International Yoga Day: Origin Of The Practice

The theme of International Yoga Day this year is "Yoga for Self and Society".

The International Yoga Day will be observed across the world on June 21. It aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga, a physical, mental and spiritual practice. The day is dedicated to the inner and outer well-being of the human body and people across the world practice yoga in groups.

Yoga comes from the Sanskrit term Yuja, which means "to join or to unite" and represents the unity of the body and the mind.

It is thought that yoga was practised from the very beginning of civilisation. Yoga as a science began thousands of years ago, long before any religions or belief systems came into being.