While the world takes on Yoga as a serious subject on this International Day of Yoga focusing on the healing benefits that it has brought to our lives, I believed that we must go deeper than taking this day in the ritualist format and follow the trend.
As someone who is passionate about education and trying to understand Yogic science do appreciate this day a lot from the bottom of my heart and I am grateful to our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Bhai Modi for marking 21st June a special day as an International Yoga Day.
It is this occasion that has made the world aware about the wealth of Yoga and it has gotten its due recognition on a global platform. However, what is significant is for us to recall that this ancient science existed thousands and thousands of years before ‘Yoga Day’ was announced, a day dedicated to be recognised as an international festival in this modern-day era.
However, we are travelling far away from experiencing the true essence of Yoga, and have taken the physical asana practice seriously leaving behind the real gem which is – Celebrating Life through Yoga – Yoga is celebration not merely an asana or a pranayama practice, Yoga is life itself, Yoga is to be one with yourself, Yoga is a spirit in itself!
Truly, Yoga is a miracle and consciously or subconsciously we were always connected to the spirit of Yoga which literally means a union, a union of mind, body and soul. We have always been practising this ancient wisdom unknowingly in our regular monotonous living but overlooked to ‘acknowledge and celebrate’ due to the erratic lifestyle we live, a life of anxiety, wanting to run after materialist desires and to be bodily fit.
We got mixed up in recognising the true essence of Yoga and limiting its gift to only eliminating sufferings, illness, disease and enjoy the superficial level benefits. There is no doubt the association with physical benefits cannot be ignored in modern day, but why do we have suffering in the first place is a question we must address? The modern-day yogic life as a true celebration is missing its true recognition- we are celebrating on a surface level and are considering enjoying life of some occasion via music, dance, and food. Those are momentary pleasures which have a time limit, but a true yogic happiness does not have an expiration.
It would be very interesting to comprehend that Yoga is and always was within us as a deeper unknown experience, just in the offing to be explored. It would be wonderful to explore and perhaps get guidance that will help us unfold the secret to that smile and on how one can, ‘Be Yoga and not just make Yoga a part of their life’.
Let’s all of us together celebrate life deeper through this wonderful tool called Yoga, the ancient wisdom and unfold the secret of an unfading smile and remember that Yoga is within- it’s a spirit – Yoga is nothing but life itself – it’s a true celebration!
I wish one and all a great 7th International Yoga Day, with a message that let each day be a day of Yoga, let each day be a day of celebration!
(The author is Co-founder & Chancellor, Shobhit University; Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Education; Founder, Centre for Yoga & Research; and a Social Influencer)
