Celebrating the International Yoga Day
YOGA: A NEW DIMENSION
21st June 2015
The first International Yoga Day saw millions of people come together to celebrate the spirit of yoga with much fervor. Yogathons organized by The Art of Living saw yoga enthusiasts from 132 countries rise up to the occasion and practice yoga at their local venues. From Paris’ scenic River Sienne to New York’s bustling Times Square, yoga brought people from all walks of life together and united them, thus living up to the literal meaning of its name.
While speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Gurudev addressed a host of eminent dignitaries including the UN Gen. Secretary, Ban Ki-moon, and Union Minister of External Affairs of India, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, amongst others and called on people to come together and build a one-world family.
Over 50 million people from 132 countries participated in the first International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2015.
Sri Sri at the United Nations headquarters in New York
New Yorkers performing yoga at Times Square
Tokyo, Japan
Indonesia
UN Gen. Secretary, Ban Ki-moon practicing yoga at UN headquarters, New York
Kenya
Gurudev on World Yoga Day declaration
“I congratulate Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the United Nation’s declaration of World Yoga Day. It is very difficult for any philosophy, religion or culture to survive without state patronage. Yoga has existed so far almost like an orphan. Now, official recognition by the UN would further spread the benefit of yoga to the entire world.
India is the land where yoga was born and we must finally take the responsibility to spread it everywhere, starting from classrooms. This will help young people to move away from gun culture and violence.“
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
“When The Art of Living programs started in the early 80s, yoga was seen as being practiced by freaks and Himalayan yogis standing upside down or on one leg. That is one of the reasons why we called our program, The Art of Living, a generic term that people could relate to across races, religions and cultures. It was Paramhansa Yogananda, and then Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who brought respectability to yoga in the West. In the last 3 decades, The Art of Living has taken yoga to 155 countries and has 26,000 yoga teachers worldwide.”
Click here to learn more about United Nations' declaration of June 21st as the World Yoga Day.
Striving for a peaceful world through Yoga
Signing a proclamation for having UN declare a World Yoga Day on 21st June