Every year, on June 21, is celebrated the International Yoga Day, this practice harmonizes the body with mind, through posture and breathing techniques and meditation. A lot of people get confused thinking it is a religion, but it’s actually a way of self-knowledge and self-care.
This practice is well known for its physical, mental and spiritual benefits, and celebrating a yoga day is to make people aware of these benefits. However, why was June 21st chosen as international yoga day?
History of international Yoga Day
Yoga originated in India, this is why it is an important part of Indian culture and civilization. On September 27, 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the creation of international yoga day during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He highlighted all the benefits of this practice and even suggested the date chosen for the celebration.
The proposal received full support, so on December 11, 2014, the UNGA officially declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. The date chosen is also the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, celebrated in many cultures and with a special significance in many parts of the world.
Benefits of Yoga and how this practice can change your lifestyle
Yoga is well known for its physical, mental and spiritual benefits, but the yoga instructor, Aimée Freitas, states that “[it] goes far beyond physical practice, it is everything you do with presence, it teaches us to lead a life with more love and dedication in everything that we do”.
There are many reasons why you should add yoga to your routine, but here are five benefits of this practice to motivate you to embark on this journey:
- Flexibility
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Yoga teaches people to be kind to their own bodies, each position is a process and consequently brings more flexibility to practitioners.
- Strength
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Many people have this prejudice that this practice will make them lose muscles, but it is completely the opposite. Yoga works a lot with the person’s body weight, so it is natural to gain more and more strength.
- Reduce Anxiety
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This practice brings you to the present moment, thus reducing anxiety and still connecting mind, body and soul. But it’s not a cure for anxiety, it’s a help to reduce it.
- Better us as people
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In addition to teaching us to be kind to our bodies, it teaches us to be polite to ourselves. Consequently we will improve relationships with everyone around us. One of the main points of yoga is working with self-knowledge, knowing yourself makes life a little easier.
- It’s Inclusive
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Everyone can participate in this practice, regardless of age, religion, nationality, sexuality and body type. It’s really inclusive, because it’s a personal process.
According to Aimée, in order to obtain the benefits of yoga, it is necessary to practice it at least twice a week. “Just like everything in this life we need discipline and constancy to obtain long term results” concludes the yoga instructor.
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The article above was edited by Maria Esther Cortez.
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