World Yoga Day 2021, International Yoga Day 2021 Celebrations Highlights: India is celebrating the seventh International Day of Yoga virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. The lead programme of the event, held by the Union Ministry of AYUSH, began at 6:30 am. During the programme, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Kiran Rijiju and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. During his address, PM Modi announced that India, along with United Nations and WHO, is launching an app called M-Yoga aiming to provide easy access to Yogic practice all over the world. Meanwhile, images from various parts of the country emerged, showing people marking the World Yoga Day by practicing Yoga in small groups. Images also showed the Defence Forces performing Yoga despite being located in difficult terrains, including at an altitude of 18,000 ft in Ladakh and while being on a ship deployed for missions.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that helps in maintaining physical and mental well-being, and over the years, it has found popularity in other countries as well. In 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed marking a day as the International Day of Yoga in his address at the UN General Assembly, and the proposal was endorsed by 175 member states, post which the United Nations recognised June 21 as the day to celebrate Yoga. Over the past one and a half year, Yoga has gained more importance due to the coronavirus pandemic, and accordingly the theme for International Yoga Day 2021 has been decided by the UN to be “Yoga for well-being”.
Highlights
Yoga is India’s gift to the world. It is practised by people from all walks of life and is the most trusted way to keep one’s health in check. The COVID-19 pandemic is not just impacting the physical state but has lasting impacts on mental health as well. People are taking up Yoga to fight their isolation and depression in the lockdown period. Read more
Over the past few decades, Yoga, an ancient Indian practice dating back to the Harappan times or perhaps even earlier, has become a part of the daily lives of many living in the western societies, turning it into a multibillion-dollar business commodity. Like many other Indian cultural heritages that the West has embraced, the western perspectives on Indian yoga too tend to remain foggy, where it is viewed as an ancient tradition with certain health benefits, and associated with the imagery of old Vedic sages seated in padmasana. The same views and imagery are reflected on the glossy covers of various Lifestyle magazines, where we find glamorous icons in various aesthetically pleasing yoga postures. While people who grace these covers are doing a wonderful job of increasing awareness about the health benefits derived from daily Yoga, it’s also time the world and India take a deeper look at this ancient practice. Read more
Yoga is helpful in losing weight, relieving stress, improving immunity and building as well as maintaining physical fitness and mental and emotional well-being. There is no requirement of financial investment in Yoga, as it can be practiced at any place any time. Practicing Yoga on a regular basis is helpful in preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases in people of all ages, says Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia.
“During the lockdown, an increasing trend has been seen in the people over the world adopting Yoga to stay healthy and revitalized, as well as to combat social isolation and loneliness, was seen. Yoga has long been attributed to keeping the body clean and healthy, as well as maintaining balance and aiding in the recovery of modern-day ailments. Yoga asanas are proven to help people heal physically as well as mentally. It was created as a means of connecting the mind, body, and spirit in order to go closer to enlightenment”
Yoga is India’s invaluable gift to the world and it has helped several people deal with the COVID-19 crisis, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said while greeting people on the occasion of the International Yoga Day on Monday.
The CM participated in a programme at the Aguada Fort in North Goa district in the morning and performed yoga exercises along with others as part of the event. Read more
Over 3,000 people spread their mats at the iconic Times Square here and performed Yoga asanas keeping in mind social distancing guidelines to celebrate the International Yoga Day as the city opens up following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Consulate General of India, New York in partnership with Times Square Alliance hosted the 7th International Day of Yoga celebrations on Sunday at the popular city destination, known as the crossroads of the world. The day-long celebration themed as Solstice Event was attended by more than 3000 people. Read more
Relevance of Yoga has increased during COVID-19. Yoga has helped us to maintain our physical & mental health. We should make Yoga or other physical activities a part of our daily life. These will help us to increase our immunity against coronavirus: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan (ANI)
Prashant Agarwal, President of Narayan Seva Sansthan (NSS) Said, “The Pandemic has made every single person to be confided indoors. This has caused many people to lose focus on their Fitness. NSS will be organizing Digital Yoga Day for Divyangjan on International Yoga Day. This is an initiative for include the differently abled to be able to learn Yoga online. Yoga is known to be the most effective way to be fit. With an international proclamation, Yoga has proved to be a part of every single human beings life. The pandemic has also reinforced the confidence of people in Yoga through various multiple breathing exercises which help individuals to keep their breathing capacities strong and even make them fit. The online Yoga session conducted will allow the differently-abled to learn various Asanas which would prove to be useful for the differently abled. At the moment the differently abled are not focusing on fitness as they have been restricted further in their movement by staying at home. This initiative shall be fruitful in giving them a long term relief and imbibe this as a regular habit of keeping fit.”
On the occasion of International Yoga Day 2021, Yoga Guru HR Nagendra told Financial Express Online, “It should be our moral duty to build an immune, healthier and stronger India by adopting yoga as an effective adjunct to prevent such pandemics. I urge everyone to adopt Yoga as a lifestyle that is based on the science of holistic living.” Read More
India along with United Nations, WHO, has decided to launch M-Yoga app to help easy access to Yoga science across the world. The app would have Common Yoga Protocol-based videos in numerous languages of the world: PM Modi
Yoga tells us that there might be many problems out in the world, but we have infinite solutions within us. We are the biggest source of energy in our universe. We do not realise this energy due to the many divisions that exists. At times, people’s lives exist in silos. The shift from silos to union is Yoga: PM Modi
Whenever ancient sages of India spoke of good health, they did not refer to only physical well-being. This is why Yoga focuses on mental health along with physical health. Practicing Pranayam and meditation helps in experiencing our inner-strength. Yoga shows the path from stress to strength, and from negativity to creativity: PM Modi
Practicing Yoga helps in leading a long, happy and healthy life. Health is the biggest fortune for humans, and good health is the medium for achieving success: PM Modi