On December 11th, 2014, the United Nations declared June 21st to be recognized as the “International Yoga Day”, following the proposal initiated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United Nations General Assembly. The decision was taken to promote holistic approach towards healthy lifestyle and well-being. As many as 192 countries celebrate International Yoga Day by organizing various Yoga activities, like Yoga camps, Yoga competitions, etc., to spread awareness about the health benefits of Yoga among people from all walks of life.
Regular practice of Yoga invigorates body, mind, and soul and initiates a harmonic flow of energy in the body. Stress and anxiety have devastating effects on the mind and the body. Yoga activates our parasympathetic nervous system which helps in reducing stress levels and promotes self-healing in the body. Through breathing exercises and meditation, a person also learns to develop coping skills that help in maintaining a good mental health level.
If practiced daily, Yoga proves to be very beneficial in improving concentration, focus, and attention, especially among children. Harmful toxins released by our body are flushed out when we maintain a balanced metabolism in our body.
Apart from mental benefits, Yoga instills physical benefits in the body like increased flexibility, muscle strength, cardio, and respiratory health and weight management.
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, let us all take a pledge to practice Yoga in our daily lives to revitalize our body and soul. Let the health benefits of this holistic approach to lead a healthy life reverberate in every niche and corner of this world.