Yoga now part of daily US life: Ambassador Kwatra

India and its diplomatic missions across the US are preparing large-scale celebrations for the 12th International Day of Yoga. Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra highlighted yoga's widespread popularity in America, while events will promote healthy ageing and India's cultural heritage

Washington: As preparations gather pace for the 12th International Day of Yoga across the United States, India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra has said yoga has become so deeply embedded in American society that “pretty much in every street” one can find a yoga studio, underscoring the growing global appeal of what he described as “a great treasure of our civilizational heritage”. “If you walk around in Washington, DC, indeed anywhere in the United States it would be a very common site for you to come across a yoga studio pretty much in every street,” Kwatra told IANS ahead of nationwide celebrations marking the International Day of Yoga.

From Washington’s Lincoln Memorial to New York’s Times Square and Chicago’s Navy Pier, Indian diplomatic missions across the US are preparing for large-scale public events under the theme “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, highlighting yoga’s role in promoting physical mobility, mental well-being and healthy lifestyles.

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The Indian Embassy in Washington will host its flagship celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on June 19. Inviting the public to participate, the Embassy said: “Join us for the largest yoga session of the year!”

Kwatra said the annual observance reflects the worldwide acceptance of an ancient Indian tradition that has steadily expanded far beyond its place of origin. “The International Day of Yoga was decided upon by the UN through a resolution in 2014 whereby they declared 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga. It was a singular initiative driven by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, which was supported by 175 countries who supported the passage of this resolution,” he said.

Describing yoga as one of India’s enduring contributions to the world, the ambassador said: “Yoga is not just one of the ancient traditions of Bharat. It is also a great treasure of our civilizational heritage.” He added: “Prime Minister Modi himself has said that yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition.”

According to Kwatra, yoga’s lasting appeal lies in its ability to connect different dimensions of human life. “It’s a heritage. It’s a tradition which has this unique ability to bring together a very harmonious convergence of your body, with your mind, with your thought, and all three, with your soul,” he said.

He said that deeper connection explains why yoga continues to gain followers across the world. “It is perhaps for this reason that it connects to somewhere very deep inside a human being and through that connection, and it’s probably because of that connection that yoga transcends borders. It is universally adopted and very widely practiced across all cultures and beliefs,” Kwatra said.

Linking this year’s observance to the global theme, he said: “This year’s International Day of Yoga theme is Yoga for Healthy Aging. Clearly recognizes yoga as a path for vitality, resilience, and having a, generally a good holistic health.”

A major attraction of this year’s celebrations will be the participation of Padma Shri HR Nagendra, the Bengaluru-based yoga scholar widely recognised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s yoga mentor. Nagendra is scheduled to lead and attend major Yoga Day engagements in New York, including the Times Square gathering on June 21 that has become one of the world’s most visible Yoga Day events.

The Consulate General of India in New York is partnering with the Times Square Alliance for the annual “Mind Over Madness Yoga” programme. The session will be led by Ruchika Lal of the Art of Living Foundation, while Nagendra will participate as chief guest. The International Day of Yoga was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014, after India proposed a resolution that received support from a record 175 member states.

June 21 was selected because it marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Since the first observance in 2015, Yoga Day has evolved into one of India’s most successful global cultural initiatives. Millions of people now participate annually in events organised by governments, community groups, schools, universities and wellness organisations around the world, making yoga one of the country’s most visible expressions of soft power and civilisational outreach.