The 9th celebration of International Yoga Day was observed in India as well as in most of the countries around the world on June 21, 2023, with a new theme: “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which beautifully captures our shared aspiration for “One Earth, One Family, and One Future.” From the United Nations headquarters in New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the global celebration of yoga this year. Yoga is being made a medium to connect human beings. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed to celebrate Yoga Day at the United Nations meeting, after which it was announced on December 11, 2014, to celebrate June 21 every year as International Yoga Day. Due to India’s efforts regarding the importance of yoga, countries around the world started celebrating Yoga Day at the world level. Through Indian Yoga and Meditation, India is succeeding in achieving ‘Vishwa Guru’ status and a unique identity in the world. That is why International Yoga Day has been accepted by the whole world.
The vision and efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have created an unusual atmosphere for the international acceptance of Yoga Day. Today, every sphere of life is surrounded by problems due to pandemics, the Great War, terrorism, rising inflation, poverty, and unemployment, due to which every person and family is feeling extreme stress and pressure in their daily lives. Everyone is living a life of doubt, conflict, and mental turmoil. There is a crisis of life in front of man. The mental balance is getting disturbed. Mental balance means establishing harmony in different situations, and to achieve this, the powerful and effective medium is yoga. Yoga is such a technique and a science that heals our body, mind, thoughts, and soul. It removes our stress and frustration. When we do yoga, focus on the breath, do pranayama, and exercise, all this inspires our body and mind to be happy and cheerful from within. Yoga is a powerful way to get rid of the hustle and bustle of life.
Yoga is the process of purifying and enlightening the consciousness of man; it is an undertaking to elevate man; it is a means to establish balance in life; and it is the science of oneness with God and the universe. The realisation of oneself is the task of life, the goal. This realisation can neither be attained by discourse, nor by intellect, nor by listening a lot; for that, it is necessary to have self-realization, and this realisation happens only to the one whose conscience is pure and selfless.
The pure conscience is the mirror in which the vision of the soul, the manifestation of nature, and the vision of the self are seen. In a pure conscience, the intellect remains heavenly and clean, the mind as pure as the Ganges, the mind as steady as the light of a motionless lamp without wind, and the entire consciousness flows like rivers to meet the ocean. Just as one’s face is visible in the mirror only when the mirror is clear and stable, similarly, the Supreme power of self is visible only through a pure conscience. Yoga is such an effective form of exercise, through which balance is created not only in the parts of the body but also in the mind and soul. This is the reason that, apart from physical ailments, mental problems can also be overcome by yoga.
The importance of yoga, which is found in our Vedas or even earlier literature, is now gaining fame all over the world, and due to the Corona crisis, the usefulness of yoga has increased more than before. Seeing its benefits, everyone seems to be adopting it in their rushing lives and life crises caused by epidemics, war, violence, economic instability, and terrorism. Slowly, people are understanding that by doing yoga, not only the biggest diseases can be driven away, but also happiness can be brought into their lives, life can be balanced, work efficiency can be increased, and peace and harmony can be established.
Yoga is the only way to achieve physical, mental, and spiritual peace of mind. But in the occult age, the history of yoga is hidden in the infinite depths of time. By the way, some people also believe that the science of yoga is older than the Vedas. In the excavations done by the Archaeological Department of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, many such sculptures have been found in which Shiva and Parvati are shown performing various yoga asanas. Swami Vivekananda, who promoted Indian Yoga to the world, says, “A pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of truth. That’s why all spiritual practise is about purifying the heart. When it becomes pure, all the truths are reflected in it at that very moment. Unholy imagination is as bad as unholy acts.”
Modern materialistic and convenient life is pushing man towards disturbance, imbalance, tension, fatigue, and irritability, due to which the disorder is increasing. Yoga is such a powerful medicine that keeps the mind cool and the body fit to keep such a heterogeneous and discrepant life healthy and energetic. The pace of life can be given a musical pace through yoga. Yoga is the oldest identity in our Indian culture. The awakening of yoga consciousness leads to the purification of the mind. Its process is to see the soul through the soul, observing the tendencies and states of mind through the free consciousness of attachment and aversion. Right philosophy is a powerful undertaking to transform the Self. The secretions of the glandular system are balanced by the experiments of self-realisation. Due to this, feelings remain pure and thoughts become healthy.
The word yoga is derived from the age of culture, which means the union of the soul with the universal consciousness. Yoga has been practised for more than ten thousand years. According to the Vedic Samhitas, it has been mentioned in the Vedas about the ascetics since ancient times. Sculptures depicting yoga and meditation were also found in the Indus Valley Civilization. In Hinduism, the yoga civilization was adopted by sages, monks, and yogis from the very beginning, but not much time has passed since this method has spread among the common people. However, knowing the glory and importance of yoga, it is being extensively adopted for a healthy lifestyle, mainly because of its positive effects on busy, stressful, and unhealthy routines.
Yoga is necessary for us to stay healthy. Through yoga, you can benefit from many diseases like asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Yoga removes stress and gets good sleep; appetite is good; and not only this, digestion is also improved. Body fat can be reduced only through yoga. When man takes shelter in yoga to solve his physical, mental, and spiritual problems and gets their solution, he connects with yoga, makes relationships, and tries to bring it into life. But when one starts knowing something about it, knowing that it steps in the process of action, then it reaches the limit of use. By making the role of this experiment an integral part of life, we can give a new shape to humanity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is deeply interested in Yoga, has implemented it with great resolution. Surely his yoga revolution will become the medium of development, happiness, and peace in the lives of all humanity. Yoga not only teaches how to live a beautiful and orderly life but also teaches the art of improving personality, communal harmony, good governance, and a balanced life. Those who do politics in the name of yoga are doing great harm to humanity. This is because Yoga is not associated with any religion, sect, caste, or language. Yoga means to unite, so it talks about love, non-violence, compassion, and taking everyone along. Yoga is an investigation into the process of life. It came into existence before all religions, and it opened up infinite possibilities for human beings. This science related to inner and spiritual development and human welfare is a great gift for the whole world.