Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 6:30 am on Monday to mark the 7th annual International Day of Yoga. PM Modi said that yoga became a ray of hope amid the pandemic that has led to the death of 4 million people across the world. He said that even doctors have used yoga as an armour against COVID-19.
“Today when the entire world is fighting against COVID19 pandemic, Yoga has become a ray of hope. For two years now, no public event has been organised in India or the world but enthusiasm for Yoga has not gone down,” he said.
This year the theme for International Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Wellness’. The Prime Minister said that the theme has encouraged people even more to perform yoga. “I pray that every country, region, and people stay healthy,” stated PM Modi.
The Prime Minister laid emphasis on the healing process. He said, besides medical treatment, yoga helps in healing. “Doctors have used Yoga as armour to treat patients. There are pictures of hospitals, with doctors, nurses teaching Yoga performing breathing exercises like Anulom Vilom Pranayama. International experts have said that these exercises strengthen the breathing system,” he elaborated.
India, in collaboration with WHO, will launch an m-yoga app that will have yoga training videos in different languages for people across the world. This will help us in our ‘One World, One Health’ motto, he said during the 30-minute speech.
PM Modi proposed the concept of International Yoga Day in 2014 during his UN General Assembly. The United Nations recognised June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.