<p>June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day (IDY) around the world, following its establishments at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, when the global organisation acknowledged multiple advantages of yoga.&nbsp; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed June 21 as the date for Yoga Day at the United Nations, noting that it is the longest day of the year.</p>

<p><strong>What's the topic of this year's Yoga Day?</strong></p>

<p>The topic for this year’s Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Humanity,’ which focuses on how yoga helps people in achieving holistic health. The theme also depicts how yoga has helped humanity during the peak of the Covid pandemic by easing suffering. The Indian prime minister talked about this subject in his ‘Mann ki Baat.’</p>

<p><strong>What is meaning of Yoga?</strong></p>

<p>Yoga is an ancient Indian physical, mental and spiritual discipline that dates back thousands of years. The word ‘Yoga’ is a Sanskrit word that means “to connect” or “to merge,” and represents integration of body and consciousness. Yoga is now performed globally in various forms all around the world and is still growing in its popularity.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-swami-sivananda-a-125-year-old-yoga-guru-receives-padma-shri-pm-modis-reaction-is-unmissable-464517">Watch: Swami Sivananda, a 125-year-old yoga guru receives Padma Shri; PM Modi's reaction is unmissable</a></strong></p>

<p>India proposed the draftt resolution of creating International Yoga Day, which was endorsed by175 UN member states. The Indian Prime Minister mentioned this during the 69th session of the general Assembly, saying, “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;WION Exclusive: Meet the woman, Nouf Marwaai, who brought yoga to Saudi Arabia</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-meet-the-woman-nouf-marwaai-who-brought-yoga-to-saudi-arabia-449046/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a human disaster unlike any other. Other than its immediate impact on the physical health, the pandemic intensified psychological distress and mental health problems like anxiety, sadness in many countries. This underlined the importance of addressing both mental and physical health components of the pandemic.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-indian-soldiers-perform-yoga-at-15000-feet-in-snow-capped-himalayas-475014">Watch | Indian soldiers perform yoga at 15,000 feet in snow-capped Himalayas</a></strong></p>

<p>During the pandemic, people around the world turned to yoga to stay fit and revitalised as well as combat social isolation and sadness. It helps in calming with concerns and anxiety.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not just this, Yoga is also helping Covid patients in quarantine and isolation psychological treatment and rehabilitation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day (IDY) around the world, following its establishments at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, when the global organisation acknowledged multiple advantages of yoga.

June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day (IDY) around the world, following its establishments at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, when the global organisation acknowledged multiple advantages of yoga. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed June 21 as the date for Yoga Day at the United Nations, noting that it is the longest day of the year. What's the topic of this year's Yoga Day? The topic for this year’s Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Humanity,’ which focuses on how yoga helps people in achieving holistic health. The theme also depicts how yoga has helped humanity during the peak of the Covid pandemic by easing suffering. The Indian prime minister talked about this subject in his ‘Mann ki Baat.’ What is meaning of Yoga? Yoga is an ancient Indian physical, mental and spiritual discipline that dates back thousands of years. The word ‘Yoga’ is a Sanskrit word that means “to connect” or “to merge,” and represents integration of body and consciousness. Yoga is now performed globally in various forms all around the world and is still growing in its popularity. Also read | Watch: Swami Sivananda, a 125-year-old yoga guru receives Padma Shri; PM Modi's reaction is unmissable India proposed the draftt resolution of creating International Yoga Day, which was endorsed by175 UN member states. The Indian Prime Minister mentioned this during the 69th session of the general Assembly, saying, “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.” Watch | WION Exclusive: Meet the woman, Nouf Marwaai, who brought yoga to Saudi Arabia The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a human disaster unlike any other. Other than its immediate impact on the physical health, the pandemic intensified psychological distress and mental health problems like anxiety, sadness in many countries. This underlined the importance of addressing both mental and physical health components of the pandemic. Also read | Watch | Indian soldiers perform yoga at 15,000 feet in snow-capped Himalayas During the pandemic, people around the world turned to yoga to stay fit and revitalised as well as combat social isolation and sadness. It helps in calming with concerns and anxiety. Not just this, Yoga is also helping Covid patients in quarantine and isolation psychological treatment and rehabilitation. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. (With inputs from agencies)

International Yoga Day 2022: ‘Yoga for Humanity’ a mission to achieve holistic health

