'Let inner peace become foundation of global policy': PM Modi on International Yoga Day

Yoga leads people on a journey towards oneness with the world while the International Yoga Day marks the beginning of the ancient practice for humanity where inner peace becomes global policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

Addressing the 11th International Yoga Day participants here, Modi said when India proposed June 21 to be celebrated as International Yoga Day in the United Nations, in a short time, 175 countries accepted it.

After 11 years, yoga has now become part of the lives of crores of people around the world, he said, adding, "Whether the Sydney Opera House or Mt Everest or the span of the ocean, the message is that yoga is for everyone." The PM said some tension or the other was being witnessed around the world. "My request to the world — let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of yoga for humanity 2.0, where inner peace becomes global policy," he said.

He further said Yoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with world. He said yoga was a great personal discipline, also a system that took people from "me to we", and was the pause button that humanity needed to breath and balance to become whole again.

The PM later joined the volunteers to perform yoga.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also spoke at the event.

Naidu said Modi made yoga popular not only in India but across the world, turning it into a global wellness movement.

Naidu highlighted that Yoga Day was being celebrated in more than 175 countries, across 12 lakh locations with the participation of over 10 crore people.