have access to Yoga from the comfort of their homes due to the pandemic.