Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word “Yoga” derived from Sanskrit which means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. As we all know the environment is changing and the world is becoming more competent. Practicing Yoga helps us to deal with this type of environment and makes us healthy. 

Why celebrate Yoga?

Yoga is a way to fight with climate change as it offers people a sense of “harmony” with self, society and nature. By just changing your lifestyle and creating consciousness, you can easily deal with climate change.

How is International Yoga day celebrated?

Yoga is recognised world over as a desirable option for maintaining good health. Its therapeutic effects are well-known and well-accepted. However, the International Yoga Day, to be celebrated on June 21, is about a lot of things in addition to health.

It was on September 27, 2014, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed observing an International Day for Yoga in the United Nations General Assembly. On December 11, 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as International Yoga Day. Authorities said they chose the date because it is the longest day and is considered important in many parts of the world.

India registered two Guinness World Records on this day; one for 35,985 people practicing in a single yoga session at a single venue and the other for most nationalities participating in a yoga session. The event is recognized and celebrated across 192 United Nations Member States in 2016.

6 Inspirational Tips on International Yoga Day 

• SET INTENTIONS

A perfect time to plant the seed for something beautiful to grow. What makes yoga yoga is that every movement has purpose and meaning. This carries off the mat into the way we live our lives: without intention, we get caught up in routines and habits rather than taking an active role in creating our life. Most of us have dreams and aspirations that exist outside of our regular patterns. 

 

Intention-setting is a chance to check in with your goals and make sure that they align with what you’re doing. Action step: write down who you want to be and three action steps.

 

• HAVE A TECH-FREE HOUR

Schedule one hour on Yoga Day to turn off your phone and computer, or dare I say it... unplug the internet! Don’t just put down your device or keep it in another room. Actually turn it off. See how it feels to be “disconnected.” See if it opens your ability to truly connect on a much deeper level. Tap into your sense of creativity and if you need to fill the time, an art project is a great option. Go outside and listen to the sounds of nature. Try a third eye meditation, which opens up your center of insight and intuition, the place that breeds a deep sense of internal knowing that does not rely on Google or any information you could possibly find on the internet.

• CLEAR YOUR SPACE AND DISCARD JUNK

Media has us thinking that we need more and more, but what we really need is less. We’re always layering things and ideas on top of ourselves, which actually bring us further away from feeling truly good! Yoga teaches us to remove the mental clutter and get down to the core of our being. Try this yoga practice for the space you inhabit: Go through everything and discard the things that you don’t love or use. In letting go of objects, you create space for your soul to be free and comfortable in your skin.

 

• WRITE A LIST OF GRATITUDE

Now, imagine your body and the space around you as an empty vessel that is pure and ready to be filled with joy. Yes, times are tough but there is still so much light within and all around us. Take some time to think about the ways in which you are blessed. Write those things down and let the feeling of gratitude seep through every cell in your body. By focusing on the good, we invite more positivity into our lives. Have you ever been stuck in a rut where bad things keep happening? That is the time when you need gratitude the most. Just in the way you can get stuck in a bad rut, you can also get “stuck” in a good one if you keep up with this practice!

 

• RECOMMIT TO A REGULAR PRACTICE

Practice always ebbs and flows- that’s just part of life. But no matter how busy you are, there’s always at least one little thing you can do daily to stay on your yoga path. Remember how unproblematic life feels when you get on your mat on a regular basis? Inspire yourself with that feeling. Imagine as if your life exists exactly as it does now, but there’s no friction. No resistance. Practicing yoga or meditation daily is what will bring you that freedom. Yes, it’s hard to take the first step, so make it easy on yourself. Your daily commitment: roll out your mat and sit on it for five minutes. If you do that one thing, you’ve done something great. If you do that one thing every day, you are headed in the right direction to your destination, and there’s nothing else that matters.

 

• GET ON YOUR MAT

We can talk for centuries about technique, philosophy, history, and everything around yoga, but there is a huge difference between talking and doing. As Ashtanga yoga guru Pattabhi Jois said, “yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.” So roll out your “red carpet” and stretch it out or just sit and listen to the sounds around you.

Try as many of these ideas that appeal to you, and let us know how it goes! The whole point is to feel good, so make sure it’s something you want to do, not have to do. If there’s one thing on the list that especially excites you, start with that one thing. 

We have inspired ourselves so much just in writing this list that we lined up a full day of soul-feeding and heart-opening activities that we’ll deliver to the comfort of your home.

 

Wish You Very Happy International Yoga Day!