The term 'Yoga' creates a picture of ancient yoga gurus in our mind. Yoga and Yogis are an integral part of Indian culture. As per the ancient inscriptions in Yoga Shastra, the term yoga means 'union'. Yoga unites individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. Yoga is a form of mind-body fitness discipline involving a combination of muscular activity and mindful focus on awareness of the self, breath, and inner energy. It serves as a natural technique to keep health problems and diseases at bay.

'Yoga is more than only physical fitness. We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace, Modi said.' This is a programme for human welfare, a tension-free world and a programme to spread the message of goodwill, the prime minister said and thanked the United Nations for adopting his idea for a World Yoga Day.