Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday he will lead a yoga session at U.N. headquarters in New York City on June 21, which the United Nations has proclaimed as the “International Day of Yoga.”
The U.N. established the International Day of Yoga at Modi’s urging in 2014. Modi told the U.N. General Assembly at the time that yoga is “an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition” that “embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action.”
“Yoga is not just about exercise. It is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world, and nature,” Modi said.
The U.N. resolution that created the International Day of Yoga stressed “the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.”
The United Nations health agency, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), worked with the government of India to create a smartphone app for yoga practitioners called WHO mYoga. In 2016, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added yoga to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a list of teachings and traditions regarded as cultural treasures to be shared by the entire world.
Prime Minister Modi will be visiting the United States from June 21-24, with events including a White House state dinner and addressing a joint session of Congress on his agenda. On his first day in America, he will visit U.N. Headquarters in New York and lead a morning yoga session on its vast North Lawn, which features a bust of Mahatma Gandhi donated by India when it held the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council last year.
“The historic yoga session is expected to be attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community,” India’s NDTV reported.
Invitations to the U.N. event said yoga mats would be provided for attendees, who were encouraged to take the mats home as souvenirs. General Assembly President Csaba Korosi confirmed on Friday that he would participate in the hour-long session.
Modi is an avid practitioner of yoga who strongly recommended using it to remain fit during pandemic lockdowns. One of his most prominent early political supporters was a billionaire yoga enthusiast named Baba Ramdev whose business empire included a string of huge yoga camps.
“The theme of International Day of Yoga this year is ‘Yoga at home, Yoga with family’. Today, we will stay away from all social gatherings and do yoga with our family. When family members come together in practicing Yoga, it spreads energy in the entire house,” he said in 2020.
On Friday, Modi shared a video of yoga exercises on Twitter and praised the “profound benefits for both body and mind” that come from following the discipline.
“Let us make Yoga a part of our lives and further wellness as well as peace,” he said.
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