Last updated:
Yoga may be a way for some people to stay fit, but it is a discipline that keeps all kinds of diseases away from life. This is a very precious gift of Indian tradition. On International Yoga Day, you know the specialty of yoga and its …Read more
This year 11th International Yoga Day will be celebrated on 21 June (Image-Canva)
Highlights
- Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda
- Lord Shiva is considered the first yogi
- Rishikesh has become a global center of yoga
International Yoga Day 2025: Be it a leader, actor or cricketer, you must have often seen some celebrity doing yoga. Yoga has not only become a way of staying healthy but has become a lifestyle. People of countries around the world including India have understood the strength of yoga and are adopting it.
Yoga is not just physical activity. Some people consider it exercise which is wrong. Yoga is a system in which balance is formed between body, mind and soul and all connect with each other. Yoga is made up of Sanskrit word Yuj which means adding. Yoga provides body balance, brain peace and body becomes healthy. Yoga includes asana, pranayama, meditation, purification action and thoughts. Yoga changes the entire personality of man.
Lord Shiva is considered the first yogi
Yoga is a discipline that has the power to change life. It is believed that Lord Shiva was Adiyogi i.e. the first yogi (yoga guru). About 15 thousand years ago, after focusing on the Himalayan Mountains, he gave knowledge of his yoga to 7 disciples. These disciples propagated yoga.
Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda about 3,500 years ago. At the same time, some historians believe that people used to practice yoga even during the Indus Valley Civilization. That is, yoga is 5 thousand years old. The method of how to control the breath in the Atharvaveda is said to be part of yoga. At the same time, 20 of the 108 Upanishads written 2 thousand years ago were Yoga Upanishads. Over time, yoga was divided into 4 parts- Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karmayoga and Bhakti Yoga.
Yoga can do a person of all ages (image-canva)
In 1893, the world knows the strength of yoga
If you feel that International Yoga Day made yoga popular then you are wrong. The world first came to know the strength of yoga in 1893. The credit goes to Swami Vivekananda. This year he gave a speech in the World Religion Parliament in Chicago and introduced Yoga to the world. Gradually Paramahamsa Yogananda, B.K.S. Yoga gurus like Iyengar made yoga a part of the lifestyle of foreigners at the international level.
Hollywood has a big hand in making yoga a popular trend. In the 1940s, Hollywood’s famous actress Eagenia Peterson adopted yoga and made it famous among the people. He also opened a yoga studio in West Hollywood, after which it became very popular among the rich people of America. Eugenia Peterson was later named Indira Devi and came to be called ‘First Lady of Yoga’.
Yoga tourism increased from digital world
In 2014, on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations declared 21 June as International Yoga Day. Since then, there are programs related to yoga on this day all over the world. But in 2020, when Corona came and people were looking for ways to stay healthy and wanted to keep mental health healthy, then yoga helped him. During this time, people started learning yoga by taking apps, YouTube channels and online classes with the help of digital world. At the same time, Rishikesh became a global center to learn yoga worldwide. Today millions of people reach here from India and abroad to learn yoga. This has also given a boost to yoga tourism.
Active in Journalism Since 2012. Expertise in Lifestyle, Entertainment and Travel. Started career with all India radio. Also worked with ignou …Read more
Active in Journalism Since 2012. Expertise in Lifestyle, Entertainment and Travel. Started career with all India radio. Also worked with ignou … Read more