<p>A state lawmaker in Alabama, who has been practising yoga for years, is aiming to overturn a 28-year-old ban on yoga in state public schools.</p>

<p>Jeremy Gray is about to present a bill to the Alabama state seeking removal of the ban on yoga. As of now, public school students are not allowed to practice yoga during gym classes.</p>

<p>The lifting of the ban was allowed by the state house of representatives in March and Gray is now awaiting the results of debate and vote in the senate.</p>

<p>However, he has been fighting a tough mindset. The conservatives feel yoga will lead children to 'guided imagery'.</p>

<p>"Yoga is a very big part of the Hindu religion, and if this bill passes then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise," Becky Gerritson, director of the conservative Alabama Eagle&nbsp;told the state senators.</p>

<p>Gray has called this thought process to be misplaced and misinformed. "The promoting of Hinduism argument is the only talking point these conservative groups have, and it makes them look very misinformed and miseducated on the issue," Gray told the Guardian.</p>

<p>He has also been perplexed by the association of people who are opposing lifting the ban. Gray has revealed that the majority of people opposing his proposal are the ones who have never practised yoga and have no direct connection with the school.</p>

<p>"To me, you cannot be well versed on something you never experienced. We have individuals opposing a bill that really doesn't affect them, but those individuals in education are 100% behind it," he said.</p>

<p>Hindu groups in the state feel this echoes the ages-old notions that led to racism in the country.</p>

<p>“These arguments are a reminder of the Hindu-phobia that existed in the US in the 19th and early 20th century when Hindus were portrayed as strange cult followers out to alter your mind and get you to do crazy things. It’s sad to see such Hindu-phobia still persisting,” Nikunj Trivedi, president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America exclaimed.</p>

<p>The thought process of yoga promoting Hinduism is specifically being opposed as experts claim, the yoga being practised in the state has nothing to do with Hinduism.</p>

<p>"Most people don’t do yoga, what they do is asana or postures. Doing postures is not going to make you Hindu," Trivedi added.</p>


A state lawmaker in Alabama, who has been practising yoga for years, is aiming to overturn a 28-year-old ban on yoga in state public schools. Jeremy Gray is about to present a bill to the Alabama state seeking removal of the ban on yoga.

A state lawmaker in Alabama, who has been practising yoga for years, is aiming to overturn a 28-year-old ban on yoga in state public schools. Jeremy Gray is about to present a bill to the Alabama state seeking removal of the ban on yoga. As of now, public school students are not allowed to practice yoga during gym classes. The lifting of the ban was allowed by the state house of representatives in March and Gray is now awaiting the results of debate and vote in the senate. However, he has been fighting a tough mindset. The conservatives feel yoga will lead children to 'guided imagery'. "Yoga is a very big part of the Hindu religion, and if this bill passes then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise," Becky Gerritson, director of the conservative Alabama Eagle told the state senators. Gray has called this thought process to be misplaced and misinformed. "The promoting of Hinduism argument is the only talking point these conservative groups have, and it makes them look very misinformed and miseducated on the issue," Gray told the Guardian. He has also been perplexed by the association of people who are opposing lifting the ban. Gray has revealed that the majority of people opposing his proposal are the ones who have never practised yoga and have no direct connection with the school. "To me, you cannot be well versed on something you never experienced. We have individuals opposing a bill that really doesn't affect them, but those individuals in education are 100% behind it," he said. Hindu groups in the state feel this echoes the ages-old notions that led to racism in the country. “These arguments are a reminder of the Hindu-phobia that existed in the US in the 19th and early 20th century when Hindus were portrayed as strange cult followers out to alter your mind and get you to do crazy things. It’s sad to see such Hindu-phobia still persisting,” Nikunj Trivedi, president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America exclaimed. The thought process of yoga promoting Hinduism is specifically being opposed as experts claim, the yoga being practised in the state has nothing to do with Hinduism. "Most people don’t do yoga, what they do is asana or postures. Doing postures is not going to make you Hindu," Trivedi added.

