New York: The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated globally on June 21, since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
This year, the International Yoga Day was celebrated as Solstice at Times Square in collaboration with the Indian Consulate in New York. Consul Trade Manish Kulhary was present at the event. Instructor Ruchika Lal conducted an hour of holistic yoga followed by six more classes by the various Yoga experts.
At Times Square, Yoga Day has been celebrated on June 21 every year since 2015. The co-founder of Yoga in New York, Douglass Stewart, credits India for its ages-old roots in yoga. “Yoga has its foundation in India. The principles have been around for thousands of years. It is interesting that the Western culture has started to adapt,” said Douglass Stewart.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 2014 UN address, suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.
“Each teacher decides the poses for his or her class. Depending on which school you belong to, your lineage will depend. For example, there are 500 poses and there are 24 poses (in different schools). I will move through 15 poses during the day. So that, you get to absorb what you are generating and appreciate the sun,” Stewart said.
