The International Day of Yoga is celebrated every year on 21 June each year, after its creation in the United Nations General Assembly last year. Yoga is a holistic physical, psychological and spiritual discipline that originated in India. The word yoga means “to join” or “unite” in Sanskrit. It was used by the Hindus to explain the relationship between the human body and the spirit or “God.” Since ancient times, yoga has been used to heal the body, mind and emotions.
Objectives and key activities
The main objective of the international day of yoga is promoting unity among people. There are various links which tie in yoga to spirituality. In the United States, it is celebrated with much enthusiasm and pride. The main celebrations of the day are: first, let us start with the sunrise.
A series of activities like pranayama (breathing), japa (contemplation), asana (physical postures), pratyahara (retracting from the past), dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditative breathing). Some people also perform asanas and mudras at this time.
The second activity related to the celebrations is the concluding activity for the day called “Svanasana”. The participants dress up in sarees and take a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake. The participants then proceed towards various places of yoga headquarters.
The third activity associated with the celebration is “Malkit” or “Mudra” which is a combination of yoga postures and chanting. This is a pre-raidana ritual which is performed two days before the main event. The event is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout India. On the first morning of the new year, all cities and major towns have programs for yoga.
An important link between Yoga and International Day of Yoga
There is another interesting connection between the Yoga and International Yoga Day. On the very day that the first International Yoga conference was organized in India, the first Yoga conference in London was organized by the Yoga Alliance. The association has offices in all major cities of the world. During the conduction of the first conference, there was a question and answer session, which lasted for over three hours. It was attended by representatives of more than 200 organizations and individuals from all over the world.
This was the first international day of yoga, where all the representatives came together to exchange information and develop strategies for future work. After the conference, there was another joint meeting of the Supreme Tribal Council and the Ashtanga Yoga Federation of Great Britain. The prime agenda of this meeting was to chalk out a program to mark the first year of the new millennium. They decided to increase global membership to fifty percent of the current membership. In doing so, they made it possible for the yoga colleges and institutions to expand their yoga programs to areas like Japan, Taiwan, China, and Bhutan. The growth spurt was such that by the end of the next decade, there will be nearly one hundred centers of Ashtanga Yoga Organization throughout the world.
Highly concerning primary goal of World Yoga Day
It is a common misconception that the primary goal of the World Yoga Day is merely to celebrate the ancient knowledge of Yoga. That could not be further from the truth. The theme of the event is simply to bring the worldwide community closer to each other. Its primary target is achieving true integration of the mind, body, and spirit. According to its official website, the main objectives of the organization are: “To celebrate the joy of the human spirit – Yoga is about union with the eternal God within; teaching people to live an integrated life with their spiritual, physical, emotional, and physiological being in perfect balance.” The goal is to bring the world together for a greater awareness of the interconnectedness of all things.
If you are wondering what the primary goals are of the International Yoga Day of Yoga, then you might want to read more about it online. You can also look for other celebrations and events that you may be interested in. It is important that you stay updated with the happenings all over the world. If you know of an upcoming festival, it would be nice if you could join in on it. It would help you learn about a new culture and you would be able to expand your knowledge about Yoga.
