International Yoga Day or simply, Yoga Day is celebrated on 21 June 2018. It was first time recognized in 2015. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, had put forth the plans to recognize Yoga, when he gave a speech at United Nations General Assebly, or UNGA, on 27 September 2014. He considers Yoga an invaluable tradition of India, that is rooted in its ancient history. It is a harmony of body and mind, and an approach that leads to the well being of human beings. It helps a person discover himself or herself, and strengthens his bond with nature, and his or her own body.
It helps people to be more conscious of their surroundings, and the people around them. Yoga is practiced in a broad range of cultures and religion, from Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and is steeped in the popular culture too. And even though the origins of the practice are unknown, or at least the records are vague, it can be traced to the pre-vedic times, in fifth or sixth BCE.
The earliest mentions of Yoga are from Upanishads, in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which goes back to the 1st CE. It has slowly been adapted into the modern world, and has spread around the world, with people practicing it in groups, daily and persuading others to try the aasans for their physical and psychological health. Spiritual leaders and gurus have been very crucial to the rise in the awareness of Yoga around the world, beginning with Swami Vivekananda.
Greetings on International Yoga Day. Sharing glimpses of #InternationalYogaDay2018 at Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/1L7EWppsEx
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) June 21, 2018
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