A yoga session in Nagpur on Saturday as part of International Yoga Day. PTI Photo.
International Yoga Day LIVE: From Kanyakumari to Siachen, yoga 'mania' grips nation
Yoga has now become part of the lives of crores of people around the world, says Modi in Visakhapatnam
Yoga leads people on a journey towards oneness with the world while the International Yoga Day marks the beginning of the ancient practice for humanity where inner peace becomes global policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (June 21).
Addressing the 11th International Yoga day-participants in Visakhapatnam, Modi said when India proposed June 21 to be celebrated as International Yoga day in the United Nations, in a short time 175 countries accepted it.
After 11 years, yoga has now become part of the lives of crores of people around the world, he further said adding. "Whether the Sydney Opera House or Everest mountain or the span of the ocean, the message is that yoga is for everyone."
The PM said some tensions or others were happening around the world.
‘Yoga for humanity 2.0’
"My request to the world - let this Yoga day mark the beginning of yoga for humanity 2.0 where inner peace becomes global policy," he said.
He further said yoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world.
Further, Yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, backgrounds, age or ability, the PM said.
Also Read: International Yoga Day: How asanas can boost liver, heart, kidney health
“Yoga is a great personal discipline, also a system that takes people from ‘Me to We’ and is the pause button that humanity needs to breath, balance to become whole again,” he added.
The PM later joined the volunteers to perform Yoga.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also spoke at the event.
‘Global wellness movement’
Naidu said Modi made yoga popular not only in India but across the world, turning it into a global wellness movement.
Naidu highlighted that Yoga Day is being celebrated in more than 175 countries, across 12 lakh locations with the participation of over 10 crore people.
Also Read: Thoughtful ways to greet others on International Yoga Day
"I am thanking our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making Yoga popular not only in India (but also) across the world. He started International Yoga Day through the United Nations and made yoga a global wellness movement," said Naidu.
Live Updates
- 21 Jun 2025 10:43 AM IST
Yoga is celebration of universal consciousness: Union Ayush Minister Jadhav
According to an official statement, Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said, "Yoga is a celebration of the universal consciousness that comes from the soul of India and has not only touched millions of lives but has also paved a lasting path for global health and collective peace. In the last 10 years, India, under the leadership of PM Modi, has established yoga not just as an exercise or alternative medicine but as a way of life.”
“This is the era of moving forward by combining the spiritual depth, scientific authenticity and social harmony of yoga,” Jadhav said.
Union Minister of Health Anupriya Singh Patel said, "Yoga is an invaluable gift of Indian culture, which has given the whole world the direction to live a healthy life. This is a wonderful science that connects body, mind and soul."
- 21 Jun 2025 10:41 AM IST
Yoga has found global acceptance since 2015: Union Health Minister Nadda
Yoga has found global acceptance since 2015 and it not only improves people's health but also contributes to a more fulfilling life, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Saturday (June 21).
Leading a mass yoga demonstration at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on the occasion of the 11th International Day of Yoga, he said it is a moment of pride that people have gathered to celebrate this Indian "knowledge system".
“It is due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts that the International Day of Yoga is being celebrated internationally today,” Nadda said. "During his address to the UN General Assembly in 2014, the prime minister had proposed that yoga be celebrated internationally every year on 21st June, which was backed by over 170 countries.”
"Since 2015, yoga has found global acceptance as a holistic approach to well-being. Yoga not only improves people's health and fitness but also enhances mental clarity and emotional regulation, contributing to a more balanced and fulfilling life," Nadda said.
The 11th International Day of Yoga will witness crores of people performing yoga across the country, he said.
"It is a moment of pride that we all are gathered here to celebrate this ancient Indian knowledge system, uplift our body and mind in the process and understand ourselves better through the gift of yoga," he added.
Nadda said yoga has been included under the National Health Policy 2017 to offer a more holistic and accessible approach to healthcare.
A new Centre for Integrative Medicine and Research has been set up at AIIMS Delhi to provide integrative solutions encompassing traditional medical systems like yoga and modern medicines to address health concerns, he said.
The minister appealed to all participants to make yoga part of their daily life and work towards a healthy nation.
- 21 Jun 2025 10:36 AM IST
Yoga holds key to happy life: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday (June 21) said yoga is India's culture and tradition, and it holds the key to a happy life by rejuvenating body and soul.
Speaking at a "bhakti yoga" event in Pune, Fadnavis said that the world has accepted the ancient practice, which is known for its wellness and healing power.
PM Modi had introduced the proposal in the UN for an international yoga day, and now, it is the 11th year.
He further said that 'warkaris' or devotees of Lord Vitthal, who reached Pune with annual 'palkhi' (palanquin) processions of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, were also practising yoga at their camps.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who participated in an event in Mumbai, said children and youngsters must be inculcated with the practice of yoga to avoid addictions and lead a stress-free life.
"They should be addicted to yoga," he said.
Speaking to reporters after participating in the "Yoga by the Bay'' event at Marine Drive, Shinde said yoga is India's ancient culture, and thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts, June 21 is celebrated as International Yoga Day.
The theme for the 11th International Yoga Day is "one earth, one health", he said.
- 21 Jun 2025 10:31 AM IST
Yoga is not relief, but revolution: Acharya Prashant
On International Yoga Day, Acharya Prashant challenged the mainstream view of yoga as just a wellness practice, highlighting instead its profound and transformative roots in the Bhagavad Gita.
While addressing the audience at PVR-INOX Osia in Goa on the topic 'Yoga in the Light of the Bhagavad Gita' on Saturday (June 21), he stated that yoga is not a means of relief, but a call to revolution.
The event, jointly organised by the PrashantAdvait Foundation and PVR-INOX, was simultaneously broadcast in over 40 cinemas across India — from Mumbai and Gurgaon to Patna and Bhopal.
"Yoga is about revolution. It begins where your excuses end. You cannot be in yoga and continue to live as you were," he said.
Known for his interpretations of Vedantic scriptures, he emphasised that the 'Yoga of the Gita' is not physical but existential — a lived realisation rather than a performed routine.
“Yoga is not a set of postures. It is a state of poise. It’s not a technique, it is truth lived," he explained.
The author of over 160 books further stressed that yoga is not escapism, but preparation - not a retreat from the world, but readiness to face it head-on. He has been credited with mobilising the younger generation to reconnect with ancient scriptures in a practical way. His Bhagavad Gita Teaching-Testing programme has drawn over one lakh participants, and a recent online Gita examination has been touted as the largest of its kind globally.
