All the respected dignitaries present on the stage, and all the Yoga loving brothers and sisters present here in large numbers.

I bow down to all the Yoga enthusiasts present in all such programmes across the country from the land of Lucknow.

Yoga is helpful in controlling your mind; it teaches you how to live with a healthy mind in all the upheavals of life. However, today, I see thousands of people in this massive Lucknow ground; there presence conveys the importance of Yoga in life but the people of Lucknow also showcased how Yoga Mats can be used if there is a rain. You are present here despite incessant rain, your effort to strengthen the glory of Yoga is commendable.

Yoga itself has started its journey from individual to all the mankind. There was a time when Yoga was practiced only by ascetics, hermits and monks in the Himalayan caves. But with the passage millennia, with the passage of centuries, Yoga has become part of every household, has become part of life of millions and millions of people. Many countries of the world that are neither familiar with our language, nor familiar with our traditions, they are not familiar with our culture either but due to Yoga the entire world is connecting with India. Yoga – that connects body, mind and soul, that Yoga is playing extremely important role in connecting the world with India.

When International Day of Yoga was approved by the United Nations with the record votes in the least possible time, since then there would be hardly any country in the world that does not conduct any programme on Yoga, where curiosity and awareness about Yoga have not increased.

Several new Yoga institutes have developed in the last three years due to Yoga. Demand for Yoga trainers have gone up many fold in the last three years. Youth are preparing themselves to adopt Yoga as a profession in these training institutes. There is a demand for Yoga trainers world over. Yoga has created a new job market in the world and Indians are given the first preference world over in this sector.

There was a time when Yoga was practiced by individuals in their own way. However, standardisation is taking place gradually, what are the stages, how to develop in Yoga, first stage, second stage and so on. Efforts have been made within and outside India to standardise Yoga across the world in a gradual and scientific manner.

Last year UNESCO has recognised Indian Yoga as an eternal heritage of mankind. There is a greater awareness about Yoga, about how to train students in schools, in colleges in Yoga and how it can gradually become a part of their lives. Today, there are several states in India which have included Yoga as a part of their education system so that the future generations can become familiar with centuries old this Indian science, can practice Yoga and Yoga can become part of their life. 

There are several concepts about health, however, wellness is more important than just being healthy and being fit.  That is why Yoga is one of the best ways to easily attain wellness. Today, there is no doubt, no question about Yoga anywhere in the world. Yoga adapted itself with changing times, several societies of the world contributed, added in Yoga’s development. Yoga was continuously developed as per the age of practitioner, as per the place, time and circumstances and Yoga continued to expand. And that is why I appeal to the people of the country, to the people of the world on this important occasion to adopt Yoga as part of their lives. We may, may not become masters or achievers in Yoga but we can certainly become practitioners of Yoga. And when we practice Yoga for the first time then we realise that several of our important organs, that we never cared about, how weak they have gradually become. And when we start practicing Yoga then we ourselves can feel the revival of our dormant organs. And it doesn’t require a divine spirit. People who practice Yoga for the first time they realise that their organs that have become dormant have started reviving, have started to become active.

Sometimes people ask me that you talk a lot about the importance of Yoga. I explain them in a very simple language that salt is one of the cheapest item, it is easily available, however, if you remove the salt from daily food then it’s not just that the food becomes tasteless; absence of salt in your food also deeply hurts your internal body system. Salt is required in very small quantity but nobody can deny its importance in body functioning. Nobody can deny its necessity. Salt alone cannot sustain life but life cannot be sustained without salt. We can make Yoga part of our life the way we have done with salt. There is no need to practice Yoga too much or round the clock. Fifty minutes, sixty minutes, and I’ve said it earlier also that Yoga has the power to provide health assurance at zero cost.

Healthy body, healthy mind and healthy soul; if one-hundred and twenty-five crore people attain this health then we can protect the mankind from the dangers created due to negative thinking.

And therefore on the occasion of the third International Day of Yoga I offer my sincere congratulations to all the Yoga enthusiasts world over. I also express my gratitude to all the countries in the world for the joy and enthusiasm they showed for the event. And I also express my kind gratitude to the people of Lucknow.     

Thank You.

***

AKT/KT/AK