“Yoga has roots in India and is now being embraced worldwide, uniting people with the values of balance, mindfulness and peace,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In his message on the 10th International Yoga Day, Mr Guterres urged people to be inspired by the timeless values of this age-old practice and the call for a more peaceful and harmonious future.
In December 2014, the UN declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, recognizing its universal appeal. The UN General Assembly draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and adopted by a record 175 member states.
“The International Day of Yoga recognizes the unparalleled power of this ancient practice to provide healing, inner peace and physical, spiritual and mental well-being,” Mr. Guterres said in his message on June 21, as the world celebrated the 10th International Yoga Day .
“With roots in India, but now embraced worldwide by people of all faiths and cultures, Yoga unites people with its values of balance, mindfulness and peace with both people and the planet,” Mr Guterres said in the message issued by the Permanent Mission was placed on X. of India at the UN.
He noted that this year’s theme ‘Yoga for the Self and Society’ reminds us of the important role of yoga in improving the lives of people and the wider community. On this important day, let us all be inspired by the timeless values of Yoga and the call for a more peaceful and harmonious future,” the UN chief said.
India’s Permanent Mission to the UN organized the commemoration of the 10th International Day of Yoga at the North Lawn Area of the UN Headquarters, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Day of Yoga in a historic celebration last year, nine years after he proposed it from the UN The UN General Assembly stage for June 21 will be marked as International Yoga Day.
The event was attended by UN envoys, staff, officials and members of the diaspora, as well as yoga enthusiasts and practitioners. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed greeted attendees with a ‘Namaste’ and said yoga is essentially about unity, the unity of mind, body and soul.
“It’s about you, it’s about me, it’s about us. And today at the UN we see how it unites people from different cultures and countries,” she said.
Ms Mohammed added that since the UN General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga ten years ago, the celebration and momentum have steadily increased.
“Today it brings together millions of us, of all ages and backgrounds, to honor this age-old tradition,” said Ms Mohammed as she referred to the Guinness World Record created during last year’s Yoga Day commemoration for the most nationalities who practice yoga together. At least 135 countries were represented at the 2023 yoga session.
‘And I was the proudest of those many. That achievement was a beautiful and powerful symbol of the global popularity of yoga, its universal appeal and its power to bring people together in their shared interests and their shared humanity,” she said.
Greeting the day with a ‘Namaste’, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis said in a virtual message that yoga has been an integral part of India’s cultural tradition for thousands of years.
“Over the years, it has spread through the currents of cultural diffusion to all corners of the world, with millions of practitioners turning to its mental, physical and spiritual benefits,” he said.
He said the benefits of yoga, such as a sense of contentment and happiness, physical strength and flexibility, mental strength, a sense of empathy and compassion, and inner peace, are all qualities that “should also guide our efforts on the multilateral stage .” Mr. Francis added that Yoga’s ethical guide to life advocates non-violence, truthfulness and contentment.
“These principles resonate deeply with the core values of the United Nations, which strive to promote peace, justice and human dignity worldwide. That is why I see Yoga as a powerful metaphor for the United Nations itself,” he said.
Mr. Francis called on people to embrace the teachings of yoga, not just as a physical practice, but as a guiding philosophy for “our collective efforts to build a better, stronger future for all humanity.”
Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador R. Ravindra said that in the decade since 2014, yoga has been embraced by people around the world like never before, and today it has become a symbol of overall well-being, health and peace.
On this occasion, the UN Chamber Music Society performed repertoire of world music, and yoga masters led meditation and yoga exercises.
