UN chief says yoga from ancient India now helps millions age healthily

Unitednations,UPDATED: Jun 19, 2026 09:08 IST

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said yoga, with its deep roots in ancient India, has become a universal practice that helps millions of people across faiths and cultures. Marking the Day of Yoga, he said this year's theme, 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing', underlines the importance of physical and mental well-being, mobility and dignity as populations age across the world.

The Permanent Mission of India to the UN held the 12th Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters on the theme of 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'. Yoga practitioners, diplomats, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the Indian-American community joined the event at the North Lawns near the Gandhi statue, where brightly coloured yoga mats had been laid out.

In his message, Guterres said, "we come together to celebrate an ancient practice emphasising balance, wholeness, and peaceful engagement with our bodies and the world." He added, "From its deep roots in ancient India, yoga has become truly universal, helping millions of all faiths and all cultures find calm, build strength and live with purpose." Stressing the focus on healthy ageing, he said yoga teaches mindfulness, respect and care for ourselves, for the planet and for one another. "On this Day, let us extend that care to the older members of our human family and build a world where every generation can lead a healthy life," he said, ending his message with "Namaste".

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed observing the Day of Yoga 12 years ago, "it was his vision that it is something that goes to all corners of the world, becomes not only an individual movement but a mass movement where people lead healthy lives, focus on wellness, and eventually it builds international cooperation." He said the "simplest" yoga asana is 'Namaste', "symbolising the unity of mind and body, of humans and nature." Referring to this year's theme, he told the gathering, "while all of you are young, some of us will need a greater focus on how yoga can help us in a smooth ageing process." A banner on India's candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term, carrying the message "#India4UNSC 2028-29 Peace, Planet, Progress", was also displayed on the stage.

Addressing the event, 81-year-old Yogmata Keiko Aikawa, described as the first female Himalayan Siddha Master to achieve ultimate enlightenment, said, "Yoga changed my life," as she recalled first trying yoga at the age of 18 after developing acne on her face. Aikawa, who has practised yoga for more than 60 years, said true health is not simply the absence of illness. "Likewise, longevity is not simply living a long life. It is living with purpose and gratitude, love, and vitality," she said. Referring to conflicts, divisions, loneliness, environmental problems and mental stress in the world, she said peace is not impossible. "Peace begins with each one of us. When there is peace in our hearts, there is peace in our family. When family lives in peace, community becomes peaceful...In this way, inner peace leads to world peace. Yoga and meditation are powerful paths that guide us towards peace," she said.

Instructors, including those from the Art of Living, led a session of asanas, exercises, breathing and meditation for attendees, who joined in under a clear blue sky on a sunny and breezy summer day. The UN had proclaimed June 21 as the Day of Yoga in December 2014 after India proposed the draft UN General Assembly resolution, which was endorsed by a record 175 member states. Modi had first introduced the proposal in his address at the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, where he said, "Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition" and described it as a holistic approach to health and well-being.

The event at the UN brought together global praise for yoga's Indian origins, its role in health and wellness, and this year's focus on ageing, while also recalling how the practice was recognised by the world body as an international observance.

With PTI Inputs

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