Yoga will lead to guided imagery, Hinduism: Christian groups claim in Alabama

<p>Yoga is back, and it is considered cool. The whole world, particularly, the West embraces it with open arms.</p>

<p>Taking cognisance of the momentum building up around yoga, India is all poised to use it in the international arena both as a soft tool of diplomacy and to claim cultural leadership. With news pouring in from all over the world on the grand scale at which yoga is being celebrated, it is clear that the Indian state has been successful in making yoga the new face of India. The country has strike back with a new image of its own that, hopefully, will replace the earlier ones of poverty and hunger.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yoga&#39;s multifarious use in recent times ensured that it is now a commodity. Yoga&nbsp;has its own Day, unofficial but hugely popular brand ambassadors, such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev and Shilpa Shetty, it has logos, mats and spas to serve a growing clientele across the globe. The commodification of yoga has made it very different from its &quot;classical&quot; usages when it was, primarily, showcased as a technique to achieve &quot;inner&quot; spiritual and &quot;outer&quot; physical ascent. No matter how strongly the proponents of yoga like to articulate to the world the uninterrupted lineage that yoga enjoyed through the ages, in reality, however, neither the meaning nor the practices of yoga have been consistent across space and time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is only very recently, under the tutelage of the Indian government that there has been a consistent effort to codify, localise and placate yoga as an &quot;Indian&quot; contribution to the world. Yoga is fast emerging as India&#39;s soft tool of diplomacy to garner a prominent place in international affairs. This came out clearly when India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech to the UN, successfully persuaded the international body to adopt a day as the International Day of Yoga when there was already a World Day of Yoga in existence. This was like pouring old wine into a new bottle. But the announcement&nbsp;served few very important purposes: it made sure that world knew that yoga belongs to India - it is India&#39;s gift to the world; it also made sure that yoga gets the attention of nation-states, and does not remain restricted to the confines of spas run by health enthusiasts or practised by culturally fringe elements like the hippies.</p>

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<h5>Now, yoga opens up an entire plethora of opportunity for the Indian state to give to the rest of the world a template on how to live harmoniously, embracing a healthier life choice</h5>
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<p>Endorsing Prime Minister Modi&#39;s global vision about yoga, even Ban-Ki-moon, the then UN General Secretary made a public statement endorsing the crucial role of yoga in the well-being of the world population. He was categorical in his statement that through the celebration of the International Yoga Day, the world will be a &quot;healthier&quot; place and, more importantly, it will facilitate a more unified existence where people can live in harmony irrespective of their ethnicity, faith, age, gender identity or sexual orientation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the course of modern history, it has been the West which had been providing to the rest of the world with a civilisational standard and a model of development. Now, yoga opens up an entire plethora of opportunity for the Indian state to give to the rest of the world a template on how to live harmoniously, embracing a healthier life choice. Imperceptively but very effectively yoga is shifting the locus of cultural authority in favour of India. And the Indian government is well aware of the political benefits of this shift. Hence, the resources devoted to celebrating the Day knows no bound.</p>

<p>Yoga&#39;s aggressive cultural promotion both within and outside India syncs all too well with the global aspiration of the country&#39;s growing middle-class. With rising affluence, this section of the Indian population is increasingly tired of India&#39;s image of a poverty-ridden, hunger-stricken country. Globalisation has benefitted Indian middle-class the most and now they want to see India as a global power, both economically and culturally. Yoga provides them with an alternative image of India with which it can identify. Yoga practises come laden with messages of power, discipline, masculinity and specialised knowledge. Speaking metaphorically, the asanas have been indeed therapeutic for the Indian middle-class.</p>

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<h5>Yoga practises come laden with messages of power, discipline, masculinity and specialised knowledge.</h5>
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<p>The myriad benefits that Indians are set to receive from yoga getting influential are so huge that they have aggressively come out against any commercial appropriation of yoga by any private individuals. All yogic asanas and formulations are now getting codified within the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) that the government has set up with an unflinching wellness message attached to it. This categoric effort to indigenise yoga as an Indian invention can be seen as part of Modi&#39;s broader agenda to promote the &quot;Make in India&quot; goal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Under the new system, yoga is no more the fluid set of ideas open to interpretation and appropriation by anyone who takes interest in it but more of a coda of &quot;traditional&quot; knowledge that is protected by law from foreign and illegal infringement. The Government of India has placed TKDL under the supervision of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research which implies that officially the spiritual aspect of yoga is about to get downplayed while it gains in stature as a set of scientific-medical practise. As an officially recognised healing tool for the body, yoga now shares same legal protection as any medicine or scientific invention. Consequently, TKDL&nbsp;codification will be allowing the Indian government to have a bigger say on how yoga is used, who uses it and for what purposes.</p>

