International Yoga Day 2020: 'Yoga At Home With Family' - RajRAS

The sixth edition of the International Yoga Day will be celebrated on 21st June 2020. This year, due to the on-going Corona Virus Pandemic, no mass gathering would be advisable this year. Hence, this year the ministry is encouraging people to practice yoga at their homes, with participation from the entire family. Accordingly, the theme of International Yoga Day 2020 has been kept as ‘Yoga At Home With Family‘

A bit about Yoga

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means “to attach, join, harness, yoke”, and signifies union of the individual and universal conscious.

In last few decades, the word “Yoga” has been used to refer to practise of performing physical postures or Asanas, with the goal of physical fitness. However in actuality, Yoga is a complete system, of which the postures are a small, though quite useful part.

“The Father of Yoga”, Maharishi Patanjali compiled and refined various aspects of Yoga systematically in his “Yoga Sutras” (aphorisms). He advocated the eight folds path of Yoga, popularly known as “Ashtanga Yoga” for all-round development of human beings. These are Yama (social ethics), Niyama (personal ethics), Asana (postures), Pranayama (life force), Pratyahara (turning the senses inwards), Dharana (one-pointed focus), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (merging with the self).

Background of International Yoga Day

The idea to observe June 21 as Yoga Day was first proposed by the Prime Minister during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014. Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131. Accordingly, 21 June 2015 was celebrated across the world as first International Yoga Day.

Why Yoga day has been celebrated on 21 June ?

June 21 was proposed as Yoga day as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (summer solstice).

International Yoga Day 2020

The 6th International Day of Yoga (IDY) will be observed on 21st June 2020. This year, due to COVID-19 pandemic communal spaces for yoga practise have been shud-down & social distancing measures need to be adopted. Consequently, yoga practitioners have turned to home practice and online yoga resources.

International Yoga Day 2020 in India

PM Modi had called upon one and all to participate in the ‘My Life, My Yoga’ video blogging contest jointly organized by the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA) and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), during the course of his monthly Mann Ki Baat address to the nation on 31st May 2020.

Ministry of AYUSH has also organised a trainer-led Yoga session which will be telecasted on Doordarshan on 21st of June at 6:30 AM in the morning.