Yoga Day on the horizon!

Indian PM Narendra Modi has been a huge advocate for the diversification of Yoga across the world and has been instrumental in passing this to be an important day for health. 

International Yoga Day is fast approaching this week and everyone around the world are all set to take out their yoga mats and do some yoga. Many of us continue to do this almost everyday and I've known a lot of folks for whom yoga has been beneficial to cleanse the body, the mind and the soul. It is celebrated on Jun 21st every year - as announced by the United Nations.

Yoga as many of you know, has been considered an ancient practice originating from India - a practice that is almost 5000 years old. It was developed as a method to achieve peace, harmony and balance between the heart and the soul as a means to attain divine enlightenment. As time passed, it was also seen that practicing yoga had and still has it's own medical benefits. It helps curing many diseases like diabetes, high BP and alleviating physical injuries and chronic pain. Many athletes in the process of recovery and rehabilitation from major injuries like ACL tears often prefer to include yoga as part of their physical therapy process. It has been practiced for many centuries in India and has now made its way to the western world. In recent decades, yoga became really popular outside India and many other cultures have embodied yoga in them - it makes me feel proud that this was one of India's many contributions to the world.

Why is 21st June chosen as International Yoga Day by the UN? June 21st is Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere - when the tilt of the planet's axis is most inclined towards the sun - it is the longest day of the year with the sun rising early and setting late. It was only on Sunday when watching the India v Pakistan match in Folsom, CA that I realized this when the sun showed it's first rays by 4.45am local time. The summer solstice is considered in Indian mythology as the event that could be considered the start of Yogic science. When people saw the Adi Yogi, they flocked to him for enlightenment but left as he stayed unaware of their presence. There were 7 people who were insistent to learn from him but it was said that Lord Shiva refused to help them because a lot of preparation needed to be done. These 7 people sat in meditation for 84 years, after which he took notice of them as the sun was shifting from the northern to the southern run - it is said that he could no longer ignore them as they were overwhelming with knowledge. 28 days later, when the New Moon rose, Adi yogi transformed into Adi Guru and started teaching the yogic science to his disciples.

International Yoga Day has a theme every year - the very first theme was Yoga for Harmony and Peace (in 2015) and it has evolved ever since. This year, the theme is Yoga for Heart. Latest research shows that yoga enhances cardiovascular health in many ways - from calming the nervous system and reducing disease-causing inflammation to taming hypertension and boosting beneficial HDL cholesterol. It also improves blood circulation and lung function, and may even reduce heart disease risk as effectively as brisk walking and cycling. That's good news for yogis of all ages, especially for people over 50-60 years of age, where the risk of chronic diseases are much higher. Breathing deeply while performing these gentle poses will help your heart even more. A recent study found that yogic 2:1 breathing - with exhalation twice as long as inhalation - is an effective tool to help manage hypertension. Breathing always calms your nervous system and lowers your heart and respiratory rate to help reduce blood pressure. Give it a try as you hold each asana - inhale through your nose to a count of two and exhale through your nose to a count of four. Simple Surya-Namaskara every day for 5-10 minutes is all it really takes sometimes.

So, go out there - take at least 5-10 minutes everyday to calm your senses and practice the same. Who knows? People may get inspired seeing what you do and may pass on the baton to everyone else as well. Yes, this is just an awareness day, but it would be so awesome if it was a way of life as well.