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The International Day of Yoga is a world ephemeris, which is celebrated on June 21 and was declared by the United Nations Organization after the initiative of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Since its official declaration, celebrations of significant magnitude have been held around the world.
Thousands of years ago, at Lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, Adiyogi brought his profound knowledge in the legendary Saptarishis or "seven sages". These sages carried their powerful yogic science to different parts of the world including Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and South America.
Interestingly, current scholars have noted and marveled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures around the world. However, it was in India that the yogic system found its full expression.
Yoga is widely regarded as the "immortal result of the culture" of the Indus Sarawati Valley civilization and has proven that it offers both material and spiritual sustenance to the human being.
A number of seals and fossil remnants of the Indus Saraswati Valley civilization with yogic motifs and figures practicing Yoga sādhana suggest the presence of Yoga in ancient India. The seals and idols of the Mother Goddesses suggest Tantra Yoga.
The existence of Yoga is also found in folk traditions, the Vedic Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darshanas, Mahabarata epics including Bhagawadgita and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Tantric traditions.
Although Yoga was already practiced in the pre-Vedic period, the great sage Maharishi Patanjali systematized and codified the already existing Yogic practices, their meaning and teaching through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
After Patanjali, several sages and Yoga masters collaborated extensively for the preservation and development of this cause through well-documented practices and literature.
Yoga has spread to all parts of the planet, thanks to the teachings of great masters from ancient times to the present day.
Today, the whole world is convinced of the practice of Yoga for the prevention of diseases and to maintain and improve health. Millions and millions of people around the world have benefited from this practice and thus this discipline is growing day by day in all parts of the world and becoming more and more vibrant.