International Day of Yoga 2020 will be celebrated on June 21. Yoga, the ancient Indian practise or set of disciplines for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness has now gone global now. Right from physical to psychological benefits, Yoga is known to have major effects on human health. International Day of Yoga celebrates the traditional practice and aims at spreading awareness about the importance and positive impacts of performing yoga.

International Day of Yoga 2020 History

The history of International Day of Yoga dates back to June 21, 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.  The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his UN address suggested that June 21, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere must be celebrated as International Day of Yoga.

International Yoga Day 2020 Theme & Significance

Given that we are amid the coronavirus pandemic, the theme for this year's International Yoga Day "Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family." This aims at urging people to celebrate International Yoga Day at home to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Due to the contagious nature of COVID-19, no mass gathering would be advisable.

Benefits of Yoga

The benefits of Yoga are innumerable! You can reap its benefits even if you practise for one hour a week. Right from meditation to breathing techniques and various yoga poses, yoga has the ability to heal you. It contributes you mental and physical well-being. Apart from aiding weight loss, yoga is also known to develop muscle tone, and build flexibility.  Yoga asanas can help ease physical discomfort and also calm anxiety. Yoga is also known to soothe panic disorder, reduce pain and stress. Here are some benefits of yoga:

  • Maintain flexibility.

  • Boosts muscle strength.

  • Improved respiration.

  • Boost metabolism.

  • Weightloss

  • Improved cardiovascular health and injury management.

Like we mentioned above, the sixth edition of the International Yoga Day will encourage yoga to be practised at home with family members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the run-up to the yoga day, launched an event - 'My Life My Yoga' - in his 'Mann ki Baat' urging people to stay active and fit during the coronavirus lockdown.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2020 01:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).