International Yoga Day (IDY) - Origins, History, Establishment, Theme and Benefits

Yoga originated in the Indian sub-continent about 5000 years ago. It being a highly disciplined, spiritual and philosophical practice, at one point it was practiced only by the yogis and sages. As per the scriptures, it is believed to be first practiced by Adiyogi Shiva and then slowly disseminated to the disciples in India.

Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Paramahansa Yogananda to name a few are early masters and preachers of Yoga. Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev are few names of spiritual gurus who are the active advocates of Yoga in the modern day.

International Yoga Day was first celebrated on 21st June 2015. Each year IDY is characterised by a theme in alignment with global challenges while also promoting health, international unity, sustainability and wellness in general.

Historical Origin of Yoga

Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice which has been a part of Indian valley civilization's spiritual fabric for over a millennia. Many archaeological findings have been found with yogic motifs and figures confirming the early presence.

Lord Shiva is referred to as the first yogi or Adiyogi. He is also called the Adi guru, the first guru. It is believed that lord Shiva first imparted the knowledge of Yoga to the Sapta Rishis (seven sages) at the Kantisarovar. This lake lies 5 Kms above Kedarnath. It is also believed that the first yoga event happened here about 15,000 years ago. 

During the early years, Yoga was more a part of spiritual rituals and practices, performed under the guidance of a guru. Surya Namaskara (Prayers to Sun Lord) and Pranayam (Breathing control) were a part of this and continue to be so.

If we look at the mention of Yoga in early scriptures and manuscripts, Rig veda is amongst the earliest of scriptures with the mention of Yoga, spiritual practices like meditation and prayers. There are detailed descriptions of Yogic forms, types, distinctions and benefits. Yoga being one of the six schools of philosophy in Hinduism also made its way into Buddhism and Jainism. This goes on to say that vedic yogic traditions are spread across diverse philosophical and spiritual schools of thought.

Yoga Sutras by Rishi Patanjali were written around 200 BCE. These are the texts which systematically defined yoga practices. They outline eight limbs or branches that form Yoga and are called Ashtanga Yoga. These include moral codes (Yamas, Niyamas), physical postures (Asanas), breath control (Pranayama), withdrawal of senses (Pratyahara), concentration (Dharana), meditation (Dhyana) and ultimate liberation (Samadhi). Bhagavad Gita also talks about the concept of Gyan Yoga (the yoga of knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion) and Karma Yoga (the yoga of action).

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras have made yoga teachable, learnable and transmissible across generations and geographies. Ashtanga Yoga has become like a comprehensive guide which has made Yoga a structured discipline. This has contributed to Yoga’s long term survival and eventual global spread.

Hatha Yoga emphasizes physical postures (Asanas) and breathing exercises (Pranayama). These yogic practices introduced a body centric approach that focused on physical aspects and health benefits. It is also seen as a way of preparing the body and mind for deeper meditation and spiritual development. Hatha Yoga made yoga more tangible, practising through their bodies, experiencing immediate physical benefits such as improved flexibility and strength. This physical aspect of yoga made it accessible and appealing to non-spiritual audiences from the west making it globally popular.  

Efforts of Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda were paramount in taking yoga practices to the western audience. With time Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s were adopted widely in the west with it being tailored to diverse needs and preferences of the audience. Today, Yoga studios and classes are available world wide, across cities. The west has adopted Indian yoga practices for their numerous benefits like reduce stress and anxiety, improving flexibility and balance and promoting overall physical and mental well-being. 

Other contemporary teachers like Swami Shivananda, Shri T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Kuvalayananda, Shri Yogendara, Swami Rama, Sri Aurobindo, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Pattabhijois, BKS. Iyengar, and Swami Satyananda Sarasvati have further contributed to yoga's global spread.

The popularity and global acceptance of Yoga paved the way for UN’s unanimous acceptance by countries for the establishment of International Yoga Day. 

Establishment of International Yoga Day by India, Under the Leadership of PM Modi

The idea for an International Yoga Day was first formally presented by India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27th September 2014. In his speech to the UNGA, Prime Minister Modi described Yoga as an "invaluable gift from India's ancient tradition" and a balanced approach to unite body, mind and soul, thought and action, harmony between the people. He mentioned that Yoga is "a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature".

Prime Minister Modi positioned India on the global stage as a source of ancient wisdom and spiritual heritage. This proposal from India to have an International Yoga Day was met with unanimous global support. 193 members of the UNGA and 175 co-sponsors approved it. Prime Minister Modi leveraged India’s cultural heritage increasing it’s soft power. Mr. Modi’s address was on 27th September 2014 and within less than three months on 11th December 2014, UNGA approved Resolution 69/131, proclaiming June 21st as the International Yoga Day (IDY). 

Why was 21st June chosen as the International Yoga Day

21st June is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This day is highly symbolic as it is associated with spiritual awakening in Hinduism and many other cultures across the globe. Hence 21st June became ideal to celebrate Yoga, a practise that is aimed at harmonizing body, mind and soul.

International Yoga Day is not just a celebratory cultural event but it also comes under the Global Health and Foreign Policy" agenda. This makes yoga a viable and beneficial tool for addressing public health challenges such as physical inactivity and non-communicable issues arising from unhealthy living practices. This move has made UNGA member countries to include Yoga into their public health strategies, making it available worldwide.

The first International Yoga Day Celebrations - 21st June 2015

21st June 2015 was the inaugural Yoga day event which was organised by the Ministry of AYUSH in India. AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) deals with various branches of traditional medicines in India and Yoga is one of its core branches. The Inaugural event  took place at Kartavya Path (previously Rajpath) and was led by PM Modi himself. It became an historical event with over 36,000 people including dignitaries from 84 nations who performed 21 very specific yoga asanas for 35 minutes. It also set a record for the largest number of nations participating at a Yoga event. Parallely, global celebrations and events took place worldwide including in cities like New York, Paris, Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Seoul. To commemorate this event, The Reserve Bank of India also issued a 10-rupee commemorative coin.

Theme of International Yoga Day 2025

At the Mann ki Baat radio podcast event PM Narendra Modi announced the theme for 2025 has been announced as "Yoga for One Earth, One Health".  PM stated, “The theme of Yoga Day 2025 has been kept as Yoga for One Earth One Health. That is, we wish to make the whole world healthy through Yoga.”

Amongst many, this year there is going to be one key initiative called "Yoga Samavesh", with the objective to promote yoga amongst special groups like senior citizens, diabetic patients, pregnant women and individuals in drug de-addiction treatments.

Read: International Yoga Day - All Themes from Year 2015 to 2025

In this address to the nation, PM Modi also mentioned the Somos India (Meaning, We are India in Spanish) team for promoting Yoga for nearly 10 years now, translating key material into Spanish. In 2024, Somos India has around 9,000 participants in their yoga day related events.

Celebrations of IDY are diverse, transcending geographical, cultural and linguistic boundaries. International Yoga Day serves as an yearly reminder as well as celebration of holistic benefits of Yoga, which include physical health benefits, mental and emotional advantages and spiritual development. The global phenomenon of International Yoga Day stands as a testament to the enduring power of ancient wisdom.