Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the national celebration on the occasion of International Yoga Day. Speaking from Kolkata in West Bengal on this year’s theme, ‘Healthy Aging’, the Prime Minister noted the importance of incorporating yoga into daily life in order to ensure that age does not diminish a person’s potential.
“Yoga can help a person’s life to aspire to continuous growth,” Modi said, adding that the goal “is for us to be more active at 50 than we were at 30.”
Speaking at the event in Kolkata, the Prime Minister added that yoga has become the world’s largest community celebration, bringing people together across countries and cultures.
He said, “June 21, which represents the longest day on Earth, has now become the largest day of community celebration because of yoga. Yoga brings people together. I congratulate the people of the world on this occasion.”
The Prime Minister added that yoga plays a crucial role in promoting health on all fronts – physical, emotional and mental – thereby improving the quality of life.
“Yoga is not just a physical exercise. It is not limited to any age group. It is an expression of the human spirit,” Prime Minister Modi said.
“Yoga can help us adjust our bodies to be flexible. It keeps our energy level high. It also helps us maintain a calm and stress-free life and helps us keep diseases at bay. Moreover, through regular practice, yoga teaches us to remain lifelong learners of our bodies and minds,” he added.
The Prime Minister also led a pledge at the event to promote yoga in daily life.
He said, “Let us pledge that we will not limit yoga to just one day. We will make yoga a part of our lives, a part of our families, and we will make it a part of our future generations.”
(With inputs from news agency PTI)
