International Day of Yoga
Describing yoga day as a ‘global festival’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yogic energy is giving direction to global health.
“Yogic energy, which has been nurtured for centuries by spiritual centres of India like Mysuru, is today giving direction to global health,” Mr Modi said while addressing a gathering on the occasion of 8 th International Day of Yoga at Mysuru on June 21.
An estimated 15,000 people had gathered for the mass yoga event at the iconic Mysuru palace early in the morning. Governor of Karnataka Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal were among the participants, along with Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru.
Global co-operation
Mr. Modi said yoga is becoming a basis for ‘global co-operation’ while also providing belief of a healthy life to mankind. “The practices of yoga are giving wonderful inspiration for health, balance and co-operation. When we start living yoga, Yoga Day becomes a medium to celebrate our health, happiness and peace,” he said.
Yoga, Mr. Modi said, had ‘now come out of households and had spread all over the world’, which was a ‘picture of spiritual realisation, and that of natural and shared human consciousness, especially in the last two years of unprecedented pandemic’.
He said yoga was not for any individual, but for the entire humanity. Hence, this year’s theme is Yoga for Humanity to portray how yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For peace
Quoting Indian sages, Mr. Modi said yoga brings peace. “The peace from yoga is not merely for individuals. Yoga brings peace to our society. Yoga brings peace to our nations, and the world. Yoga brings peace to our universe.
“The whole universe starts from our body and soul. The university starts from us. Yoga makes us conscious of everything within us, and builds a sense of awareness,” Mr. Modi said.
Pointing out that India is celebrating yoga day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75 th year of independence, the Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister said, “The widespread acceptance of yoga day is the acceptance of that ‘Amrit spirit’ of India, which gave energy to India’s freedom struggle.”
“That is why mass yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country, which have been witness to the glorious history of India and have been the centre or cultural energy,” he said while adding that the experience of collective yoga at the historical sites of India was like ‘tying together India’s past, India’s diversity and India’s expansion’.
Way of life
Mr Modi also pointed out, “Yoga is not just a part of life for us. Today, it has become a way of life.”
Yoga, the Prime Minister said, need not be limited to a particular time and location. “No matter how stressful we are, a few minutes of meditation relaxes us and increases our productivity. Therefore, we do not have to take yoga as an extra work. We have to know yoga and we also have to live yoga. We have to achieve yoga, we have to adopt yoga. When we start living yoga, Yoga Day will become a medium for us, not to do yoga, but to celebrate our health, happiness and peace,” he said.
