INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

OVERVIEW :-

YOGA has remain an integral part in the life of humans since thousands of years. The oldest work that gives information about yoga is Yoga sutras by Maharishi Patanjali. Maharishi Patanjali (200BC-150BC) gave every minute details about the classical yoga in this book. This book is considered as the foundation of classical yoga. It has been translated in more than 30 Indian languages.

MAHARISHI PATANJALI

But it was seen that in this modern world, the young generations are detached from Yoga practice and very less number of people clearly knows about how to practice different asanas in yoga, what are their health benefits and who should practice which types of asanas.

To preserve rich heritage of Yoga it was decided that from the year 2015, Yoga day will be celebrated every year on the 21st June because it is the longest day of the year scientifically.

ORIGIN OF YOGA DAY :-

In the year 2014, Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In his addressing, he firstly gave the idea of celebrating 21st June of every year as Yoga Day.

OFFICIAL LOGO OF INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

This proposal was official brought in the UNGA later in the year 2014. As per the UN, 177 member countries gave their support on this proposal. After this, the UN officially declared 21st June of every year to celebrate Yoga Day.

The lines quoted from PM Modi’s speech at the UNGA is as under:-

“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.” — Narendra Modi, UN General Assembly.

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA REGULARLY :-

  • Yoga builds the muscle strength who practice it daily. People can prevent themselves from diseases like arthritis by strengthening their bones and muscles.
  • Yoga improves the flexibility of muscles and prevent people from backbone and joints related problems.
  • Yoga increases the blood flow in the body. In this world when most of the work are done by machines, humans spent their time mostly sitting at one place. When their is less movement of body parts, the blood flow rate also decreases and it creates various diseases. Different Yoga asanas are proven effective to increase the blood flow in the body.
BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA REGULARLY
  • Practicing Yoga daily improves the immune system by strengthening the stomach and other muscles used in digestion process.
  • Practicing Yoga improves the focus by strengthening the brain cells.
  • It calms the blood pressure and helps in getting a better sleep.
  • Many Yoga asanas are proven scientifically to improve the strength of lungs muscles and maintain better oxygen level in the body.

CELEBRATION OF YOGA DAY IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES :-

Every year Yoga Day is celebrated in many countries around the world with full dedication and enthusiasm. Large number of people gather at public places and practice Yoga together.

In the year 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic, all the programs on Yoga Day were held in virtual mode. For year 2021 official theme was – Yoga for Well-Being. Yoga has remedies to all major diseases including the current pandemic disease COVID-19. Yoga has been proven effective against COVID-19 also.

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Published by dorish777