International Day of Yoga (Redirected from International Yoga Day)

International Day of Yoga
Also calledYoga Day
Observed byWorldwide
TypeInternational
SignificanceOfficial United Nations promotion of global health, harmony and peace
CelebrationsYoga
Date21 June
Next time21 June 2023 (2023-06)
FrequencyAnnual
First time21 June 2015
International Yoga day at a glance

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated in ancient India. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his UN address in 2014, had suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.[better source needed]

Origin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Yoga Day celebrations in New Delhi, 21 June 2015

The global movement of the World Yoga Day was founded on June 21, 1987 in Tripunithura, Kerala, India by Guru Dileepji. On June 21, 1993 he started World Yoga Festival in his native place in order to promote the movement for the World Yoga Day. On September 14, 1999 Guru Dileepji moved to New York City and started the promotion for the World Yoga Day. Guru Dileepji met with H.H. Swami Bua Ji Maharaj, the centenarian yoga master (who lived 123 years) and prominent religious leader at the United Nations. Guru Dileepji mentioned to Swami Bua Ji about the World Yoga Day and Swami was happy to help him. Swami asked Guru Dileepji to visit United Nations HQ. Guru Dileepji met with UN Secretary General H.E. Kofi Annan at the United Nations and discussed with his idea. There after Guru Dileepji changed the name for this global movement from World Yoga Day to International Day of Yoga. In June 2007, Guru Dileepji organized a World Yoga Festival at the Consulate General of India in New York and announced the official plan for the International Day of Yoga. In June 2009, he went to Portugal and met with the board of trustees of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation and signed an agreement in order to proceed the memorandum giving to the Government of India. The idea of a World Yoga Day was endorsed by yoga gurus for the first time in 2011 at the Yoga: A Science for World Peace’ conference in Bengaluru.

The idea of an International Day of Yoga, initially proposed by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, was promoted by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 27 September 2014. He stated:

Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies 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 yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.

— Narendra Modi, UN General Assembly

Following this initial proposal, the UN adopted the draft resolution, entitled "Day of Yoga", on 2014. The consultations were convened by the delegation of India. In 2015 Reserve Bank of India issued a 10 rupees commemorative coin to mark the International Day of Yoga. In April 2017, UN Postal Administration (UNPA) issued 10 stamps on Asanas on a single sheet to mark International Day of Yoga.

Significance

Yoga means Sanskrit: योग, lit. 'union' (with cosmos or Atman) which signifies a way of uniting an 'individual self' (Atman, living being) consciously with Cosmos or eternal reality (i.e. Brahman) in which individual is part of. According to Hindu legends, Shiva is considered to be the originator of yoga. He is said to be the Adiyogi, the first yogi (adi ="first"). Summer solstice holds importance in the yogic culture as it is considered to be the very beginning of the yoga. Yoga was brought to the people by the "Saptarishis". The Vedas explain how Shiva's second teaching as a Adiyogi was devoted to the Saptarishis. It is said that Shiva was sitting in blissful meditation for years, many people flocked to him out of curiosity, but left as he never paid attention to anyone. But seven people stayed, they were so determined to learn from Shiva, that they sat still for 84 years. After this, on the day of summer solstice, when the sun was shifting from the northern to the southern run, Shiva took notice of these 7 beings - he could no longer ignore them. The next full moon, 28 days later, Shiva turned into the Adiguru (the first teacher), and transmitted the science of yoga to the Saptarishis.

UN Declaration

On 11 December 2014, India's Permanent Representative Asoke Mukherji introduced the draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly. The draft text received broad support from 177 Member States who sponsored the text, which was adopted without a vote. This initiative found support from many global leaders. A total of 177 nations co-sponsored the resolution, which is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA resolution of such nature.

When proposing 21 June as the date, Modi said that the date was the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere (shortest in the southern hemisphere), having special significance in many parts of the world. In Indian calenders, the summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The second full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima. In Hindu mythology, Shiva, the first yogi (Adi Yogi), is said to have begun imparting the knowledge of yoga to the rest of mankind on this day, and became the first guru (Adi Guru).

Following the adoption of the UN resolution, several leaders of the spiritual movement in India voiced their support for the initiative. The founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, stated, "this could be a kind of a foundation stone to make scientific approach to the inner well-being of the human being, a worldwide thing... It's a tremendous step for the world." The founder of Art of Living, Ravi Shankar, lauded the efforts of Modi, saying, "It is very difficult for any philosophy, religion or culture to survive without state patronage. Yoga has existed so far almost like an orphan. Now, official recognition by the UN would further spread the benefit of yoga to the entire world."

In practice

A girl student doing yoga on International Yoga Day at Panjab University, Chandigarh (India); click by Vikash Kinha
International Yoga Day in New Delhi
International Yoga Day in New York City, United States
International Yoga Day in Vladivostok, Russia

The first International Day of Yoga was observed around the world on 21 June 2015. The Ministry of AYUSH made the necessary arrangements in India. 35,985 people, including PM Modi and dignitaries from 84 nations, performed 21 asanas (yoga postures) for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi, becoming the largest yoga class ever held, and with the largest number—84—of participating nations. Similar days have been held in cities in India and around the world each year since then.

In 2020, Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov recorded a video message to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of International Yoga Day.

Reception

An Associated Press report in 2015 noted that the first "International Yoga Day" involved "millions of yoga enthusiasts" who "stretched and twisted", as well as Modi and members of his cabinet. It stated that the main road in Delhi had become an exercise area for the occasion, and reported that while Modi was speaking of "peace and harmony", some people in India thought the promotion of yoga was a partisan Hindu operation. It reported that a sequence of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) was dropped because Muslims objected to the implication that the sun was the Hindu god of the sun, Surya; the chanting of the Hindu sacred syllable "Om" was also dropped. Others considered that the money spent on the event might have been better spent on cleaning Delhi's streets.

The Christian Science Monitor wrote in 2016 that the 2014 United Nations resolution had been "wildly popular" but noted that yoga had a "meditative component" and had become known as not only a form of physical exercise but also a mental and spiritual practice. It gave as evidence the 2015 sermon by Pope Francis cautioning Roman Catholics about the idea that yoga could be a path to God; it noted, too, that Modi had replied to the charge that the Day was intended to promote Hinduism with the words "Yoga is not about the other life. Therefore, it is not a religious practice".

The Week stated in 2015 that the government of India's purpose in holding International Days of Yoga was to have yoga recognized around the world as "India's cultural property", citing India's minister of yoga, Shripad Yesso Naik as stating "We're trying to establish to the world that it's ours." The Week wrote that this was not likely to succeed, not least because many types of yoga were already being practized in the Western world. The article noted that Christian evangelicals agreed with the Indian government that yoga was "primarily a Hindu spiritual practice", but quoted the scholar of religion Ann Gleig as saying that most Western yoga was markedly changed by being in the West, and was devoid of religious content; the "ironically" agreeing views of strongly religious Hindus and Christians were "historically flawed".

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-07-22 16:31 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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