Ruchi Chabra
As the sun rises on June 21st, people across the globe will roll out their yoga mats to celebrate International Day of Yoga – a day that has transcended borders and beliefs, uniting humanity in a shared breath, a common stillness, and a deeper intention.
First proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and adopted unanimously by the United Nations in 2014, World Yoga Day is not just a celebration of physical flexibility – it is a call to inner balance. In a world spinning faster than ever before, yoga offers us an ancient compass pointing back to the self, to silence, to stillness.
The Body Bends So the Mind Can Heal
While yoga postures (asanas) are the most visible face of the practice, they are only one petal of a much larger flower. Rooted in India’s spiritual tradition, yoga is a profound science of self-realization. It harmonizes body, breath, mind, and soul, helping us not just to do better, but to be better.
At a time when stress, anxiety, and digital fatigue plague our lives – especially our children – yoga is not a luxury but a necessity. Through mindful breathing (pranayama), deep rest (yoga nidra), and the practice of awareness (dhyana or meditation), yoga equips us with tools to respond rather than react, to listen rather than scroll, and to live rather than merely exist.
Yoga for Youth: The Real Superpower
What if our children were taught that true strength lies not just in speed or ambition, but in focus, calm, and compassion? Yoga in schools is not just about stretching – it’s about character. It cultivates discipline, patience, emotional balance, and respect for one’s body and mind.
Imagine a classroom where the day begins with a few minutes of deep breathing. Where children learn to pause before reacting, where adolescents learn to observe their emotions rather than be consumed by them. That’s the silent revolution yoga can bring – one posture, one breath at a time.
This World Yoga Day, Let Us…
4Reclaim our breath in a breathless world.
4Stretch our minds as much as our bodies.
4Bend not to break, but to become unbreakable.
4Meditate not to escape, but to engage more meaningfully with ourselves and others.
4And most importantly, let us remember that yoga is not a performance – it is a presence.
As we stand together in Tadasana or flow through Surya Namaskars, let us honour not only a tradition but a timeless truth – that peace in the world begins with peace within.
This World Yoga Day, let us not just do yoga.
Let us become yoga.
