International Yoga Day 2018

Another Yoga Day.
Usual hype. Media overload. Photo-ops. Celebrities galore.
But those who do yoga योग regularly, it is just another day. Like this senior citizen at Rameshwaram sea shore.

What is Yoga? It is best described by this line from Bhagwad Gita भगवत गीता , "Yoga is the journey of the self through the self to the self".
Yoga helps us understand our inner self.
Yoga gives us better self-control.
Yoga inculcates self-discipline.
Yoga for health.
Yoga for happiness.
Yoga for inner peace.

The government of India has given the theme 'Yoga for Peace' for this year's International Day of Yoga. 

For those of us who enjoy yoga every day, yoga is a way of life.
Like this grandpa-grandson combine! A grandson adds different flavour to the asanas आसन. Browse here.

Ghumakkad had also compared Yoga with Golf. Both help us develop better concentration. How? Browse the story here.

Even Elfo our Cairn Terrier who is no more, knew when I was on the yoga mat in the morning. He had lost his eyesight, but he could maneuver himself to reach me. Read the story 'Who will nudge me now'.


Yoga is India's gift to the world, Ghumakkad said so earlier. We wish the citizens of the world a Happy Yoga Day. May Yoga bring peace into your life.

       - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 21st June, Yoga Day 2018

#Yoga #WorldYogaDay #YogaForHealth #YogaWithGrandson #Mind #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #YogaForPeace #self #yogaandgolf 

Yoga India's gift to the World

Yoga योग benefits everyone-- young and old, men and women, from East or West.

Yoga benefits

• People who are stressed in life
• People with hypertension, diabetes and such life style diseases
• Children-- their yoga-practicing-parents may become more patient
• Sportsmen and sportswomen-- improves their focus and persistence
• People running against time-- teaches them to control their pace of life
• People who have lost a loved one in life
• Students- improves their power of concentration
• Politicians-- hoping they would become more honest and less self-centered!

Yoga therefore, benefits just about everyone on this planet. It enhances your self-control and self-discipline.

Talking of self-discipline, we can take a lesson or two from tiny creatures like caterpillars. Click to see how disciplined the caterpillars are!

Some time back, we had linked Yoga and Golf . Many of you had liked the comparison including Ghumakkad's golfing buddies.

On a lighter side, we had also carried a real life story Learn Yoga and find the right Life Partner . This picture story struck a chord worldwide and we had hundreds of readers from across the globe. It showed the real power of Yoga!

Based on an appeal by India's Prime Minister, United Nations has declared June 21st as International Day of Yoga.

To learn yoga, you need not spend thousands of Rupees or Dollars. There are many yoga ashrams आश्रम - which teach the practice of yoga. Schools, Colleges, Clubs, Residents' Welfare Societies-- all make an endeavour to spread the knowledge and practice of Yoga in India.

So, if you are a yoga practitioner, share your knowledge with others. If you wish to learn yoga, join up with like-minded people in your neighbourhood. You can browse a list of seven well known Yoga Centres spread across different states in India. Further internet search would give you many more yoga schools/centres.

Yoga has been practiced in India for centuries. However, if we do not make an endeavour to spread it among masses, we may soon lose our preeminent position. In contrast, take a look at growing popularity of yoga in USA.

• A whopping 2 crore (20 million) people practice yoga
• Revenue from Yoga crossed $ 30 Billion last year i.e. like combined turnover of top-five IT companies in India
• More than 50,000 yoga studios in USA and counting

Therefore, on this International Day of Yoga, let us spread the awareness about Yoga amongst our family, neighbours, friends and colleagues. We should work together to retain India's leadership in spiritual and wellness domains worldwide.

A word of caution: Learn yoga from someone who has been trained earlier.
But once you start doing yoga every day, even your dog would know its time for yoga. Click here to see how?   

On a lighter side, some people might land up in yoga-like posture by accident! We do not recommend yoga practice this way.

Wishing you happy yogasanas योगासन (postures and exercises) to take control of your life!

   -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 21st June 2015- International Day of Yoga