The Yoga Day - 21 June || tindit India||

Photography by Abhishek Narwariya (Tasveeri yaari)

The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit term ‘yuj’ which means to unite/join. Yoga, thus, is the path to uniting with our true, creative, higher selves and with the Universal. Its goal is to experience the unity of personal and universal consciousness or God.As all other things/activities in hindu methalogy are connected to God, So that people follow it with dedication and beliefs. It is important way of Indians to connect everything with God because sometimes understanding of these activities are complicated but people follow and take benefit because it connect with God. So, that Yoga is also connect with God  _Lord Shiv_  , known as *Adi Yogi*. In india person known as _yogi_ who lives and acts by using all aspects of yoga with an awareness of being in communication with the source.

The word yoga was first mentioned in the Rigveda, but its philosophy, science and grammar were first provided by Patanjali in his magnum opus, Patanjali Yoga Sutra in a simple way.  It is heartening to note that yoga has been widely accepted across the world today.

Many people think that yoga means physical exercise but

Yoga is something beyond physical health and material wealth. The human persona is not only a body; it is also a mind, an intellect, and a soul. Yoga attempts to harmonise all of them. In the process, one attains a healthy body, a sharp intellect, and a focused mind capable of realising the unity between ‘I’, generally defined as personal consciousness, and ‘I’, the universal or cosmic consciousness. Yoga incorporates a variety of practice such as movement, breathing, meditation, sound, lifestyle and it teaches us how to control these. Its aim is calmness of mind with physical fitness of body because without physical fitness we can't achieve peace of mind.Yoga is not about retreating from life as an escape. It is about cultivating stillness wherever we are.

Yoga is always an important part of Indian culture and civilization. The practice of yoga is not just beneficial for body alone, it brings it in alignment with mind and soul.

Now days people's talk about subconscious theory of mind but they are unaware to the fact it is practice by Indians before western science know the word subconscious. In yoga it is included and people chanting veds mantras. It is proved by modern psychology scientists that if our belief system then we can do anything and Indian are practicing these things ancient times. I don't know normal people understand these concepts or not but our rishi muni ,Yogi can understand these concepts very well. Indian are worship lord Sun with *Surya namaskar Mantra* in morning and modern science tell us exercise namaskarnce of morning sun ray are more beneficial. So how we accept that we don't know anything thing about modern science ?

The four paths of Yoga, namely Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga and Raja Yoga allow us to drive away the clouds of ignorance from our consciousness. These four yoga paths are not independent of one another. Each yoga path is intricately linked to the other. When we are devoted to God, we are bhakti yogis. When we stand for our fellow human beings we are Karma Yogis. When we engross ourselves in Yoga Practices, we are Raja Yogis. When we say upon the true purpose of life, we are Gyana Yogis. As is commonly said, “All roads lead to Rome.”, so all paths lead to Salvation.

Maharshi Patanjali divide yoga in eight aspects in his book *_yogsutra_* :-

1. YAM:-  In this five abstention are present. These are _voilence, lying, theft, sex and possession_.

2. NIYAM:- In this five observance are present. These are _Purity, Contentment, austerities, study and surrender to god_.

3. ASANA:-  Thisis the physical exercise and mudra which help to achieve healthy body.

4. PRANAYAMA:-  Thisis the control of breath or pran vayu.

5.PRATYAHARA:- It means non attachment. Person not feel any attachments with external world, physical facilities, materialistic things.

Above five are known as Bahirang sadhan in yogasutra.

6.Dharna:- It means concentration. People try to concentrate on a single fix point.

7.Dhyan:- It means meditation. In this people try to achieve emptyness in mind and stop the flow of thoughts in mind.

8.Samadhi:- It is last stage of yoga , which is aim of every Yogi. In this people reach at super conscious level. It is not for normal people. It is practice by Yogi who achieve all seven level of Yoga.

Yoga adepts progress toward the experience of samadhi, an advanced state of meditation where there is absorption in inner ecstasy.The Yogi reaches an enlightened state where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union.Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras presents the goal of yoga as 'the cessation of mental fluctuations' (cittavrtti nirodha).

United Nation General Assembly declared 21 June as "International Yoga Day " on proposal of our prime minister "Mr. Narendra Modi" in 2014. Out of 193 member states of UN, proposal was approved by 177 co-sponsring countries. The first International Yoga Day celebrated in 2015.India holds 2 yoga world records on the occasion of   first International Day of Yoga was celebration in India at Rajpath with PM Modi, along with dignitaries of 84 nations, participating and promoting 21 yoga asanas. The event bagged India two Guinness world records – 

1. for being the world’s largest yoga class featuring 35,985 people.

2. for the participation of people belonging to 84 nationalities.

Many people are trying to attach Yoga with one particular religion but it is not true. It is originated in India and found in every religion which originated from india such as hindu, baudh,Jain etc. Today whole world accept Yoga as necessary part of life.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “We should do this [yoga] before every negotiation so that we can work with a calm mind”. 

It is true that Yoga is not a panacea that help in all disease but it mostly help in all disease. It help to overcome depression or other psychological problems. It is all about calmness of mind which increases positivity in every person.

Apart from emphasising the normal benefits of yoga, International Yoga Day should be utilised to think about how a peaceful transition can be achieved for peace, harmony and happiness.

Yoga also has economical aspects. In today's scenario demand of yoga professional are increases day by day. Yoga is not help india as a culture transfer but also help at economical aspects. Nowadays yoga create a revenue more than 60$ in US.

 So we can say that Yoga help to boost our health, wealth and culture. In the era of weak immunity yoga helps us to increase physical fitness with immunity.

Recognizing this important role of Yoga, the Permanent Mission of India, together with Yoga gurus and therapists, has created a special Yoga module,  “Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home”, on the occasion of 6th International Day of Yoga. The module is a safe set of Yoga practices, based on available scientific evidences, designed for all age-groups, which can be practiced from their homes. The module, which includes simple Yoga exercises, breathing and meditation practices to improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, wad webcasted on UN Web TV and the Mission’s social media pages on June 19 between 15:00 - 16:30 hr.


Written by Utkarsh Mishra
KIET GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS