Essay on International Yoga Day for Descriptive Paper

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Introduction

Yoga is an ancient way to attain physical, mental, and spiritual practice. The word 'yoga' is derived from Sanskrit, which means 'to unite'. It enables the unity of mind, body and soul. There are different forms of yoga that benefit our physical and mental health in different ways.

In the first year, on June 21, 2015, a grand event on International Yoga Day was held at Rajpath, New Delhi. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed 21 asanas/postures of yoga for 35 minutes with over 35,000 people as an audience.

Every year, International Yoga Day has a different theme. This year, the theme for International Yoga Day (June 21, 2022) was ‘Yoga For Humanity’. It was held in Mysore, Karnataka.

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Origin of Yoga

Yoga is a centuries-old practice that originated somewhere around 5,000 years ago in India. It is said that it was Lord Shiva who gave birth to this art. Shiva (also known as Adi Yogi) is known to be the inspiration for all the yoga gurus around the world.

It is believed that Lord Shiva transferred the science of meditation to the Saptarishis who continued its practise. However, the first systematic presentation of yoga is said to be done by Pantanjali in the classical period.

Yoga Sutra is a 2000-year-old book. This is the only book in which written evidence of Yoga has been found. Yogic philosophy is described in this book. A lot of methods have been conveyed about how someone can control their mind, their emotion, and merge into spirituality.

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Significance/initiative of Yoga

We all know that yoga is one of the most beneficial activities that anyone can add to his/her lifestyle. It is concerned with the proper functioning of both the body and the mind. It helps with life challenges such as nervousness, fears, anxiety, etc. It also helps ease a variety of health issues like blood pressure, sugar, etc.

Keeping all these benefits of Yoga in mind, our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi gave a proposal to United Nations in September 2014. In December 2014, the UN recognised the need to spread awareness about the benefits of yoga, and declared June 21 as World Yoga Day.

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Some interesting facts

• If men teach yoga, they are called Yogis, and if women teach, they are called Yoginis.
• In 1893, Swami Vivekanand brought Yoga to the modern world for the first time.
• According to a survey conducted, approximately 20 million Americans practice yoga.
• First American yogi was Pierre Arnold Bernard, also known for/founder of Tantrik Order.
• Theme of international yoga: 2022-Yoga for Humanity, 2021-Yoga for Wellness, 2020-Yoga with Family, 2019-Yoga for Heart, 2018-Yoga for Peace, etc.

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Branches/Chakras/Types of Yoga

Yoga is divided into six branches: Hatha Yoga, Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and Tantra yoga.

There are also seven chakras of yoga styles: Sahasram chakra, Ajna chakra, Vishuddha chakra, Anahata chakra, Manipura chakra, Svadhishthana chakra, and Muladhara chakra.

There are total 13 types of yoga: Kundalini Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Yin Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Power Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Aerial Yoga, and Acro Yoga.

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Benefits/advantages of Yoga

• You can exercise without any equipment.
• You can drive away your diseases without any medicine.
• It makes your muscles strong and flexible.
• It keeps your mind calm and produces positive thoughts to do right things.
• Yoga for 20 to 30 minutes daily, keeps you charged throughout the day.
• It helps bones remain strong, and there is no joint pain.
• Blood flow remains good by doing Yoga.
• It also maintains the heart rate of the body and boosts immunity.
• It controls both blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
• Diseases like mental stress and hypertension remain away from the body.

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Objectives of International Yoga Day

• Awareness of holistic benefits of yoga
• Create harmony between inner energies, mind, and body
• Assist people with practising yoga every day
• Reduce the rate of illnesses through natural cure
• Encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles
• Bring communities together, removing negativity and promoting positivity

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Conclusion

Through regular yoga practices, we'll get a new life, filled with happiness and contentment. It is recommendable for everyone, irrespective of age, to practice yoga regularly. It has no side effects. It offers a great relief to our otherwise stressful lives.

It is a matter of pride for Indians that our ancient art of keeping the mind and body fit has been accepted and appreciated worldwide. India is a land of several such treasures and we are glad to have shared one of the best among them with the world.