We celebrate the International Day of Yoga on 21 June every year. All that started in late 2014 when on universal appeal on 11 December 2014, United Nations proclaimed 21 June as International Yoga day.
The idea to celebrate International Yoga Day was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27 September 2014. 21 June is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and that is why it is chosen as International Yoga Day.
According to UN – Yoga is an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.
But Yoga is not only this much, yoga is not only spending your time in gyms or on yoga mats, It has vast meaning and deep explanation.
According to Bhagwat Geeta, (A book about dialogue between God and common human being, It is about lifestyle, doesn’t talk about religion although it is predominantly followed in Hinduism), Yoga can have these four categories and each leads to real happiness in the life –
Karma Yoga (Path of Unselfish Action)
This talks about performing your duties and become equipoised in both, success and failure. It explains why we should not focus on results rather than our honest efforts. In simple words, thinking much about return leads to attachment and selfishness, which may lead to distraction and eventually turns into destruction.
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion)
Considering God is everywhere, hence being involved in the welfare of all living beings.
Gyan Yoga (Path of Knowledge )
It is about acquiring and spreading knowledge.
Raaj Yoga (Path of Control and Self-Discipline)
It is about discipline and self-control. It talks about meditation and pranayama, different asanas falls into this category.
Now after this brief background, let us see some interesting facts about Yoga –
- The tradition of Yoga dates back nearly 5000 years.
- Mostly yoga is based on breathing as ancient Indian saints believed that a human being gets a limited number of breaths so slowing down inhaling and exhaling is needed for longer life. Yoga breathing is called Pranayama.
- Yoga helps with better memory, digestion, concentration. It also helps in anxiety, depression, and stress, Schizophrenia, and a lot more. Here are the findings of Harvard Medical Institute
- One study at UCLA says Yoga helps in Alzheimer’s as well.
- The popularity of Yoga in the USA is more than 100 years old when Swami Vivekanand came to the USA in the 1890s and taught yoga at the Art Institute of Chicago.
- 36 million, or approx 10 % of adults in the US practice yoga
- 72.2% of US yoga practitioners are women, 27.8% are men.
- Americans spend $16 billion on yoga classes and equipment each year
- Swastik sign used in yoga has been ages before they were used by the Nazis in WWII, but it has some more interesting and international associations as well.
- In the past few years, the number of Americans doing yoga has increased by over 50%.
- There are more than 100 styles of yoga including Iyengar, Aerial, Bikram/Hot yoga.
- Initially, a faction of many religious groups had protested against Yoga as they related it to Hinduism but later it was recognized and embraced by everyone as a science of well-being.
- This says – yoga was initially thought of male-only exercise.
- Bernice Mary Bates has her name registered as the oldest Yoga Teacher in Guinness book of world records.
- in this report, CDC says that Yoga is the most commonly practiced complementary exercise.
- 100,984 Enthusiasts performed yoga during an event to set the Guinness World Record for the largest yoga lesson during the International Day of Yoga at Kota in Rajasthan, India on June 21, 2018.
I wish you great help with the regular practice of Yoga… Not just on International Yoga Day for Facebook and Instagram posts or twitter trends.
Reference – Interesting stats here