International Yoga Day - 21st June

Origin : The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by the current Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi during his speech at UNGA (united nations general assembly) , on 27 September 2014 . 

He stated :

Yogistic is a valuable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of stillness with oneself, the world and the nature. By changing lifestyles and creating consciousness, it can help in well- being. Let us work towards adopting an INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY. 

The origins of yoga are shrouded in mystery and mythology while some historians find many clues in the practices of Himalayan Shamans as still be seen in Tibet and Nepal. The Lord Shiva is considered as the father of Ancient Yoga while some of historians claim that Patanjali is the father of modern Yoga. 

By the 5th century BC yoga was becoming well known and begun to appear in Vedic scripture. The word Yoga is a Sanskrit word and it comes from the root Yuja which basically means to bind to align to hold.

WHY 21st JUNE AS YOGA DAY ?

When proposing 21 June as the date of yoga, it is said that the date was the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, having special significance in many parts if the world .From the perspective of yoga, the summer solstice mark transition to Dakshninayna. The first full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima . Shiva , the first 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). 

Author : Vidya Bhushan Sharma