Ahead of International Day of Yoga, India’s Ambassador to the United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there has been a significant increase in the popularity of yoga in the United States after the United Nations in 2014 declared June 21 as the International Yoga Day.
Addressing hundreds of yoga enthusiasts at the National Monument on June 16 morning, Shringla said that yoga has been widely adopted by people all over the world, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries, and has millions of practitioners in the USA.
“The popularity of yoga has seen a significant increase in the United States and in fact all over the world in recent years,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the Indian missions abroad for organizing events on yoga and urged everyone to participate in it.
“Across all continents, the Yoga Day 2019 celebrations have begun with immense fervour. I urge you all to join the Yoga Day programmes in your respective nations and enrich the Yoga programmes with your participation,” Modi said in a tweet.
Across all continents, the #YogaDay2019 celebrations have begun with immense fervour. I urge you all to join the Yoga Day programmes in your respective nations and enrich the Yoga programmes with your participation. pic.twitter.com/bmA5ublVYE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2019
According to a study, yoga in America was brought out by the Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance’ and the number of its practitioners in the United States has increased to more than 36 million.
“This reflects an overwhelming adoption of yoga by the American people,” Shringla said in his remarks during the celebration of the 5th International Day of Yoga organized by the Indian embassy in association with several other Indian-American organizations, yoga and health associations.
An unprecedented number of yoga enthusiasts of all ages and from every walk of life took part in the event, including representatives from the White House, the United States Department of State and other government agencies.
Prominent members of the diplomatic community, including ambassadors of Nepal, Mauritius, and Myanmar, were also present.
Bringing to the fore that yoga is a priceless gift of ancient Indian tradition, Shringla said it represents the unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint, and fulfillment, harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being.
“Yoga promotes a message of peace and harmony between the spiritual and temporal aspects of the world, making them philosophically a part of India’s civilizational ethos, echoed in the phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means the World is One Family,” Shringla said.
During the event, a guided yoga session based on the common yoga protocol was performed by the participants.
The session was led by Dr. Moxraj, a teacher of Indian culture at the Indian embassy, along with other yoga volunteers.
The Embassy this year organized several curtain-raiser events in collaboration with yoga organizations and yoga studios at several places of the United States, resulting in a record turnout for the Yoga Day celebrations.
Following the event, an Indian vegetarian food festival was organized at the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian Art located in the National Mall to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
