Here’s Your Official Logo for International Yoga Day

Set for June 21, International Yoga Day is rapidly approaching – it’s almost May, already! Are you excited? Well, get excited now because we have an official logo, and everyone knows without a logo, nothing is really real.

Here it is!

What do you think?

The image was unveiled Wednesday by India’s External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and Shripad Yesso Naik, the Minister of State for AYUSH – the country’s new Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

Representing “harmony and peace,” the logo arrives just under two months before the big day, but also less than 5 months after International Yoga Day was hereby declared by the UN in December. And that decision, which was supported by 177 countries, came less than 12 weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed it. Now that is maybe what you would call a power yoga move.

At the logo unveiling, Swaraj drew attention to the “world record” saying the proposal was passed within a record time of 75 days and that this is the first resolution in which 177 countries had come on board to be co-sponsors. “Even to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birthday, 165 countries had become co-sponsors,” she noted, which is…wow, OK.

Sure there are 177 countries signed up, but the aim for India is to get all 193 United Nations (UN) members involved. And for the countries still holding out? They’ll just celebrate at the embassies.

“We will observe the day going beyond the 177 countries who have helped pass the resolution by bringing in the rest as well. Internal events will be organized at the Embassy premises in those countries where local regulations do not permit holding of yoga,” Swaraj said.

For a little breakdown of the logo, they’ve put out a handy infographic.

• Folding of both hands in the logo symbolizes Yoga, which reflects the union of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness, a perfect harmony between mind and body, man and nature, the holistic approach to health and well being, a senior government official said.
• The brown leaves in the logo symbolize the earth element, the green leaves the nature, blue the fire element while the sun symbolises the source of energy and inspiration.
• The logo reflects harmony and peace for the humanity which is the essence of Yoga.

As for the day’s festivities, so far, the Indian Embassy is collaborating with the DC yoga community for a day-long event at the Mall in Washington. We await further details about events on a national and local level in US and other countries.

Are you planning any celebratory events? International Yoga Day (June 21) is also the same day as the Solstice, by the way, which was a smart choice since it’s already a celebrated day for many yogis.

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Earlier…

• UN Officially Declares June 21 International Yoga Day
• India’s Government Creates Yoga and Ayurveda Department, Plans To ‘Take It To the Masses’