'Yoga for healthy ageing': Ayush Ministry launches nationwide drive ahead of International Yoga Day
New Delhi, June 14
With "Yoga for Healthy Ageing" as the theme for International Day of Yoga 2026, the Ministry of Ayush on Sunday intensified its nationwide outreach efforts through a live online yoga session and a Guinness World Record attempt aimed at promoting year-round yoga practice and healthy living.
Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav participated in the online yoga session, which saw the involvement of officers and officials of the Ministry of Ayush, yoga practitioners, students, teachers and citizens from across the country. The initiative forms part of the government's preparations for the International Day of Yoga, observed annually on June 21.
Addressing participants during the programme, Jadhav thanked those who joined the nationwide initiative through the digital platform.
"On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my esteemed colleague in the Union Council of Ministers, Mansukh Mandaviya, the Chief Ministers of various states, state ministers, yoga practitioners across India and around the world, young students, teachers, government and private institutions and every family who has joined this historic initiative through the online platform..." he said.
The online session was organised as part of a nationwide Guinness World Record attempt, reflecting the ministry's efforts to expand public participation in yoga and encourage people to adopt it as a regular lifestyle practice.
Highlighting the focus of this year's celebrations, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush Rajesh Kotecha said the theme aligns with the government's broader objective of promoting wellness and active ageing through yoga.
"The theme of this year's International Yoga Day is 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'. According to this, we are organising Yoga Day programmes. Under the leadership of Minister Pratap Jadhav, many steps have been taken in this direction. One of them is Yoga 365. Yoga 365 means 365 days of Yoga in a year. Under this, this effort is for a Guinness World Record..." Kotecha said.
According to ministry officials, the Yoga 365 initiative seeks to encourage individuals to integrate yoga into their daily routines throughout the year, rather than limiting participation to annual celebrations. The programme is aimed at improving physical fitness, mental well-being and overall health across age groups.
The Ministry of Ayush has been conducting a series of awareness campaigns and outreach activities in the run-up to International Day of Yoga 2026, with a particular emphasis on healthy ageing, preventive healthcare and holistic wellness through regular yoga practice.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone living abroad, it's heartening to see India leading global wellness. But I hope the government also focuses on making yoga accessible for differently-abled people—inclusive yoga mats, sign language instructors, etc. The world is watching!
Yoga 365 is a great concept but execution needs work. Our local park's yoga session happens only once a week. For real impact, we need daily free community classes with trained instructors, not just record attempts. Good intentions though.
My college participated in this online session! The energy was incredible—hundreds of students doing Surya Namaskar together on Zoom. But the internet kept buffering in rural areas. The government should deploy mobile yoga vans for villages. 🌞
Guinness World Record attempt sounds impressive, but let's be honest—are we measuring quality or just quantity? I'd rather see 10,000 pensioners doing yoga properly than 100,000 people doing it wrong. Still, good step for awareness. *adjusts yoga mat*
As a physiotherapist in Bangalore, I see amazing benefits of yoga for seniors—better balance, reduced fall risk, improved mental health. But we must also emphasize medical supervision for those with conditions like high BP or joint issues. Yoga isn't a one-size-fits-all!
K We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.