International Yoga Day
This Friday, June 21, is International Yoga Day!
In today’s world, it is very easy for our daily activities and thoughts to be scattered. We live so much in our heads that we can be disconnected from our bodies. The reality is our body is the temple of God, and we can master it.
Started in 2014 by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, International Yoga Day aims to raise awareness about the health benefits of yoga, connect people with themselves and spread peace. Since 2014, 170 nations worldwide have adopted it as a holiday. Yoga transcends barriers of nationality, ethnicity, and creed.
With a history dating back 5000 years, yoga is the combination of breathing exercises (pranayamas) and physical exercises called asanas. Modi describes it as thus: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies the unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”
True Father talks about the connection between our physical body and spiritual body and how disciplining our physical body can strengthen our spiritual one. Yoga and mindfulness practices establish and strengthen that bridge between our minds and our bodies.
According to this website, some benefits of Yoga include:
- Promoting Weight Loss
- Detoxifying Our Body
- Improving Balance
- Increasing Stamina
- Reducing Stress
- Promoting Better Sleep
- Improving Self Confidence
This is the 5th International Yoga Day, and Washington Monument is already set to have a record number of people coming out in honor of the holiday, with over 2500 people already registered.
What can you do to celebrate? Here are some ideas to “meditate” on:
1.) Bust a Move
So maybe you’ve never tried yoga in your life, or maybe you know a few positions from that one class you took. Either way, what have you got to lose except maybe lowering your cortisol levels?
Take a few minutes this morning to find a quiet spot, maybe in your bedroom, or a shady corner of your yard, and breathe in silence for a few minutes. If you want to learn meditation techniques from an instructor, check out if there’s a trainer near you that can guide you free of charge here.
You can also learn yoga moves from your laptop or phone! Just type in “yoga positions” into YouTube: you’re sure to find something that’s worth trying!
2.) Join a Laughter Yoga group
Did you know there is such a thing as laughter yoga? I kid you not. According to laughteryoga.org, “Laughter Yoga is a combination of deep breathing exercises from yoga and laughter exercises, which oxygenates our body and brain and makes us feel more healthy and energetic.” Whether you want to join a group or just get together with your friends for a few belly laughs, it is a great time to connect with your inner Yogi. If you want to find a group in your area to join, click here.
3.) Make a Change
The theme of the 2019 International Yoga Day is “Climate Action.” With this in mind, find ways to get your local community involved in taking some action for our planet. After Sunday service host a Yoga session where anyone in the local community can stop by and enjoy a mindfulness yoga session. After the yoga session, find a way to move from instilling inner harmony to creating outer harmony, whether it is a discussion on climate issues or organizing a community cleanup.
The world needs us to be a voice for change, but we can only be agents of change when we ourselves are aligned with our true selves. Yoga helps us do this. We get our car tires aligned, but we have to get ourselves aligned as well! After all, life is better when you are aligned.