International Day of Yoga 21 June 2023 - Theme & Importance

The International Day of Yoga is a worldwide healthcare event observed on the 21st of June every year for the past eight years. During this day, various local and global communities gather around to perform yoga collectively with the aim of raising awareness about the numerous benefits of practising yoga.

Yoga is an ancient mind-body relaxation therapy which originated in India. Various studies have examined the effects of yoga on psychosocial variables such as depression, fatigue, and health-related quality of life. Since yoga training also focuses on body postures, it is believed that it also has positive effects on various physical variables; evidence suggests that yoga may have positive effects on muscle strength and flexibility, lung capacity, bladder function, balance, and some spatio-temporal gait variables.

Yoga in Breaking Boundaries

Although practised by religious ascetics, the references to Yoga can be found in ancient Hindu script dating 2,500 years ago; the mass participation of yoga by Indians, nevertheless, is a recent activity, originating in the 20th century.

Swami Vivekananda introduced yoga to the West, who had been to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago to talk about India and Hinduism in 1894. His book Raja Yoga attracted Western audiences towards yoga. More Indian gurus and disciples would go to the West in the next decades.

Recognising the widely acclaimed advantages and growing popularity of Yoga around the world, the 14th Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, proposed an International Day of Yoga in the United Nations (UN) in September 2014 and after three months, UN recognised the 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga.

International Yoga Day is observed on the 21st of June, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, apart from holding significance in other regions of the world.

International Day of Yoga 2023 Theme

This year 2023, the International Day of Yoga theme is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” which emphasises the transcendence of yoga and its practice regardless of colour creed religion and country of origin around the world. 

The Sanskrit phrase "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" means "the universe is one family" or "the entire planet is one single family." It is based on the Maha Upanishads, which are ancient Indian writings. This principle expresses the belief that all humans are interconnected and should live in harmony and cooperation with one another, regardless of nationality, religion, race, or any other kind of division. 

The exemplification of this unifying thought of “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम” was witnessed in Nepal which organised the 2nd Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship with participating teams originating from eight South Asian countries including Saudi Arabia that won the competition, bagging 5 medals. 

Year by year, the themes for International Day of Yoga are:

• International Day of Yoga 2022 Theme: Yoga for Humanity
• International Day of Yoga 2021 Theme: Yoga for Wellness 
• International Day of Yoga 2020 Theme: Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home
• International Day of Yoga 2019 Theme: Climate Action
• International Day of Yoga 2018 Theme: Yoga for Peace
• International Day of Yoga 2017 Theme: Yoga for Health
• International Day of Yoga 2016 Theme: Connect the Youth
• International Day of Yoga 2015 Theme: Yoga for Harmony & Peace

Ashtanga Yoga (The Eight Limbs of Yoga) 

The yoga sutras of Patanjali describe the eight limbs of yoga, which are meant to shine the light on the pathway for a purposeful and meaningful life. They are:

1. Yama - Ethical principles and integrity are necessary for helming a path towards satisfaction and happiness, which provide us with daily guidance. The five types of Yamas are ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha.
2. Niyama - Spiritual observances combined with self-discipline provide a path to satiety and happiness as they guide our daily lives. The five types of Niyamas include: Saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, and ishvara pranidhana.
3. Asana - Asanas include the physical practices of yoga, their movements, poses and postures, which are combined with pranayama (yogic breathing) 
4. Pranayama - Pranayama is the yogic respiratory technique which connects the mind and body by moving the 'life energy' or prana throughout the body.
5. Pratyahara - Pratyahara is the process of directing intentions or focusing inward. Meditation is the technique of regaining inner peace by withdrawing the senses and focusing inside.
6. Dharana - Meditation that is necessary for enhancing concentration
7. Dhyana - Uninterrupted meditation in which the state of focus aimed towards the union point with the divine
8. Samadhi - Singularly focused meditation for the divine connection for the experience of joy or bliss
   

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