India Leads Holistic Health Revolution Through Yoga

Yoga unites the world, promoting peace, health, and global well-being through ancient Indian traditions.

- ALOK MEHTA

The world practiced yoga together for the 11th time on June 21. The simple meaning of yoga is "to unite," and it is heartening to see how yoga has united the entire world. Unfortunately, today the whole world is experiencing various forms of stress. In many regions, unrest and instability are increasing. In such times, yoga provides us with a direction toward peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is not mere imagination or a dream. Yoga is not just a practice—it is a movement for national health, inner peace, and global wellbeing. The theme "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" lies at its core. The 2025 theme highlights yoga's role in promoting physical, mental, and environmental wellbeing, aligning with a global call for sustainability and unity. This is based on a decade of success since the United Nations recognized June 21 as International Yoga Day following India's proposal in 2014. Society and the world should focus on such issues, setting aside politics.

India's traditional medical system is now gaining global recognition. On May 20, a major agreement was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Under this agreement, traditional medical practices will receive international recognition and be documented scientifically. A special "Traditional Medicine Module" will be added to WHO's International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, expressed happiness over the agreement and welcomed India's commitment to health with a contribution of $3 million towards WHO's work on traditional medicine and ICHI. The ICHI is a global system that records the treatments and medical procedures provided to patients. Now, traditional Indian medical systems like Ayurveda's Panchakarma therapy, yoga therapy, Unani regimens, and Siddha practices will be recorded according to international standards.