International Day of Yoga

International Yoga day which is celebrated on 21st of June is here again, so let’s get our yoga mats, put our day to day worries on hold, join the bandwagon and do yoga. Yoga as a word originates from a Sanskrit word called Yuja which essentially means, "to join or to unite," symbolizing the union of both mind and body. This year’s theme ‘Yoga for Peace’ aims to raise awareness about the benefits of yoga on the overall health and well-being of those practicing yoga regularly.

How did International Yoga Day come to be?

International day of yoga was first proposed by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, in the United Nations General Assembly. After recognizing its universal appeal, United Nations on December 11 declared 21st June to be the International day of yoga in 2014.

The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21, 2015, at Rajpath in New Delhi, India. The event was so huge that it set two world records that day, one for the largest yoga class, featuring 35,985 people, and second for the largest number of participating nationalities (84 nations). Different countries celebrated the event too.

International Day of Yoga 2018, India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the yoga day by practicing yoga asanas or yoga postures in the capital of Uttarkhand, Dehradun, India with around 60,000 people this time.

Most preferred time of the day to practice yoga is early in the morning. If you can’t make it in the morning, do it at a time when you are sufficiently relaxed and on an empty stomach. Here are some few yoga asanas you can do to feel healthy and energetic every day.

A. Standing Postures

• Vṛkṣāsana or Tree Pose which improves focus, balance and clears the mind
• Trikonāsana or Triangle Pose that requires strength, flexibility and balance

B. Sitting Postures

• Bhadrāsana or Graceful Pose that relaxes the whole body and is best suited for meditation
• Usṭrāsana or Camel Posture that strengthens the back

Here are a few general guidelines you need to follow to make your yoga practice safe and effective.

Before the practice

• Make sure the area which you're going to do yoga is clean and quiet
• Make sure you do yoga on an empty or light stomach
• Get a yoga mat or folded blanket to perform yoga on
• Wear light and comfortable clothes
• Do not practice yoga when you're sick, exhausted or in a hurry.
• If you have a chronic disease or pain in some part of your body, consult a physician or a yoga therapist before doing yoga
• Yoga therapists or experts have to be consulted before doing yoga in case of pregnant mothers.

During practice

• Perform all yoga poses slowly, in a relaxed manner
• Remember to perform all the asanas according to your capacity.

After Practice

• You can take a bath or food after 20-30 minutes of practice

References:

1. Ministry of Ayush (http://yoga.ayush.gov.in/)
2. Common Yoga Protocol (https://moayush.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/common-yoga-protocol-english_0.pdf)

Source-Medindia