Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed yoga with around 40,000 enthusiasts on Friday, at the Prabhat Tara ground in Ranchi, to mark the fifth International Day of Yoga.
Setting off the celebrations, PM Modi said, “Peace and harmony have always been associated with yoga. Yoga can further unity and can heal several challenges the world faces.”
In Delhi, the celebrations played out at several venues — from the sprawling Rajpath and the lawns of Red Fort to municipal parks, hospitals, gardens and offices with thousands of enthusiastic Delhiites performing asanas.
PM Modi also tweeted saying,
“Yoga is ancient and modern. It is constant and evolving. For centuries, the essence of Yoga has remained the same: Healthy body, Stable mind, Spirit of oneness.”
He added that we need to expand the borders of Yoga and “include Yoga in Medical, Medical, Artificial, Physiotherapy [research]”
This International Day of Yoga 2019 has a theme of ‘Climate Action’ and it aims to bring the focus on climate change. Combating climate change is a UN Sustainable Development Goal that has to be achieved by 2030.
Back in 2014, PM Modi had addressed the UN General Assembly to suggest that 21 June be recognised as International Yoga Day to propel Yoga to global attention. A total of 193 member countries of the UN General Assembly approved PM Modi’s proposal by consensus, with 177 countries.
For more on the International Yoga Day, click here.
Yoga Day 2019: Navy Personnel Perform Yoga Aboard INS Ranvir
Navy personnel performed Yoga on Friday on board INS Ranvir which is stationed in the Bay of Bengal.
Yoga Day 2019: Indian Army Troops, Families Perform Yoga in Bhuj
Indian Army troops and their families perform Yoga in Bhuj, Gujarat to celebrate International Day of Yoga.
"The Word Yoga Means Union & Inclusiveness": Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is attending a Yoga event organised on Indian Navy Floating Dock in Port Blair. Speaking to ANI, he said:
“Word Yoga itself means union & inclusiveness, to live a life in an inclusive manner. Becoming a human being means the longing to expand & include. Yoga is only harnessing that innate longing in every human being to include everything.”
Lifestyle Diseases Are Affecting Us, Yoga Is Providing Us All Kind of Exercises for Our Body: Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that none of the postures being performed as part of yoga have any connection with any religion and that anyone could do it.
“Lifestyle diseases are affecting us. Yoga is providing us all kind of exercises for our body. Any one can practise Yoga; everyone irrespective of religion and caste should practice this,” Pinarayi Vijayan said.