Trips Tours Travels Blog: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

21 June 2016

ABOUT THE IDY LOGO

Folding of both hands in the logo Symbolise Yoga, the union, which reflects the union of individual Consciousness with that of universal Consciousness, a perfect harmony between mind & body, man & nature; a holistic approach to health & well being.
The brown leaves symbolise the Earth element, the green leaves symbolise the Nature, blue symbolises the Water element, brightness symbolises the Fire element and the Sun symbolise the source of energy and inspiration.
The logo reflects harmony and peace for humanity, which is the essence of Yoga.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice Having its origin in India, Which Aims to transform both body and mind. On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21st as International Day of Yoga by Hon’ble Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein 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. “In Suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Mr. Narendra Modi had said that, "the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. "

Yogi and mystic, Sadhguru notes the importance of this day in the yogic tradition: “On the day of the summer solstice, Adiyogi [the first yogi] turned south and first set his eyes on the Saptarishis or Seven Sages, who were his first disciples to carry the science of yoga to many parts of the world. It is wonderful that June 21 marks this momentous event in the history of humanity.” http://idayofyoga.org/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=4

Origin

The idea of an International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Narendra Modi during his speech at the UNGA, on September 27, 2014.

He stated:

"Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. This tradition is 5000 years old. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; 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 UNGA held informal consultations on the draft resolution entitled "International Day of Yoga", on October 14, 2014. The consultations were convened by the delegation of India.^[5]

UN Declaration

On December 11, 2014, India's Permanent Representative Asoke Mukherji introduced the draft resolution in UNGA. The draft text received broad support from 177 Member States who adopted the text without a vote. This initiative found support from many global leaders. A total of 175 nations co-sponsored the resolution and had the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA Resolution of such nature.

When proposing June 21 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. From the perspective of yoga, the summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The first full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima. 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). Dakshinayana is also considered a time when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices.

Following the adoption of the UN Resolution, several leaders of spiritual movement in India voiced their support for the initiative. Founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, stated that "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." Founder of Art of Living, Ravi Shankar lauded the efforts of Modi, stating that "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."^[9]

2016 International Day of Yoga

In India, the ministry of AYUSH released a letter to all government departments stating that "the government of India has decided to take forward the momentum created by International Day of Yoga, 2015 with greater and more active participation of youth during the current year celebrations."^[10] The ministry will organize an event titled "The National Event of Mass Yoga Demonstration" at Chandigarh, which will be attended by the Indian Prime Minister.^[11]

India’s Permanent Mission to the UN will be organizing celebrations at the United Nations on June 20 and 21. A special event titled "Conversation with Yoga Masters – Yoga for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" is the centerpiece.^[12] Sadhguru will be the main speaker at the event.

2015 International Day of Yoga

The first International Day of Yoga was observed world over on June 21, 2015. The Ministry of AYUSH made the necessary arrangements in India. 35,985 people, including Narendra Modi and a large number of dignitaries from 84 nations, performed 21 yoga asanas (postures) for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi. The day devoted to yoga was observed by millions across the world.^[13] NCC cadets entered the Limca Book of Records for the "Largest Yoga performance simultaneously by a single uniformed youth organization" by performing at multiple venues.^[14]

The event at Rajpath established two Guinness world records awarded to the Ministry of AYUSH and received by AYSH minister Shripad Yesso Naik. The two records were for the largest yoga class, featuring 35,985 people,^[15] and for the largest number of participating nationalities (84 nations).^[16]

OUTLIVE

“Outlive” – A trip to oneself, is a personalized retreat with wellness programmes for the individuals and families from any country. It is basically a retreat programme for the professionals and individual from all part of the world. One of the basic section in Outlive is daily practice of yoga which is very beneficial for the individual in their stressful life. http://tripspro.blogspot.in/2016/06/outlive-journey-to-oneself_19.html

Weight loss, a strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good health whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer. However, very often, Yoga is only partially understood as being limited to asanas (yoga postures). As such, its benefits are only perceived to be at the body level and we fail to realize the immense benefits yoga offers in uniting the body, mind and breath. When you are in harmony, the journey through life is calmer, happier and more fulfilling.

The yoga journal explains about 38 benefits of yoga in daily life. (to read the benefits follow the link http://www.yogajournal.com/article/health/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit/ )