International Yoga Day 2025: As the world grapples with growing unrest, conflict, and uncertainty, India once again turns to its ancient wisdom to offer a solution rooted in unity and inner strength. On June 21, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and the global community from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of the 11th International Yoga Day. His message was clear, timely, and deeply resonant: Yoga is not just a personal practice but a global path to peace, healing, and harmony. Echoing the day’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” the Prime Minister emphasized yoga’s universal relevance, urging the world to adopt it not just as an individual discipline but as a collective commitment.
Yoga: A Global Pause Button for Peace
PM Modi began his address by acknowledging the tensions that have gripped different parts of the world, from political unrest to ecological instability. In such trying times, he said, yoga becomes the much-needed pause button for humanity. It allows us to stop, breathe, and regain balance. It is a tool that can recalibrate not only the individual but also societies at large. Yoga, he declared, is a guiding light that can help the world transition from chaos to calm, from stress to solutions, from ‘Me’ to ‘We’.
He appealed to the global community to consider this day as the start of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where inner peace takes a front seat in shaping global policy. According to the Prime Minister, yoga teaches that people are not isolated beings but part of an interconnected natural ecosystem. From the soil that grows our food to the rivers that nourish us, everything is interlinked. By embracing this perspective, we move towards coexistence, sustainability, and holistic well-being.
India’s Gift to the World: A Global Wellness Movement
Modi revisited the moment when India proposed the idea of International Yoga Day at the United Nations, which was swiftly endorsed by 175 countries—a rare feat in global diplomacy. A decade later, the world continues to celebrate this ancient Indian practice with increasing enthusiasm. This year, more than 10 crore people participated across 12 lakh locations globally, solidifying yoga’s position as a unifying force that transcends boundaries, cultures, and beliefs.
Highlighting the theme of “One Earth, One Health,” PM Modi pointed out that the health of the planet is intrinsically tied to the health of its people. Yoga, he explained, awakens us to this fundamental reality. It fosters a sense of unity—not just among people but also between humans and nature.
Yoga for All: Beyond Barriers and Boundaries
The Prime Minister stressed that yoga belongs to everyone, irrespective of age, ability, or nationality. He took pride in noting how differently-abled individuals are now engaging with yogic texts in braille and how astronauts are practicing yoga in space. This universal adaptability underscores yoga’s inclusive power.
He celebrated how yoga is not confined to studios or ashrams but is now being performed at iconic global landmarks—from the Sydney Opera House to the peaks of Everest. This transformation, he said, is proof that yoga is no longer just a traditional Indian practice; it has evolved into a worldwide wellness movement.
Digital Tools and Infrastructure: The Growth of Yoga Ecosystem in India
India’s efforts to mainstream yoga have been both grassroots-driven and tech-enabled. PM Modi pointed to the role of digital platforms like the Yoga Portal and YogAndhra Portal, which together registered more than one million events across India. These tools have helped mobilize communities, standardize practices, and promote yoga as a way of life.
Another milestone is the introduction of a Common Yoga Protocol, ensuring that people practice yoga in a structured and effective manner. The Yoga Certification Board has trained more than 6.5 lakh volunteers and certified around 130 institutions, while yoga modules have been introduced in medical colleges, promoting wellness in formal healthcare settings.
Trained yoga instructors are now being deployed to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across India, ensuring that yoga reaches the grassroots and becomes an integral part of India’s public health framework. Modi also announced the introduction of e-Ayush Visas, enabling the global community to access India’s wellness ecosystem more easily and encouraging health tourism in the country.
Yoga as a Path to Global Cooperation
In his speech, Modi urged the world to adopt yoga not just as a wellness routine but as a strategic tool for diplomacy and global cooperation. “Yoga should guide the world from conflict to cooperation, and from stress to solutions,” he said, reinforcing the idea that wellness should be at the heart of international relations and development policies.
Yoga unites the world!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2025
Glad to see immense enthusiasm all across the planet for International Day of Yoga.
I took part in a Yoga Day programme in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. People from all walks of life also joined. Here are some glimpses… pic.twitter.com/OcZq0QFrRj
He stressed that yoga must become a people’s movement, encouraging communities worldwide to integrate it into daily life. He called on every society to begin its day with yoga and adopt it as a path to freedom from stress and imbalance.
He also touched on the issue of global obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, urging everyone to reduce oil intake and increase physical awareness. This, he said, has been a key talking point in his Mann Ki Baat radio address and remains a top priority in India’s public health agenda.
Special Initiatives and the YogAndhra Model
Modi congratulated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Minister Nara Lokesh for their successful implementation of the YogAndhra initiative. This project has not only elevated yoga’s status in the state but has also set a benchmark for other regions to follow.
This year saw new initiatives like Yoga with Family and Yoga Unplugged, aimed at youth engagement and family bonding through yoga. Platforms like MyGov and MyBharat played a key role in boosting participation and creating a sense of community.
Conclusion:
On this 11th International Yoga Day 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message was not just one of celebration but of responsibility. As the world stands at a crossroads, facing tensions that threaten global stability, yoga emerges as India’s gentle but firm offering to the world—a way forward rooted in peace, health, and unity.
Yoga, according to PM Modi, is the journey from ‘Me’ to ‘We’, a call to move from individual well-being to collective harmony. By embracing yoga as a daily habit, a public policy, and a global mission, humanity can chart a path toward a more balanced, peaceful, and inclusive future.
As we roll out our mats across the world—on mountains, beaches, city parks, and living rooms—we are reminded that yoga is more than a pose; it is a promise. A promise of harmony, a commitment to well-being, and a shared vision of a better tomorrow. Let this day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0.
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