Yoga unites us all, spreads message that world is one family: PM Modi in video message

PM Modi is on a visit to the US. On Wednesday, he led a yoga session at the United Nations Headquarters, where top officials, envoys and prominent people from over 180 countries joined him.

“The coming together of more than 180 countries on India’s call is historic and unprecedented,” Modi said in his message, referring to the proposal for the International Day of Yoga that was moved in the UN General Assembly in 2014.

“What unites us is yoga,” the Prime Minister said. “Today, crores of people all over the world are doing yoga together on the theme of ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’,” he added.

Underlining the importance of good health at the individual as well as the family level, the PM emphasised that Yoga creates a healthy and powerful society where the collective energy is much more. He said through yoga “our physical strength, our mental expansion will become the basis of a developed India,” said the PM concluding his address.

He called the international event “historic and unprecedented”.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar led the national celebration of International Day of Yoga in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla joined the celebration on the Parliament House premises while Union ministers performed yoga exercises in different cities.

Union Health and Family Welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya led the yoga session at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He said that yoga can help calm the mind and energise the body. “Whenever we talk about health and wellness, Yoga comes to our mind. It is a kind of preventive care as it builds immunity in the body. Post Covid people have become more aware of their health and wellness. Because of this, Yoga’s relevance and popularity has also increased substantially.”

The PM highlighted not only the international participation at the UN headquarters, he also spoke of the Ocean of Ring yoga organised by the Indian Navy where ships deployed in the Indian Ocean will visit ports in friendly countries to do yoga and spread the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

He also mentioned the Yoga Bharamala and Yoga Sagarmala where yoga will be performed across locations of the land borders, coastline, and civil merchant ports. The PM said that on this occasion the two poles of the world will also be united by yoga with the day being celebrated at the Arctic and Antarctic research bases of India.