Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading a yoga session at the United Nations' Secretariat on June 21 to mark the International Yoga Day, UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp said on Tuesday. Interacting with PTI on the sidelines of a seminar held here to mark 75 years of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping, he also said since 2015, "the world has truly embraced International Yoga Day".
Prime Minister Modi Takes Yoga to the United Nations
Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga by a resolution. The day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.
"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will be leading a yoga session at the United Nations, at the Secretariat, on June 21," Sharp said.
Promoting the Benefits of Yoga
The Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the United Nations as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and the other organs. "Everyone understood and 175 member states signed it very quickly. It is one of those popular international days, and really embodies so many things. It is about mindfulness, mental health," he said.
He said yoga helped people in difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yoga is about staying fit and staying comfy, and International Yoga Day has "struck a resonance with the international community", Sharp said. And, having PM Modi at the UN will be "special", he added.
India's Leadership in Yoga Promotion
The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states, says the UN website.
The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said, "Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action...A holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature".
Earlier, Sharp read out a message from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the seminar. After reading out the message, he thanked India for its contribution to UN Peacekeeping over the decades. "Bharat ka dil se bahut dhanyawad (many thanks to India from the bottom of the heart)," Sharp said.
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