Why June 21 was chosen as Yoga Day: Theme, history and significance

June 21, the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, was chosen as International Yoga Day due to its meaning of light, energy, and equilibrium, a day when day and night intersect, which symbolizes the goal of yoga, which is to bring harmony between mind, body, and spirit.

Celebrated for the first time in 2015 following a United Nations resolution initiated by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this date is of both astronomical and cultural importance and marks great significance.The Government of India, along with the Ministry of AYUSH, has made sure that the official theme of 2025 is "Yoga for One Earth, One Health." This theme focuses on the interconnected advantage of yoga, not only for personal physical and mental wellness but also for planetary and ecological well-beingReflecting on appeals for sustainability, this theme addresses the potential of yoga to encourage integral health, integrating individual well-being with comprehensive stewardship of the environment.Through the invitation by MyGov to citizens to suggest a theme and define the theme's meaning in terms of essays and other submissions, the Government underscores the official and broad-based character of the theme. The activities worldwide, from India to Chad to Canada, are being conducted under the theme of "Yoga for One Earth, One Health," such as ecological yoga classes, online summits, tree-planting drives, and lead classes under the Common Yoga Protocol

Eleven years of global solidarity with yoga

Since its UN endorsement in 2014, International Yoga Day has become a global phenomenon. There have been celebrations at iconic locations ranging from Rajpath in New Delhi and the UN headquarters in New York to municipal stadiums across the globe. The theme for each year, from "Yoga for Harmony and Peace" in 2015 to "Yoga for Self and Society" in 2024, has highlighted yoga's growing relevance to health, public well-being, and global harmony

Why June 21 remains relevant

The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, the day of light and balance.

June 21 provides a natural backdrop that is compatible with yoga's primary objective of grounding oneself in life's contrasts. Selecting this date also guarantees uniformity, making the event universally identifiable and giving room for unified practice and awareness.

This year's relevance

Based on the theme "Yoga for One Earth, One Health," the 2025 celebration is an appeal to practitioners to see yoga as a point of transition between wellness at the personal and planetary health levels. It invites global communities to observe the correlation between habits at the personal level, including sustainable living, mindful eating, and managing stress, and sustainability in nature. Such a comprehensive assumption places yoga at the nexus of wellness and ecological sustainability.