INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2023

Yoga is a blessing of God to mankind. It is for the discovery of inner peace and a way of connecting oneself with the almighty. It is not merely a physical exercise but a deeper science involving body and mind.

International Yoga Day is a gift of India to the entire world. It was 11th December 2014 when the proposal for the celebration of International Yoga Day got accepted by United Nations General Assembly. It was the initiative of the Government of India only that the first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21st, 2015 with great success all over the world involving 195 countries. The proposal for the declaration was approved by 177 nations in a record time of 12 weeks which is an excellent achievement for the external affairs team of the present Indian Government. Every year there is a theme for International Yoga Day and this year’s theme is YOGA FOR HUMANITY

There was a LOGO selected for the special day. The logo was a symbol of basic elements which form human life.

• The logo has a white background representing a pair of hands stretched outwards from the body and joined together.
• The joining of both hands symbolizes the union of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness. This symbolizes a perfect harmony between the body, mind, and the soul.
•  There are 2 pairs of brown and green leaves, symbolizing the elements of earth and nature.
• The blue human figure symbolizes the element of water and the orange color above the head, is a symbol of fire element which is the source of all energy.
• Behind the human figure, a picture of the globe can be seen which symbolizes solidarity and oneness
• “Yoga for harmony and peace” behind is believed to be the real essence of Yoga.

 The logo was selected through an open contest to increase participation from all sections of society. The logo was officially launched by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi.

Even Swami Sivananda Saraswati, a great Yogi says – Now is the perfect time to:

“Sow a thought,

reap an action,

sow an action,

reap a habit,

sow a habit

reap a character,

and that character is your ultimate destiny”

So, it is high time for all of us to stand up together and pledge together on this special occasion of International Yoga Day 21 June, 2023 to make the proper changes and moves to uplift our body, mind and soul connecting ourselves with the Supreme.