<p>What was purely an individual pursuit learned from the &quot;gurus&quot;, courtesy Yoga&#39;s newly emerging clinical nature, it is turning into more of a nationalist project which is under the control of the nation-state. This makes yoga very much politicised. As the government is responsible for the physical well-being of the citizen, yoga, in contributing to that scheme of wellness, becomes very much a political subject too.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Operating between the twilight zone between the secular appeal of yoga and its religious roots, the Indian government is all set to seize the opportunity to revitalise India as a &quot;Vishwa Guru&quot;, or guru of the world</h5>
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<p>While it is easier to comprehend why patenting yogic asanas by any individual party should be forbidden, the Indian government&#39;s political cooptation of the traditional knowledge has also raised serious controversy in recent times. Prime Minister Modi in trying to reclaim yoga as an Indian art form is taking the help of Hindu spiritual leaders, such as Ravishankar and Ramdev. Historically, this would mean discounting the important role yoga played in Buddhism and Jainism but, more importantly, such associations make&nbsp;yoga so much less a pan-Indian thing. Other religious communities in India and abroad have raised serious concern about yoga being used as a Hindutva tool.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Operating between the twilight zone between the secular appeal of yoga and its religious roots, the Indian government is all set to seize the opportunity to revitalise India as a &quot;Vishwa Guru&quot;, or guru of the world. Modi believes that &ldquo;We have to emerge as vishwa guru, not only to give new direction to the world, but also to protect our own heritage.&rdquo; Through the reclamation of yoga, Modi is attempting to rebrand India&rsquo;s international image by emphasising the bond between its ancient and contemporary cultures. But building a &quot;national&quot; culture is a contentious issue and in a sociologically diversified country like India, it can create the perception that the majority community is culturally imposing yoga on the others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, as we celebrate the International Yoga Day, Indians, as well as the Indian nation-state, need to realise that yogic practises can keep the citizens healthy but when used as a political theology it can be a disruptive force.</p>


Yoga's aggressive cultural promotion syncs all too well with the global aspiration of the country's growing middle-class

