AYUSH
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA, 2024
Yoga for Self and Society – Nine Years of IDY
Posted On: 20 JUN 2024 3:15PM
Introduction: nine years of putting yoga on the world map
On September 27, 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his address to the United Nations General Assembly proposed to dedicate June 21st as day to celebrate Yoga across the world. Less than three months later, on 11th December 2014, 193 members of the UNGA and 173 co-sponsor countries unanimously approved the resolution of the United Nations in which the establishment of 21st June as the International Day of Yoga was passed.
In its resolution, the UNGA agreed that Yoga offers a holistic approach to health and well-being, and that widespread promotion about the benefits of practising Yoga is necessary for the global population’s health. Yoga brings about harmony in all areas of life and is known for its significant role in preventing diseases, promoting health, and treating many disorders related to lifestyle.
Significance of june 21
The day is observed to raise awareness about the benefits of practising yoga and to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It is celebrated on June 21st, which marks the summer solstice - the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The day holds special significance in many cultures around the world, and hence, it was chosen to highlight the importance of yoga in bringing harmony and balance to the world.
The IDY Logo
The IDY logo reflects harmony and peace for humanity, which is the essence of Yoga.
- The folded hands on top of the head symbolize the harmony between mind and body, man and nature.
- The brown leaves symbolize the Earth while the green leaves symbolize nature.
- The blue symbolizes the water element while the brightness symbolizes the fire element.
- The sun stands for energy and inspiration
Celebration of IDY
Since 2015, International Yoga Day is celebrated across the world through various activities and programmes related to Yoga and health. IDY is marked by a harmonious 45-minute yoga
demonstration called the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP). Demonstrations and practice sessions are often organised in various languages, making yoga accessible to a global audience. Over the years, the celebration has included both physical and virtual events, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. These demonstrations are accessible globally, with videos available on YouTube in 22 Indian languages, 6 UN languages, and 9 other foreign languages. The CYP serves as a standardized yoga practice to ensure uniformity in the celebration of IDY worldwide.
IYD 2024
Union Minister of State for Ayush (Independent charge) Shri Prataprao Jadhav recently announced that the theme for this year’s IYD would be ‘Yoga for Self and Society’, adding that the theme highlights Yoga’s dual role in fostering individual and societal well-being. “Yoga nurtures physical, mental, and spiritual growth while promoting societal harmony,” he said. The Minister also announced that this year the IDY celebrations would be held in Srinagar, with Prime Minister Modi once again at the helm.
Activities Planned for IYD 2024
Several activities have been planned to spread the message of Yoga nationwide. Shri Jadhav has launched a ‘Common Yoga Protocol Book in Braille’ Script to support the visually impaired to learn and practice Yoga. He also launched a comic on Yoga which has been named “Professor Ayushman”. “This book will help children to learn and practice yoga with interest and entertainment,” he said.
As a special initiative, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is organising a unique initiative ‘Yoga for Space’ to mark IYD this year. Under the programme, all ISRO scientists and officials will perform Yoga together as per the Common Yoga Protocol guidelines. And in fact, the team from the Gaganyaan project will also join the global campaign of IYD by practicing Yoga on the occasion.
The MyGov and MyBharat portals have started the “Yoga with Family Video Contest” to awareness about Yoga and to inspire people to become active participants in IDY 2024. This contest encourages families worldwide to participate in the celebrations by shooting a 1-minute-long video of the entire family performing asanas together and uploading on the government websites.
“Yoga Tech Challenge” has been launched by the MyGov and MyBharat portals with the aim of identifying and supporting innovators, start-ups, companies or individuals who have created products such as devices, software, and accessories related to yoga. A “Yogasana Super League” has been planned.
MyGov and MyBharat portals will also distribute the Prime Minister’s Awards for Yoga (PMAY)-2024 to encourage the citizens to make Yoga a part of their daily lives. Various other Yoga-related quiz contests, jingle competitions and Yoga pledges are to take place as well.
