International Yoga Day

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice having its origin in our country. “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies the 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 you, the world and nature. “

International Yoga Day, or commonly referred to as Yoga Day, is observed every year on June 21 since its inception in the year 2015. Yoga itself is a very old practice that is followed in India since time immemorial. Its origin can be traced back to Lord Shiva, who is also called the Adi Yogi (first guru) and is known as the teacher to all the yogis in the world.

The idea to observe June 21 as Yoga Day was first proposed by our Prime Minister during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014. June 21 is also the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The day is known as summer solstice and has special significance from the perspective of yoga. Summer solstice is known to mark a transition to Dakshinaya. This transition is considered supportive to yoga practitioners as Dakshinayana is considered as a period of natural support to spiritual practices. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow performed yoga along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and around 51,000 participants at Ramabai Ambedkar Sabha Sthal.

World Music Day is also observed on 21st June. Fete de la Musique or World Music Day 2017 is also being celebrated today, June 21, marking the beginning of summer solstice. Initiated by France in 1982, World Music day has been adopted by over 120 nations across the world, including India.

In the modern world of rat races, students and job aspirants are pressurised beyond belief and unrealistic cut-off marks do not help. In such a situation, one can only hope to make sure they keep their mind and body healthy so as to be able to concentrate on their studies. Yoga can be an effective tool to soothe you and stay relaxed, not only this yoga also helps in building concentration and releasing anxiety or stress. You can start doing yoga barely 15-20 minutes a day at first to stay healthy spiritually, mentally and physically.

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