This year is the 10th year of International Day of Yoga and is a day where people worldwide celebrate the multitude of benefits of practicing yoga and honor the holistic advantages that it offers for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Yoga helps us cultivate mindfulness, reduce stress, enhance our overall health and vitality, and cultivate a sense of harmony and inner peace. International Day of Yoga invites individuals and communities to come together and experience yoga’s transformative effects. Moreover, its global observance promotes acceptance, recognition, and dissemination of yoga as a valuable tool for personal and societal health and harmony.
Recognizing yoga’s universal appeal, on December 11th, 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21st as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131. The International Day of Yoga (International Yoga Day) aims to raise awareness worldwide of the benefits of practicing yoga.
The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the proposal in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.” 177 nations supported it, the highest number of co-sponsors for any UNGA resolution.
The resolution notes “the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.” In this regard, the World Health Organization has also urged its member states to help their citizens reduce physical inactivity, which is among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide, and a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
This year’s theme is “Yoga for Self and Society.” Yoga, a transformative practice, represents the harmony of mind and body, the balance between thought and action, and the unity of restraint and fulfillment. It integrates the body, mind, spirit, and soul, offering a holistic approach to health and well-being that brings peace to our hectic lives. Its power to transform is what we celebrate on this special day.
International Day of Yoga celebrations create awareness about the holistic nature of yoga and encourage individuals to incorporate it into their daily lives for improved well-being. As you engage in your yoga practice on June 21st and over the weekend, pause and share gratitude for the many benefits this practice offers us: mindfulness; self-awareness; better balance, mobility, cognitive function and overall quality of life; pain management; improvement in mental health such as reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as help with stress management; improvement in flexibility and strength, and more.
I practice yoga for numerous reasons. I practice yoga because it brings me to peace. Yoga quiets the active, creative, and often overstimulated mind. The second Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is Sutra 1.2: Yoga chitta vrtti nirodha, or “Yoga is the stilling (regulation, quieting) of the turnings of the mind.” I am more present and engaged with life with the practice of Yoga. I’ll catch myself thinking about the past or the future (regretting, worrying, planning) or losing myself in the bombardment of information in the land of cell phones and social media. Many of the benefits of yoga stem from the ability to unplug and focus on what is going on in your mind, body, breath, and essence right now. This allows me to be present, happy, and grateful for the gifts all around me. Yoga teaches me how to witness my churning thoughts without allowing them to pull me down the rabbit hole. Yoga helps me maintain a state of inner calm and joy. I become clearer with each inhale and exhale. My nervous system calms and I become more present for whatever comes my way. Yoga teaches me to pause, breathe, and observe. This skill helps me to not say something I will regret, to observe before I react, to breathe more deeply and calmly when my body or my tongue wants to jump into action before my brain has a chance to assess. I practice because yoga reduces my inflammation and stress; it reminds me to know myself – that my true nature is kindness, compassion, loving, nurturing, forgiving, honesty, patience, and sincerity. When I practice yoga, I am part of a tradition whose origins can be traced to northern India over 5,000 years ago and it provides tools for enriching my life with physical, philosophical, and spiritual practices. By practicing yogic principles, I recognize myself in a sea of images and ideas that are not me; I am clear on who I am, and it brings all the scattered pieces back together into a whole, true being of love, light, and peace.
Why do you practice? Share it with someone today.
Love & light,
Jeanne