India’s Yoga Day message to world: From illness to wellness

The International Yoga Day 2018 was observed with great fervour across the world with people from all walks of life taking part in various yoga events. With the United Nations’ approval of June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014, India blessed the world with the art of happy and healthy lifestyle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led an estimated 50,000 enthusiasts performing asanas during the 4th International Yoga Day celebrations at the picturesque Forest Research Institute in Dehradun.

‘Yoga is India’s gift to the world’

“Yoga is India’s gift to the world. It is a passport for wellness. The world has embraced Yoga and glimpses of this can be seen in the manner in which International Day of Yoga has been marked every year. In fact, Yoga Day has become one of the biggest mass movements in the quest for good health and well-being,” Modi said while addressing a large gathering.

Yoga has shown the world the way from "illness to wellness" and enriching lives across the globe.

“Yoga is beautiful because it is ancient yet modern, it is constant yet evolving. It has the best of our past and presents and a ray of hope for our future. In Yoga, we have the perfect solution to the problems we face, either as individuals or in our society. India is Yoga’s top ambassador”.

How India observed 4th International Yoga Day 2018

From the sprawling Rajpath to the lawns of Red fort to old municipal parks and gardens across the city Delhiites performed asanas to mark the fourth International Yoga Day.

New Delhi’s Rajpath is the centrepiece of the first International Day of Yoga celebration on June 21, 2015 that made it to the Guinness World Records with 35,985 participants performing asanas at one venue and 84 nationalities being part of it.

 ‘Rajasthan breaks world’s biggest yoga gathering record’

Rajasthan created a world record bringing over a lakh of people together at a yoga session to mark the International Day of Yoga. Guinness World Records has handed over a certificate to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Ramdev, saying it had been the largest gathering worldwide of people performing yoga.

With 1.05 lakh people performed the asanas, Rajasthan beat  the previous record of 55, 524 people in Mysore in 2017.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel performed Yoga at the altitude of 18,000 feet in the cold desert of Ladakh on the fourth International Yoga Day. In the backdrop of snow-covered Himalayas, the security personnel performed several Yoga asanas, including ‘Surya Namaskar’ to celebrate the world yoga day.

IAF perform yoga at 15,000 feet

Indian Air Force personnel performed 'Vayu Namaskar' and 'Vayu Padmasana'  at 15,000 ft to mark the fourth Yoga Day. “Yoga at 15000 Feet : #YogaDay2018 - A unique message of good health, happiness, harmony & peace from the Airwarriors of IAF," IAF tweeted with photos of Instructors of Paratroopers Training School of the India Air Force Wg Cdr KBS Samyal & Wg Cdr Gajanand Yadav practicing Yoga in the Blue Sky. 

15,000 Navy personnel performs asanas

As many as 15,000 Navy personnel and their family members rolled out their mats to perform various ‘asanas’ on the International Yoga Day. The personnel stretched themselves not only on decks of ships but also in submarines beneath the waters, while following the ancient Indian

Navy personnel performed yoga asanas on the decks of warship INS Sahyadri and on-board submarine Sindhukirit in the high seas and on aircraft carrier INS Viraat, which is currently stationed in Mumbai.

Plants distributed to Yoga participants

In Punjab, plants were distributed to the yoga participants at a state level organised at a sports complex in Mohali which saw participation from around 3,000 yoga enthusiasts including senior citizens, government officials, sportspersons and students.

In Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of people performed asanas at the Raj Bhabhawan with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Programmes were organised at 10 places in the state capital, all 75 district headquarters, 350 tehsil headquarters, 823 block headquarters and 653 nagar nikay to mark the day.

“Today 190 countries have got connected with yoga programmes... credit should be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Yogi said.

Haryana and Punjab observed the International Yoga Day with Union minister Smriti Irani and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar participating in programmes in Chandigarh and Jhajjar.

Union Textile Minister Irani performed asanas along with around 4,000 enthusiasts at the event.

In Haryana, Khattar and agriculture minister O P Dhankar rolled out their Yoga mats along with several other people, including children, at a state-level event in Jhajjar. 

‘Five minutes of yoga will relieve you stress’

In Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu performed various ‘asanas’ along with some college students on the occasion.

“Yoga is a great tool to keep the mind under control. Five minutes of yoga will relieve one of any kind of stress,” the chief minister said.

‘There is nothing as good as yoga especially for the mental health and well-being’

Terming Yoga as a ‘good exercise’ for the body and mind, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said “though there may be many other forms of exercises in the world, there is nothing as good as yoga especially for the mental health and well-being.”

“Yoga can be practised by all, irrespective of caste and religion, the senior CPI(M) leader said adding it should be done with ‘free and secular’ mind,” Vijayan said.

(With PTI inputs)