Yoga is the greatest gift of India to the world. It is an ancient practice that has survived ages and keeps on thriving even in the modern world. The best definition of Yoga was given by BKS Iyengar who said, “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” For more than 5000 years yoga has been used by the Indians to keep a harmonious balance between mind and body.
When the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition” the world listened and accepted the importance of Yoga. After his address, India presented the draft resolution in 2014’s UNGA suggesting that June 21 should be declared the International Day of Yoga.
A year later, the UN declared in 2015 that June 21 would be celebrated as the International Day of Yoga with 175 countries supporting this resolution. The resolution note said, “The importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.”
Ever since then every year many countries have joined India to celebrate World Yoga Day.
What makes Yoga different from other exercise routines?
Yoga is not only a physical exercise. Since ancient times it has been used as a multifaceted spiritual tool to enhance both health and mental well-being positively. It can be divided into multiple components like asanas, pranayama, and meditation which both individually and collectively have immense health benefits.
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Asanas is a type of physical exercise that includes focussing on different body parts and breathing. Nowadays, different types of Yoga have evolved such as Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, and many more. An individual can choose his type of Yoga but the asanas should be initially practiced under the guidance of a trained Yoga teacher for better understanding and results.