International Day of Yoga– History and Relevance
INTRO
Yoga traces its origin to 5,000-year-old Indian physical, mental and spiritual practice which aims to transform mind, body and soul. If, we could look back a decade or two, Yoga was confined to very few nations predominantly India, as its origin could be traced in Indian ancient scriptures. Till recently, the western countries considered, yoga as tool for physical exercise for toning the body. However the tireless efforts of the leading yoga institutions and teachers of India, the benefits of yoga in fighting various ailments and in developing a sound mind, body and soul – the basis of a calm, peaceful ,healthy and happy life, Yoga started gaining momentum. Now with the UN declaration to adopt and celebrate 21st, June as International Day of Yoga, global community is once again looking at yoga.
21st June was declared as the International Day of Yoga on 10TH December 2014 by the United Nations consequent to the bill mooted being supported by more than 175 member countries. The man behind this mission is none other than our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who has strong belief in Indian ancient traditions and values.
UN & IDY on 21 June
Less than three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea, the UN General Assembly on December 10, 2014 adopted an India-led resolution declaring 21 June as “International Day of Yoga”, recognizing that “yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being.”
The resolution on “International Day of Yoga” was introduced by India’s ambassador to UN Asoke Mukerji on Thursday and had 175 nations joining as co-sponsors, the highest number ever for any General Assembly resolution.
For the first time such an initiative was proposed and implemented by any country in the UN body in less than 90 days. Through the resolution, adopted under the agenda of “Global Health and Foreign Policy,” the 193-member General Assembly decided to proclaim 21 June every year as the “International Day of Yoga”. It recognized that yoga “provides a holistic approach to health and well-being” and that wider the dissemination of information about benefits of practising yoga would be beneficial for the health of the world population.
PM in his address to UNGA had asked world leaders to adopt an international Yoga day, saying that by changing lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. “Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and wellbeing,”..
In suggesting 21 June as the International Day of Yoga, PM Modi had said that the date, one of the two solstices, is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. The vision articulated by the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed initially by the member nations and a testimony to the enthusiastic cross cultural and universal appeal that Yoga enjoys amongst members of the United Nations..
In his message on the passage of the resolution, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said in declaring 21 June the International Day of Yoga, the General Assembly has brought attention to the holistic benefits of the ancient practice on health and well-being in the modern world. Ban said: “Yoga can contribute to resilience against non-communicable diseases and can bring communities together in an inclusive manner that generates respect. Yoga is a sport that can contribute to development and peace and can even help people in emergency situations to find relief from stress.”
UNGA president Sam Kutesa congratulated PM Modi for the initiative, saying the adoption of the resolution with overwhelming support demonstrates how both the tangible and unseen benefits of Yoga appeal to people around the world. “Yoga brings thought and action together in harmony, while demonstrating a holistic approach to health and well-being,” he said. The messages of support by Ban and Kutesa reflected the convergence of views of the leaders of two of the major organs of the UN system, the General Assembly and the Secretariat, said the Indian mission.
Besides proclaiming 21 June as the international Yoga day, the resolution invited all member and observer States, organisations of the UN system and other international and regional bodies to observe the day in order to raise awareness of the benefits of practising yoga.
IDY -2015
The First International Yoga Day was held in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself at Rajpath. In first of its kind event all over the world, almost 21 yoga asanas were performed by dignitaries from 84 nations and accompanied by the Prime Minister. Two Guinness World Records were set up. The first record was for being the world's largest yoga class and featured by 35,985 people and the second one was for having maximum number of participating nationalities that is 84.
In his address, the Prime Minister said, "From
the Upanishads, comes the idea of Yoga to transform human consciousness through
control of body and senses through constant practice. The body is the vehicle
for the realization of the Supreme Being." he said, "The problems of
modern lifestyles are well known. People suffer from stress related ailments,
lifestyle related diseases like diabetes and Hypertension.
