Today is International Yoga Day

June 21 is being celebrated every year as International Yoga Day. This day is celebrated for spreading awareness about the importance and effects of Yoga on health of the public.

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj' which means to join or yoke or to unite. Yoga is union of individual consciousness with that of the universal consciousness. This results in the excellent connection between the mind and body, man and nature. Lord Shiva is considered as the Adiyogi which means first yogi. And Maharshi Patanjali is known as Father of Yoga.

Rig Veda mentions about Yoga. This has eight components also known as 8 fold path of life- Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana, Samadhi, Yama, Dharna and Pratyahara. Swami Vivekananda introduced yoga first time to the western world in a religion conference at Chicago in America. The First International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015.

There are many benefits of Yoga. Yoga helps us to improve posture, flexibility, immunity and reduces stress. It helps us to concentrate and build muscles. Hence, it is our responsibility to practice Yoga at least 15 minutes a day. The reason behind this is, just 15 minute Yoga can change your brain chemistry and improve our mood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had picked this day to celebrate Yoga Day because, it marks the summer solstice in Northern hemisphere and this is the longest day of the Northern hemisphere. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated by the people across the world. 35,985 individuals, including Prime Minister and various dignitaries from 84 Nations performed 21 asanas for 35 minutes in Rajpath, New Delhi. This made a Guinness World Record.

There is theme for every Yoga day. This year, the theme is "Yoga at home and Yoga with family", with an emphasis on the need to maintain social distancing.

Bhargavi Kalyani, Hyderabad