Art of Living to hold International Day of Yoga events in 150 countries
Bengaluru: As a prelude to the International Day of Yoga (IDY), the world will warm up to demonstrate that the ‘Sun Never Sets on Yoga’. Under the aegis of the Art of Living, yoga enthusiasts from 108 countries and 108 Indian cities will gather in front of a popular landmark on Sunday and salute the rising sun with sun salutations. Effectively, there will be someone doing yoga in some corner of the world at all time of the day!
The highlight of the Art of Living’s massive IDY celebrations this year would be inmates from 21 prisons across the country joining in. The organisation has already touched the lives of 5,00,000 inmates in 45 countries with yoga-based stress management and rehabilitation programs.
Guided by over 25,000 trained Yoga Teachers yoga enthusiasts from across the globe will practice the Government of India’s Common Yoga Protocol in events organised by the Art of Living on June 21. Last year, more than 50 million people participated in the events across the world. This year, a higher number of people will roll out their yoga mats to mark the occasion which has found resonance all over the world. The Art of Living instructors will also be leading the Protocol for interested organizations across the globe.
“The International Day of Yoga is a big moment for us. We have been teaching authentic and comprehensive yoga for the last 36 years all over the world. That we are having so many events in so many countries proves that yoga is truly universal,” says Kamlesh Barwal, Global Head, the Art of Living Yoga.
“Yoga is a complete science. It unites the mind, body, spirit and the universe. Yoga can totally transform one’s behaviour, thinking and attitudes in ways unimaginable and catalyse the full blossoming of human potential,” says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living.
In the run-up to the grand celebrations in India, the Art of Living has been gifting the wisdom of yoga to people from all walks of life in a month-long drive. Christened Yogdaan – Gift of Yoga, the drive has taken basic yogic exercises and asanas to people across India through more than 500 camps. The drive will culminate on the International Day of Yoga.
Gurudev will personally lead a yoga and meditation session for over 100,000 people in Himachal Pradesh. In the previous IDYs he conducted similar sessions in the United Nations and the European Parliament.