Skip to content
Health
Link copied to clipboard

United Nations declares June 21 International Day of Yoga

he United Nations on Thursday declared that June 21 will be International Day of Yoga.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Thursday declared that June 21 will be International Day of Yoga, adopting a measure proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said yoga lets people "discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly approved by consensus a resolution establishing a day to commemorate the ancient practice, which Modi called for in September during his inaugural address to the world body.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the International Day of Yoga would bring attention to yoga's holistic benefits.

"Yoga can contribute to resilience against non-communicable diseases. Yoga can bring communities together in an inclusive manner that generates respect," Ban said in a statement.

"Yoga is a sport that can contribute to development and peace. Yoga can even help people in emergency situations to find relief from stress," he said.