International Day of Yoga Special: “Yoga- Key to Physical Fitness &Mental Calmness”

New Delhi News: In the recent past, India proposed in the U.N. General Assembly the idea of celebrating June 21st as the International Yoga Day. Highlighting the significance of Yoga, it was quoted- "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies the unity of the mind and the 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 nature...Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day." Recognising the importance of yoga in attaining wholesome wellness, on December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21st of June every year as 'The International Day of Yoga'. The proud aspect in the origination of this day is that the U.N. General Assembly just took about 90 days (minimum duration ever) to declare the day as World Yoga Day.

On June 21st, 2015, the first stage of World Yoga Day was set. Millions of yoga mats were rolled out, with people doing surya namaskar, anulomvilom, brahmri and various other yogasanas and pranayamas. It was a proud moment for India, who is the father of yoga way of fitness. From New York to New Delhi, as millions rolled out their mats to do yoga, the sight radiated with real energy and excitement. More than 190 countries came together and marked the grand beginning of the International Yoga Day. Through this day, India has shown the world the way to adopt the centuries-old discipline, which is very well suitable for the 21st Century.

Why 21st June? June 21st is the longest day of the year. On this day, the sun rises earliest and sets late in the northern hemisphere. However, besides this, another legend is attached with this day.

As per the mythological legend, it is said that once Shiva, the Adiyogi (christened as the first yogi) was sitting in yog sadhana. When people saw him, they gathered near him to attain enlightenment. However, the Adiyogi continued to delve in his sadhana. After a long wait, everyone left except seven people. They were determined to seek knowledge from the Adiyogi. They kept waiting for 84 long years, where after, the Adiyogi opened his eyes and noticed the seven people sitting in front of him. At that moment, the sun was undergoing a shift from northern to the southern run, and it was the day of the Summer Solstice. From that day onwards, he started disseminating the ways of yogic science to his disciples.

Yoga and Pranayama are a wonderful means to channelize our energies upwards and drive stress away from our mind. They thus impart both physical fitness and mental calmness. Therefore, every morning, before sunrise, devote some time for Yoga and Pranayama. Yoga also teaches us to attain mastery in discipline and patience, which is very much needed in the present-day tensed scenario. It’s a perfect blend of physical exercises (which stretch and make every muscle work) and breathing exercises (which relax our mind). As a matter of fact, owing to the bagful of benefits offered by yoga, more and more people all over the world are adopting this way of fitness. Working professionals have time and again expressed their views on the yoga way to fitness. For instance, the Marketing Director of DLF Emporio Mall says- "Yoga helps you stay calm in the most chaotic and stressful situations". The Managing Director of Woodland remarks- "A mind-calming yoga session makes for an excellent post-gym workout. The stretches soothe your muscles, whereas the breathing exercises relax you wonderfully. It has brought more consistency into my workout routine. I feel more energized throughout the day."