In fact, a 100-day countdown to mark the ninth anniversary of IYD is already underway in which 100 IYD programmes in 100 cities took place. For example: the 100 Days to IDY event was organised at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 13th March while the 50 Days to IDY event was held at Surat, Gujarat on 2nd May. The 25 Days to IDY event was held at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, on 27th May.
Further, all the Government ministries and departments are actively participating in activities to promote Yoga.
IYD through the years: recent achievements
The First International Yoga Day was held in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself at Rajpath. In first of its kind event all over the world, almost 21 yoga asanas were performed by dignitaries from 84 nations and accompanied by the Prime Minister. Two Guinness World Records were set up. The first record was for being the world’s largest yoga class and featured by 35,985 people and the second one was for having maximum number of participating nationalities that is 84.
In the first year a total of 84 countries participated in the yoga session at one place and gradually each year witnessed increasing number of participants from across the world and last year in 2023, a total of around 23.4 crore people from across the world participated in the IDY event.
A Yoga Ambassadors’ Tour was conducted in 2018 during the fourth IDY in collaboration with Kerala Tourism with participants from 22 countries.
The “My Life My Yoga” vlogging contest was held in 2020 with 44,000 entries from 130 countries. Moreover, the Bhuvan Yoga app developed for enumeration of participants.
A Y-break initiative for the government sector as well as the the corporate sector was held in 2021. In the same year, the WHO mYoga app launched and at present over 50,000 people have already downloaded the app and are practicing Yoga.
In 2022, yoga was practiced at 75 heritage and iconic sites. Over the years the IYD has been celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the world. It has been held at iconic places like the Opera House to the grounds of the Eiffel Tower to the Cathedral of Brasilia, from the Dead Sea to the base of Mount Everest.
Additionally in 2022, the Global Yoga Ring - a 24-hour relay programme of IDY activities was conducted across the globe. This initiative was linked with Prime Minister Modi’s “One Sun One Earth” campaign.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Yoga from the North Lawns at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA where participants from more than 135 countries joined to show their commitment towards Yoga.
In India, during the main national event in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, over 15,000 enthusiastic participants performed Yoga asanas in the presence of Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Over the years there has been significant increase in the popularity of Yoga, and this influence can be seen all over the world. The number of people participating in Yoga Day events has also risen significantly since it was first introduced in 2015.
Over the years IDY has been conducted in various locations across the country. The venues in India include -
- 2015: Kartavya Path, Delhi
- 2016: Chandigarh
- 2017: Lucknow
- 2018: Dehradun
- 2019: Ranchi
- 2020: Virtual Mode
- 2021: Virtual Mode
- 2022: Mysuru
- 2023: Jabalpur & UN Headquarters, New York
- 2024: Srinagar
Reforms regarding organising the International Day of Yoga
The government has undertaken several steps to promote Yoga. These include -
- Establishment of the National Yoga and Naturopathy Promotion and Development Board, which is a national-level advisory body
- Encouragement to Yoga certification to ensure quality and excellence in Yoga training and means of skill development
- Motivation to evidence-based research in Yoga with the help of prestigious institutions like an AIIMS
- Promotion of Yogasana as competitive sports
- Massive outreach efforts through governmental and private collaborations
- Enhancing access to Yoga treatment and training through a network of Ayush Health and Wellness Centres
- Starting a universal project called ‘Yoga for All’ to reach the entire population in five years
Efforts to promote IDY include comprehensive campaigns through various media channels, active involvement of state governments, and public transportation systems. The goal is to integrate yoga into everyday life and underscore its benefits.
Conclusion
The International Day of Yoga is a powerful global movement that promotes health, well-being, and unity through the practice of yoga. Each year, the event grows in scope and participation, reflecting the universal appeal and benefits of yoga. The initiatives and activities planned for IDY 2024 continue this tradition, aiming to reach even more people and deepen the impact of yoga worldwide.
References –
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Santosh Kumar/Himanshu Pathak/Ritu Kataria/Arushee Pradhan
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