International Day of Yoga held at Taipei's Liberty Square

國際瑜伽日在台北自由廣場舉行

India-Taipei Association attracts hundreds of yoga practitioners for outdoor event


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To celebrate the ninth edition of the International Day of Yoga, the India-Taipei Association invited yoga teachers to lead hundreds of people at an outdoor yoga event in Liberty Square, near Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Sunday morning (June 18), per CNA.

India-Taipei Association President Gourangalal Das said yoga is both a common activity and a language to be shared around the world. He added that the activity was experiencing popularity across the world and offers many benefits to the body.

The event organizer was grateful for the chance to host this large-scale outdoor yoga event for the first time in three years due to the easing of COVID restrictions. To start the event, Taiwanese dancers wore traditional costumes to perform Indian Kathak classical dance, and then a dance troupe appeared to perform an Indian fusion dance.

Later, an instructor led the audience in song, helping the assembled crowd calm their hearts, an indispensable first step in the practice of yoga. Next, senior yoga teachers took turns leading the crowd in a yoga session, with an estimated audience of some 500 people.

In a press release, Das said that yoga represents an important "connection" between body and mind. He noted that the public should also seek out connections between humans and nature, and a connection between people across different cultures.

The association said yoga is an ancient practice invented in India that has been passed down for 4,000 to 5,000 years. It said yoga is not just an exercise and health regimen, but instead an Indian philosophy, emphasizing the unity of mind and body.

The India-Taipei Association said the International Day of Yoga was proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the U.N. in 2014. It received the support of 175 member countries, with the first event taking place in 2015.

This official date of the event is Wednesday (June 21), which coincides with the summer solstice, commonly known as the longest day in the northern hemisphere, with special significance for many civilizations around the world.