PM Modi Leads 11th International Yoga Day, Calls It “Humanity’s Pause Button”

Photo: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded celebrations for the 11th International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2025, leading over 3 lakh participants along Visakhapatnam’s coastline. The event was synchronised with more than 1 lakh sites nationwide, engaging more than 2 crore people in yoga under the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health.” 

Addressing the crowd, Modi called yoga a “pause button that humanity needs to breathe, balance and become whole again,” amid global unrest, urging that this moment mark the launch of “Yoga for Humanity 2.0,” where inner peace becomes global policy.

He emphasised yoga’s universal appeal, noting its practice at iconic locations from the Sydney Opera House to the Mount Everest summit, and reiterated that yoga is accessible to all—regardless of age, background or ability. Modi also invoked India’s successful UN-led initiative that culminated in the establishment of June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014, adopted by 175 nations.

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Notably, the celebrations included special events like a Guinness World Record attempt involving tribal students performing 108 Surya Namaskars in 108 minutes, and coordination via the Yoga Sangam initiative, issuing over 50 lakh participation certificates.

Modi also spoke about integrating modern research into yoga practice. He noted AIIMS Delhi’s studies demonstrating yoga’s benefits for heart, neurological and women’s health, and underlined India’s push for evidence-based yoga therapy.

He appealed to Gram Panchayats and local leaders, advocating daily yoga routines and embedding the practice in community wellness strategies. He envisioned yoga as the thread weaving humanity together, urging that “Yoga for One Earth, One Health” become a global norm.

State leaders also joined the call. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu described the event as a symbol of regional pride and momentum behind the yoga movement, while Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav underscored the importance of adopting yoga daily—not just annually.

The message is clear: yoga’s role has matured beyond physical exercise into a cultural and diplomatic tool. Modi’s vision positions yoga as a keystone of wellness diplomacy that bridges individual health and planetary harmony—especially in times of global tension.