International Day of Yoga 2022: Date, History, Significance, Theme & How to Celebrate?

Yoga is an practice, originated in ancient India, to keep one’s mentally, physically and spiritually disciplined and fit as well as to achieve the harmony of. body and mind. Apart from many providing many benefits to the practitioners, Yoga also has a lot of religious important in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Yoga is the Sanskrit word that is derived from the root “Yuj”, which means to attack, join, harness and yoke. It is mentioned in many Sacred Hindu texts like Vedas and Upanishads. As per Sacred Hindu text Rigveda, it is a practice dedicate to the rising Sun-god .

Ancient Hindu scholar and Sanskrit philosopher Panini wrote that the term can be derived from the terms- Yujir Yoga and Yuj Samadhau, that means to yoke and to concentrate. Maharshi Vedvyasa, who is traditionally regarded as the author of Hindu epic Mahabharata, define the world Yoga as Samadhi, that means concentration.

This ancient practice can change our way of thinking and help us being a good human being, and to raise the awareness of the benefits of Yoga every year International Yoga day is celebrated all around the world will joy and happiness.

The Inception of International Yoga Day

On September 27, 2014, during his speech at the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the World the importance of Yoga and stated that Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment and harmony between man and nature.

He further asserted that Yoga is not only about physical exercise but also about discovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. He also suggested the date of 21 June for celebrating the International Yoga Day, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.

While working continue for the purpose, on December 11, 2014, India’s permanent representative Ashok Mukherji introduced a draft resolution into UNGA and that was co-sponsored by a total of 177 nations, which was the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA resolution of this nature.

Hence, the first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on 21st May, 2015 and since then its is being celebrated on the same day annually. The same day on 2015, nearly 36,000 people, including Prime Minister Modi and many high profile political figures from 84 nations around the globe, performed 21 Yoga Postures, called as Asanas for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi.

International Yoga Day 2022 Significance

Yoga has a lot of importance in today’s world as it has many benefits to both physical and mental health. During the pandemic when people were tensed and were restraint to go outside their houses, it was Yoga that helps people from depression, over-thinking, negativity and all these things and provide them physical and mental well-being.

Along with providing relaxation both physically and mentally, Yoga developed strength and resilience, and gives us positivity. While western countries considered it as the best practice to fit in every aspect, there is a religious importance of Yoga for Hindus.

As per Hinduism, Lord Siva is the originator of Yoga and that is why he is called Adiyogi, which means the First Yogi. Summer Solstice is considered to be very crucial in the Yogic culture, is believed to be the very beginning of the Yoga.

Yoga was brought up to the world by Saptarishis- the seven saints-story which states that Lord Shiva was sitting in blissful mediation for years, many people come out to him out of curiosity but ended up going back the lord never paid attention to anyone.

But the Saptarishis didn’t go back and instead stayed there because they were so dedicated to learn Yoga from Shiva that they sat still for 84 years there. One day Shiva took notice of the seven beings and he could no longer ignore them and 28 days late, on the next full moon, Shiva turned into the Adiguru and teaches the Science of Yoga to the Saptarishis.

International Yoga Day Theme 2022

Every year International Yoga Day comes with a theme, which tells the what is going to be the topic of main focus that year. Last years, the theme for the International Yoga Day was Yoga for well-being and in 2020 it was Yoga for Health- Yoga at Home.

The official theme for the International Yoga Day 2022 decided by the United Nations, ‘Yoga for Humanity‘. PM Modi posted the photos early morning like previous years: