Unity Through Yoga: Honoring International Yoga Day🧘♀️
WHEN IS INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2024?🗓️✨
Unwind and find your balance on International Yoga Day, June 21.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY🧘♂️🌿
On International Yoga Day, enthusiasts worldwide unroll their yoga mats to practice, unaware that yoga’s origins trace back 5,000 years to India. Initially a spiritual discipline aimed at unifying mind, body, and soul, yoga has evolved into a popular exercise and relaxation method in the West, acclaimed for promoting overall well-being and alleviating physical ailments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed International Yoga Day on September 27, 2014, at the UN General Assembly. The resolution, introduced by India’s Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji, designated June 21, the Summer Solstice, as International Yoga Day. This date, with the most daylight, was fitting for a practice celebrating illumination and enlightenment. The proposal garnered unprecedented support from 177 nations. The first International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015, saw nearly 36,000 participants, including Prime Minister Modi, performing 21 asanas for 35 minutes in New Delhi, marking the beginning of a global celebration. 🎉
INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY TIMELINE📜🌏
- 200 BCE: Earliest records of yoga’s existence.
- September 27, 2014: India proposes International Yoga Day. 🇮🇳
- June 21, 2015: First International Yoga Day celebrated in India.
- June 21, 2018: Over 100,000 participate in the largest yoga lesson in India. 🏅
TRADITIONS OF THE DAY🧘♂️🌸
While International Yoga Day is a new holiday, yoga itself is an ancient practice that revitalizes the mind and calms the soul. The day encourages people to adopt yoga, align with their inner chakra, and experience the yogi lifestyle. New practitioners buy mats and yoga attire, while seasoned yogis explore new routines and invite friends to join. Special group yoga retreats are often organized.
BY THE NUMBERS
- $2.5 billion: Annual spending by Americans on yoga instruction. 💵
- 5%: People who have given their children or pets Sanskrit names. 🐶👶
- 300: Circulation of the first edition of “Yoga Journal.” 📚
- 10: Pages in the first edition of “Yoga Journal.” 📄
- #1 reason for practicing yoga: Wellness. 🌱
- #1 reason for quitting yoga: The teacher. 🧑🏫
- 1.7 million: American children under 17 practicing yoga. 🧒
- 1975: Year the first issue of “Yoga Journal” launched. 🗞️
- 15%: People attending annual yoga retreats. 🏞️
- 200,000: Yoga instructors in India.
Facts about Yoga💯
- Widespread practice: About 36 million Americans practice yoga regularly, about 10% of the population. 🇺🇸
- Diverse styles: There are over a hundred styles of yoga.
- Social media favorite: At any time, 60 million posts are trending on Instagram related to yoga. 📸
- Yoga mat invention: Angela Farmer created the first yoga mat in 1982 using carpet underlay. 🧘♀️
- Inspirational: Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestseller “Eat Pray Love” was inspired by her yoga experiences. 📖
WHY WE LOVE INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY🌍🧘♀️
- Inclusive: Yoga is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, religion, nationality, or fitness level. There are modifications for every pose and beginner classes in every style. 🌍🧘♀️
- Stress relief: Regular yoga practice helps manage stress, promotes mental clarity and calmness, and relieves chronic stress, back and neck pain, sleep issues, and headaches. 😌💤
- Health benefits: Yoga strengthens the spine, reduces back pain, stress, anxiety, and tension, aids in weight reduction, maintains a balanced metabolism, and increases flexibility, among other benefits. 💪🧘♂️
