On the 11th International Day of Yoga, celebrated worldwide on June 21, 2025, millions of people embraced the ancient practice to promote physical, mental, and environmental well-being. This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” underscored the interconnectedness of personal health and the health of the planet. In India, grand-scale events took place across all states and union territories, with the main celebration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Visakhapatnam’s coastal city, notable for its sprawling Kailasagiri hilltop park and its 28-kilometre beachfront, was chosen to host the flagship event. The large-scale beachfront yoga session aimed ambitiously to shatter the previous Guinness World Record held in Gujarat two years prior, which had seen 147,952 participants. Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister claimed that approximately 303,000 people took part in the session, though the official count from Guinness World Records had yet to be confirmed at the time. This massive gathering was a vivid display of yoga’s enduring appeal and its ability to unite communities in shared health goals.

Military personnel also marked International Yoga Day with symbolic participation in extreme locations—from the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier to naval ships stationed in the Bay of Bengal—highlighting yoga’s reach across all Indian domains and its role in fostering resilience and mental balance in demanding environments. Similarly, community events unfolded globally: in London, the Indian High Commission teamed up with King’s College London for a public yoga session on the Strand, where high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami read a message from King Charles III. The King’s message emphasised yoga’s power to unite people and improve both physical and mental health, reinforcing the event’s global ethos. In New York’s iconic Times Square, hundreds participated in an outdoor yoga session organised by the Consulate General of India, symbolising yoga’s growing adoption beyond Indian borders.

Yoga’s international observance began in 2014, when the United Nations adopted June 21 as International Day of Yoga, coinciding with the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere—an auspicious time in many cultures. This formal recognition followed India’s successful proposal to the UN General Assembly, which unanimously supported the initiative. Since then, International Yoga Day has become a global phenomenon, celebrated in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Israel, the United States, Dubai, France, and Australia, among others. These worldwide events not only celebrate an ancient Indian practice but also stress yoga’s relevance in promoting holistic health and collective harmony in a turbulent world.

Prime Minister Modi, reflecting on the significance of the day in a social media post, acknowledged current global tensions and instability, saying, “In such times, yoga gives us the direction of peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, balance, and become whole again.” This sentiment captures yoga’s deeper promise as a tool for mental calm and unity amid widespread unrest.

Across India, local observances marked the day with notable activities, including a special session at the newly inaugurated Chenab Rail Bridge—the world’s highest railway bridge—in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. Meanwhile, in urban centres like Mumbai and New Delhi, Bollywood actors and families gathered in parks and public spaces, sharing yoga’s benefits with diverse audiences from infants to elders.

This widespread participation festival reflects yoga’s evolution from a traditional spiritual practice into a globally embraced symbol of wellness, community, and planetary care. As governments and organisations continue to champion International Yoga Day, the ongoing challenge remains to balance yoga’s cultural roots with its universal message of health and harmony.

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Source: Noah Wire Services