Yoga is back, and it is considered cool. The whole world, particularly, the West embraces it with open arms. Taking cognisance of the momentum building up around yoga, India is all poised to use it in the international arena both as a soft tool of diplomacy and to claim cultural leadership. With news pouring in from all over the world on the grand scale at which yoga is being celebrated, it is clear that the Indian state has been successful in making yoga the new face of India. The country has strike back with a new image of its own that, hopefully, will replace the earlier ones of poverty and hunger. Yoga's multifarious use in recent times ensured that it is now a commodity. Yoga has its own Day, unofficial but hugely popular brand ambassadors, such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev and Shilpa Shetty, it has logos, mats and spas to serve a growing clientele across the globe. The commodification of yoga has made it very different from its "classical" usages when it was, primarily, showcased as a technique to achieve "inner" spiritual and "outer" physical ascent. No matter how strongly the proponents of yoga like to articulate to the world the uninterrupted lineage that yoga enjoyed through the ages, in reality, however, neither the meaning nor the practices of yoga have been consistent across space and time. It is only very recently, under the tutelage of the Indian government that there has been a consistent effort to codify, localise and placate yoga as an "Indian" contribution to the world. Yoga is fast emerging as India's soft tool of diplomacy to garner a prominent place in international affairs. This came out clearly when India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech to the UN, successfully persuaded the international body to adopt a day as the International Day of Yoga when there was already a World Day of Yoga in existence. This was like pouring old wine into a new bottle. But the announcement served few very important purposes: it made sure that world knew that yoga belongs to India - it is India's gift to the world; it also made sure that yoga gets the attention of nation-states, and does not remain restricted to the confines of spas run by health enthusiasts or practised by culturally fringe elements like the hippies. Now, yoga opens up an entire plethora of opportunity for the Indian state to give to the rest of the world a template on how to live harmoniously, embracing a healthier life choice × Endorsing Prime Minister Modi's global vision about yoga, even Ban-Ki-moon, the then UN General Secretary made a public statement endorsing the crucial role of yoga in the well-being of the world population. He was categorical in his statement that through the celebration of the International Yoga Day, the world will be a "healthier" place and, more importantly, it will facilitate a more unified existence where people can live in harmony irrespective of their ethnicity, faith, age, gender identity or sexual orientation. In the course of modern history, it has been the West which had been providing to the rest of the world with a civilisational standard and a model of development. Now, yoga opens up an entire plethora of opportunity for the Indian state to give to the rest of the world a template on how to live harmoniously, embracing a healthier life choice. Imperceptively but very effectively yoga is shifting the locus of cultural authority in favour of India. And the Indian government is well aware of the political benefits of this shift. Hence, the resources devoted to celebrating the Day knows no bound. Yoga's aggressive cultural promotion both within and outside India syncs all too well with the global aspiration of the country's growing middle-class. With rising affluence, this section of the Indian population is increasingly tired of India's image of a poverty-ridden, hunger-stricken country. Globalisation has benefitted Indian middle-class the most and now they want to see India as a global power, both economically and culturally. Yoga provides them with an alternative image of India with which it can identify. Yoga practises come laden with messages of power, discipline, masculinity and specialised knowledge. Speaking metaphorically, the asanas have been indeed therapeutic for the Indian middle-class. Yoga practises come laden with messages of power, discipline, masculinity and specialised knowledge. × The myriad benefits that Indians are set to receive from yoga getting influential are so huge that they have aggressively come out against any commercial appropriation of yoga by any private individuals. All yogic asanas and formulations are now getting codified within the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) that the government has set up with an unflinching wellness message attached to it. This categoric effort to indigenise yoga as an Indian invention can be seen as part of Modi's broader agenda to promote the "Make in India" goal. Under the new system, yoga is no more the fluid set of ideas open to interpretation and appropriation by anyone who takes interest in it but more of a coda of "traditional" knowledge that is protected by law from foreign and illegal infringement. The Government of India has placed TKDL under the supervision of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research which implies that officially the spiritual aspect of yoga is about to get downplayed while it gains in stature as a set of scientific-medical practise. As an officially recognised healing tool for the body, yoga now shares same legal protection as any medicine or scientific invention. Consequently, TKDL codification will be allowing the Indian government to have a bigger say on how yoga is used, who uses it and for what purposes. What was purely an individual pursuit learned from the "gurus", courtesy Yoga's newly emerging clinical nature, it is turning into more of a nationalist project which is under the control of the nation-state. This makes yoga very much politicised. As the government is responsible for the physical well-being of the citizen, yoga, in contributing to that scheme of wellness, becomes very much a political subject too. Operating between the twilight zone between the secular appeal of yoga and its religious roots, the Indian government is all set to seize the opportunity to revitalise India as a "Vishwa Guru", or guru of the world × While it is easier to comprehend why patenting yogic asanas by any individual party should be forbidden, the Indian government's political cooptation of the traditional knowledge has also raised serious controversy in recent times. Prime Minister Modi in trying to reclaim yoga as an Indian art form is taking the help of Hindu spiritual leaders, such as Ravishankar and Ramdev. Historically, this would mean discounting the important role yoga played in Buddhism and Jainism but, more importantly, such associations make yoga so much less a pan-Indian thing. Other religious communities in India and abroad have raised serious concern about yoga being used as a Hindutva tool. Operating between the twilight zone between the secular appeal of yoga and its religious roots, the Indian government is all set to seize the opportunity to revitalise India as a "Vishwa Guru", or guru of the world. Modi believes that “We have to emerge as vishwa guru, not only to give new direction to the world, but also to protect our own heritage.” Through the reclamation of yoga, Modi is attempting to rebrand India’s international image by emphasising the bond between its ancient and contemporary cultures. But building a "national" culture is a contentious issue and in a sociologically diversified country like India, it can create the perception that the majority community is culturally imposing yoga on the others. Thus, as we celebrate the International Yoga Day, Indians, as well as the Indian nation-state, need to realise that yogic practises can keep the citizens healthy but when used as a political theology it can be a disruptive force.

Yoga: India's new cultural tool of global dominance

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International Yoga Day 2022: ‘Yoga for Humanity’ a mission to achieve holistic health

Yoga will lead to guided imagery, Hinduism: Christian groups claim in Alabama

Yoga: India's new cultural tool of global dominance