22-06-2025
International Day of Yoga in Qatar unites communities for health & inner peace
Tribune News Network
Doha
The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated in Qatar with renewed enthusiasm as more than 1,500 yoga practitioners, teachers, diplomats, and students gathered at Ideal Indian School for the official celebration on Saturday.
The event, organised by the Embassy of India in association with the Indian Sports Center and other Indian community organisations, featured a wide range of activities including a Yoga Quiz, Yoga Asana competitions, vibrant Rhythmic Yoga and Yoga Dance performances, a meditation session, and a guided Common Yoga Protocol session. The celebration highlighted the growing popularity of Yoga in Qatar and its universal appeal as a holistic health practice.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador of India to Qatar HE Vipul recalled the historic adoption of the International Day of Yoga through a UN Resolution in 2014, initiated by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He noted that the resolution was co-sponsored by 177 nations, including Qatar and other GCC countries, underscoring Yoga's global resonance. 'Over the past decade, Yoga has kindled a global wellness movement, benefiting millions across the world,' he remarked.
Ambassador Vipul also emphasised the theme for this year's celebration — 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' — a call to promote wellbeing at both the personal and planetary levels for a more harmonious world. He reiterated India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) and 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah' (may all be happy and healthy), reflecting Yoga's core values of unity and universal harmony.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the IDY 2025 celebrations by participating in a historic Guinness World Record-setting Yoga session in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where over 300,000 participants came together. Addressing the global community, PM Modi said, 'Yoga is the pause button humanity needs — to breathe, to balance, and to become whole again.'
He called for a new phase, 'Yoga for Humanity 2.0', where inner peace becomes a global policy and Yoga paves the way from conflict to cooperation, and from stress to sustainable solutions.
Leading up to the main event, numerous schools and institutions across Qatar had organised yoga practice sessions, reflecting the expanding footprint of Yoga in the country. The event served as a vibrant platform to celebrate Yoga's enduring impact and its power to connect individuals, promote resilience, andsupport sustainability.
