Finding its roots in India, yoga is in practice for more than 5000 years. But how did we come to celebrate International Yoga Day? In September 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed dedicating a day to yoga at the United Nations General Assembly. About 175 countries supported the idea and International Yoga Day was celebrated first on June 21st. The date coincides with the Summer Solstice, considered auspicious in many cultures.
Physical & Mental Benefits of Yoga
Considered a significant moment for India, the celebration of International Yoga Day is to promote awareness about yoga and its benefits. Yoga is a holistic practice that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. It is based on the belief that the body and the mind are interconnected.
In other words, physical well-being is not just about the body, but also about the mind and soul. Yoga aims to create a balance between mind and body through its various asanas.
The physical benefits of yoga are numerous. Yoga can help increase flexibility, strength, balance, and posture. It fights pain and inflammation in the body, reduces blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health. It helps reduce weight loss and improve digestion and strengthens your lungs, leading to better overall respiratory health. Yoga also provides benefits to the mental health of practitioners.
Regular breathing techniques and exercises fight stress, anxiety, and depression. It encourages us to explore techniques to relax the body and aims to increase self-awareness, leading to better focus, concentration, and improvement of cognitive function. It also promotes creativity and productivity.
Yoga is a beneficial tool to manage chronic health conditions like arthritis, backache, and multiple sclerosis. More importantly, it is a practice that can be modified to fit any individual’s needs and abilities.
Therefore, it is practised by people belonging to different age groups and fitness levels. It can be practised in a group setting or individually. Whether it’s a home or at a studio, yoga is an easy practice to incorporate into your everyday life.
Celebrations of Yoga Day
This year, International Yoga Day 2023 is a day to celebrate the benefits of yoga and promote it as an everyday form of exercise. This day is an opportunity for people from around the world to come together and be a part of yoga events and classes. The World Yoga Day will not only help create a sense of community but encourage workaholics, to make yoga a part of their daily life.
Recently, Yoga Mahotav 2023 was celebrated to commemorate 100 days countdown to International Yoga Day 2023. It was held in Delhi to promote the various aspects of yoga and its utilities. The event took place in different places in the capital city and included activities such as discourses by yoga gurus, yoga demonstrations, and yoga-related competitions.
The celebration of yoga day marks various events and activities that take place across the world. In India, thousands of people gather to practice yoga. Interestingly, the first international yoga day was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He practised different yoga techniques and asanas with everyone else.
Popularity of Yoga
The immense popularity of yoga has led to the establishment of yoga centres and studios across areas in the world. These places offer different types of yoga that cater to different levels of experience. From beginners to advanced practitioners, there’s a yoga class for everyone.
Making yoga an essential part of everyday life does not mean that we need to practise yoga for hours every day. Even just a few minutes of yoga every day can have a huge impact on our physical & mental well-being.
We can start by incorporating simple yoga poses into our morning or evening routine. It’s important to choose a yoga routine that suits our body and our schedule. Whether it’s hatha, vinyasa, or restorative, we can choose a regimen that suits our body type.
International Yoga Day 2023 For All Ages
Introducing children to yoga during their formative years have have several benefits for their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Yoga helps children develop body awareness, flexibility, build strength and increase balance and coordination. Just like in adults, yoga helps children manage stress, anxiety and improve their focus and build a positive self-image.
There are a lot of yoga poses for children, which include the tree pose, the butterfly pose, and the downward-facing dog pose. These poses are fun, playful and help children fall in love with the exercise.
Through yoga, children can learn important life skills like self-awareness, self-regulation, and resilience. It can help tune their bodies and their emotions. This will help develop strategies to fight stress and anxiety.
However, it is vital to keep the focus on fun and playfulness when introducing children to yoga. Children are naturally curious and enjoy exploration, so it’s important to incorporate creative and imaginative elements into yoga to engage and motivate them.
Yoga is a beneficial practice for children of all ages. With yoga, parents can help their children develop strong physical and emotional skills that will stay with them throughout their lives.
It’s now a well-established truth that physical and mental health are interconnected, and yoga is a perfect way to maintain this balance. International World Yoga Day helps us understand the significance of yoga and its positive impact on our lives. By promoting the practice of yoga, we can take a step towards a healthier lifestyle.
Making International Yoga Day 2023 Special
Yoga helps us stay physically fit as well as promotes our mental well-being. It is a holistic approach to wellness that is accessible to everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Therefore, let’s make yoga a part of our daily routine to lead a healthier & happier life. Let’s celebrate International Yoga Day 2023 with a lot of vigour and awareness for one’s body, mind, and soul.
