Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today led a yoga session with Members of Parliament in the Parliament House Complex on the occasion of International Day of Yoga. Extending his greetings to everyone, he said that this day celebrates India’s timeless civilizational heritage, which has provided humanity with a path to health, balance, and inner peace. He stated, “Yoga not only balances the body but also the mind and thoughts. Differences of opinion are natural in Parliament, but yoga shows us the path of dialogue and self-restraint.”
Highlighting the importance of yoga, Shri Birla said that India’s sages and scholars worked for centuries to preserve the tradition of yoga and established it as a way of life. Its purpose was to promote physical health, mental peace, and the awakening of human consciousness. He noted that yoga has now become a global mass movement embraced around the world, but it remains a gift from India’s thousands-year-old knowledge tradition.
Emphasizing the relevance of yoga in contemporary life, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that modern life is surrounded by stress, imbalance, and uncertainty. In such times, yoga serves as an effective means of maintaining mental peace, patience, emotional balance, and a disciplined lifestyle. He added that one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is mental stress, and yoga offers an accessible, scientific, and inclusive solution. He further remarked that today’s digital generation must make yoga a part of their lifestyle to balance screen time and stress.
Shri Birla said that yoga is not merely a fitness program but a means of developing personality, character, and consciousness. By incorporating yoga into daily life, individuals become more balanced, improve their decision-making abilities, and enhance their overall well-being. He stated that “healthy citizens are the greatest asset of a strong democracy,” and if India’s 1.4 billion citizens devote even a few minutes each day to yoga, it could become the country’s largest public health revolution.
The Lok Sabha Speaker stressed that the message of yoga should reach every corner of the country. Public representatives remain in constant dialogue with society and can play an important role in inspiring people to adopt yoga and understand its transformative power. Just as continuous efforts are made to strengthen democracy, yoga too should become an integral part of every citizen’s life.
Shri Birla said that yoga is not just India’s soft power but India’s responsibility to humanity. He urged all citizens to treat yoga not as a one-day celebration but as a 365-day commitment, and to strengthen a culture of health, harmony, and self-discipline through regular yoga practice.
