Seventh International Yoga Day in Vietnam to be held online

The event will run with the slogan of “Be with yoga, be at home” and aims to promote yoga practices online amid complicated development relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

To mark the occasion, the Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre will organise a series of online yoga activities between June 19 and June 27.

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental, and spiritual practice which originates from India and ultimately aims to improve one’s body and mind. On December 11, 2014, the UN General Assembly declared June 21 to be the International Day of Yoga.

The declaration came following the call for the adoption of June 21 as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014. During his speech he stated, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies the 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 about discovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”

In putting forward June 21, which is also the Summer Solstice, as International Day of Yoga, PM Modi said, “This date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.”