International Yoga Day: History, Benefits & Themes

As we all know yoga is one solution to many problems. It benefits physical and mental health. Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice. Originated in India. International yoga day is celebrated on 21st June. Every year yoga day has its theme according to yoga's importance.

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

PM Narendra Modi introduces international yoga day. In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly conference, he presented his proposal for Yoga Day. This yoga day promotes yoga worldwide and ancestral heritage. The International Yoga Day celebration began on 21st June 2015. Many countries, like the USA, Japan, Ireland, and Greece, have participated in Yoga Day celebrations in the past. For instance, in 2019, the USA celebrated International Yoga Day with a series of events and workshops in 15 cities across the country. The events included yoga sessions, lectures, and cultural activities. The goal was to raise awareness and appreciation for the ancient practice. The celebration was a success, with thousands of participants attending the events. It is estimated that around 25 crore people across the world will participate in various events for Yoga Day 2022.

YOGA IN INDIA

Yoga was first practiced in the pre-Vedic period. Yoga has a rich history. Yoga was founded by Sage Maharshi Patanjali. Yoga was first mentioned in ancient sacred texts called the Rig Veda, which were written in Sanskrit. These texts are thought to be from the pre-Vedic period, which means they are at least 5,000 years old. For instance, the Rig Veda contains references to yogic postures, meditation, and breathing exercises that are still practiced today.

The traditional number of asanas is 84. There are many yoga postures, one of them is SURYA NAMASKAR which is very well known. Make sure that you practice yoga asanas according to your health problem and daily routine to lead a healthy life. Asanas provide the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and can offer physical and mental benefits when practiced regularly.

Yoga has been promoted by the government through several initiatives. In India, the government organizes many competitions for yoga day

1. Quiz
2. Survey
3. Poster making
4. Essay writing
5. Compose a jingle
6. Suggest a yoga theme

Also, you will get a certificate from the government for taking a pledge to yoga throughout your life.

In the 2017 International yoga day celebration at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, the International Day of Yoga was celebrated and created a new record. People from 150 countries participated and 51,000 participants set a new record.

These activities make people more aware of yoga’s importance.

International Yoga Day Theme Every Year-

2015: Yoga for Harmony and Peace
2016: Yoga for the Sustainable Development Goals
2017: Yoga for Health
2018: Yoga for Peace
2019: Yoga for the Heart
2020: Yoga at Home and for Health
2021: Yoga for Well-being

This theme is influenced by the situation and trends of every year. Also, this theme’s purpose is to grow yoga’s popularity and importance worldwide. Almost every country has some new form of yoga practice that is growing since yoga involves a variety of forms and exercises as well as meditations.

Meditation centers play a vital role for people who want to engage in yoga and spiritual practices. These centers are set up away from the cities to avoid distractions. You will get help to make your lifestyle change and get direction on maintaining your lifestyle. There you can connect with nature and your subconscious mind.

Yoga For Students

Every school hires a yoga teacher to train the students. They will know the importance only through the guidance of the school, parents, and yoga classes. We can see the growing opportunities for physical education among students in the same way that yoga has developed its importance among students. The schools also added yoga chapters to inform students of yoga types and history. As a result of getting trained in yoga, people begin teaching yoga classes to others. As well as in India, other nations are also focusing on yoga practices because they benefit our bodies and minds.

Yoga benefits all of us if it is practiced daily:
> Strengthen the muscle.
> Flexibility in the body
> Improved respiration, energy, and vitality
> Maintaining a balanced metabolism
> Balance body weight
> Cardio and circulatory health
> Increase athletic performance

YOGA FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Yoga helps in dealing with mental health problems as we can see around us today’s generation suffers from many types of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc. But many people don’t know how to deal with it and some people don’t want to talk about it.

Daily practice of yoga reduces mental stress and improves cognitive performance. It also helps with emotional control, making your mind sharp, decision-making, memory, learning, reaction time, and accuracy on tests of mental acuity. Yoga also deals with love and compassion for others.

CONCLUSION

Yoga reduces health problems and helps physical and mental functioning. Meditation may boost executive functions. It is the unity of mind and body through yoga practice. Yoga helps to increase flexibility, build strength and improve posture. Meditation can help to improve focus and concentration and reduce anxiety and depression. We all try to perform yoga daily and make ourselves healthy for a better future.

By: Swati Priya