India post released commemorative stamps, First day cover and minisheet on the occasion of the IDY 2015.
Reserve bank of India released two commemorative coins of denomination of Rs.10 and Rs.100 on the same day
IDY -2016
Chandigarh was the venue for International Yoga Day. Celebrations in 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the Yoga enthusiasts at the 2nd International Yoga Day Celebrations on June 21st, 2016 at Capitol Complex, A total of 30,000 participants- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana participated in the event. While the main event was held at Capitol Complex, city residents did yoga at a total of 180 centres across the city. The theme of International Yoga Day 2016 was “Connect the Youth” to attract the youth to adapt yoga in their daily lives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address said Yoga has become a “jan andolan” or people’s movement since its launch in the previous year as he exhorted the people to stay fit and healthy with regular practice of Yoga.
IDY-2017
It was a rainy start to the third edition of International Yoga Day in Lucknow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed yoga along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and 51,000 participants at Ramabhai Ambedkar Sabha Sthal, Lucknow. President Ram Nath Kovind also performed yoga at Central Park in Delhi. Many business leaders in India also took part in the event.
Indian missions in the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, among other countries, held programs on yoga with participants from various sections of society. Thousands of participants gathered to practice yoga at Times Square, New York. . Japan created a Parliamentary League for the promotion of yoga just prior to the event, in April 2017. In China, the largest gathering was 10,000 participants in the city of Wuxi. In Athens, the event took place on June 25 as part of the Greek Open Yoga Day and in Kyiv, the event happened on June 18 and gathered a few hundred participants. In Ireland, participants met in the round room of the City Hall in Dublin.
IDY 2018
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lead the IDY 2018 celebrations at the the Forest research institute in Dehradun, which is one of the most refreshing city and also known as the YOG capital of the world. The event will witness a gathering of around 60000 people. Dehradun is also known for valleys and pleasant climate. Prime Minister has been taking very keen interest right from the time when the first International Yoga Day took place and the PM participated in it at Rajpath. President Ram Nath Kovind who is on a visit abroad, will join the nation in IDY 2018 celebrations from Surinam.
Scientific and mythological rationale behind June 21:
June 21 is the day of the Summer Solstice, when the tilt of a planet's axis in the northern hemisphere is most inclined toward the star that it orbits - in our case, the Earth and the Sun. June 21 is considered the longest day of the year with the sun rising early and setting late for the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice is also considered an important day in Indian mythology as it marks an event that could be considered the start of Yogic science.
Significance of the logo of International Day of Yoga:
1) Folded hands Symbolize Yoga, the union, which reflects the union of Consciousness with that of universal Consciousness, a perfect melodious harmony between mind & body, man & nature.
2) The brown leaves symbolize the Earth element, the green leaves symbolize the Nature, blue symbolizes the Water element, brightness symbolize the Fire element and the Sun symbolize the source of energy and inspiration.
3) Yoga is soul. The logo reflects harmony and peace for mankind.
Promoting Yoga
Various Yoga Schools/ Universities/ Organizations have tirelessly propagated and promoted yoga across the globe. The multi-faceted advantages of yoga in enhancing mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of an individual with long term benefits for leading a good life, has made yoga popular across the globe. Apart from this the multi-disciplinary research in different fields, yoga has attained therapeutic importance and people look at yoga in preventing and maintaining various ailments.
Changes in life style, food consumption patterns and sedentary habits have not only added to the disease burden which has taken its toll on the health of the people and the finances of the people. It has not only cast its shadow on the health of the individual, but also led to an imbalance in the harmony with the unrest especially in the younger generation.
The enthusiasm shown by most of the countries across the globe, in celebrating the International Day of Yoga on 21, June for the wellbeing of their citizens is quite an encouraging sign. India has been the home of Yoga and now the tradition is being carried forward by none other than the Prime Minister. Hence the onus is now on each and every individual to actively take part, and promote the benefits of yoga for a healthy and fit nation.
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