Curtain-Raiser for International Day of Yoga: Talk by Sri Sri

Embassy of India, Washington DC organized a Talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on 'Nurturing Peace Through Yoga and Meditation' at the Embassy on April 29, 2015, which began a series of curtain-raiser yoga events to welcome the First International Day of Yoga (June 21, 2015).

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar emphasized the relevance of Yoga in today's world. He said that yoga is not only about flexibility in body but also about flexibility in mind and thinking. Sri Sri mentioned that wars in the world begin when communication breaks down. Yoga creates skills in communication and relating to people. The purpose of yoga and meditation is to unite hearts and minds of people and to unite religions and cultures of the world. At the end of his Talk, Sri Sri answered questions on Yoga and meditation from the audience.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu highlighted the words of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations: "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies 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 to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change". On December 11, India introduced a draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly. The draft Resolution received unprecedented broad support from 177 countries and was adopted unanimously.

Government of India is planning to celebrate the International Day of Yoga in all the countries around the world, including United States. Embassy of India, Washington DC is organizing a series of events on Yoga which will culminate on June 21, 2015. The Talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar begins these series of events. This would be followed by curtain raiser Yoga events at the University of Maryland, Chinmaya Mission and other places during the months of May - June 2015.

On the First International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2015, Embassy of India would be collaborating with Yoga organizations, practitioners, and Community Organizations for a day-long event at the Mall, Washington DC.