Good Morning Dear Guests !
Yoga is a 5,000-year-old tradition from India that combines physical, mental and spiritual pursuits to achieve harmony of the body and mind. On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came at the behest of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature”.
Yoga is good for community, immunity and unity. Yoga is an experience that connects us, our family, our society and the entire world with a single thread. So, Yoga is a wonderful journey from ‘mine’ to ‘us’. Regular practice of Yoga can also help our people to be stress free and stay strong. Together with fitness we should focus on wellness as well.
The 8th edition of International day of Yoga is being celebrated with the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity’. The theme for this year’s International Day of Yoga was chosen as it accurately depicts how Yoga helped humanity during the peak of the covid pandemic and how it will continue to do so in the emerging post-covid geopolitical scenario by bringing people together through compassion, kindness and building resilience among people all over the world.
This year CGI, Hambantota commenced its 8th International Day of Yoga celebrations last week at Matara. This year, we are doing separate sessions at all the districts in Southern Province and Monaragala district in Uva Province along with a special Yoga conference and a Yoga asana competition.
With this I thank everyone who has gathered here at this beautiful location of Galle Fort, a UNESCO heritage to participate in the 8th International Day of Yoga celebration.
