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The International Day of Yoga, 21 June

3 min read · Updated October 18, 2026 · sources checked October 18, 2026

In short

The International Day of Yoga is held every year on 21 June. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed it on 11 December 2014 by resolution 69/131, on a proposal by India supported by 175 member states, and it was first observed on 21 June 2015. Each year has a theme: Yoga for Healthy Ageing in 2026, Yoga for One Earth, One Health in 2025.

A day created by the United Nations

On 11 December 2014, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 69/131, which proclaims 21 June the International Day of Yoga. The draft, the UN notes, "was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states". The proposal had first been made by India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his address at the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly in September 2014, where he said: "Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition."

The first International Day of Yoga was observed on 21 June 2015. The main event, on Rajpath in New Delhi, brought together 35,985 participants including representatives of 84 countries, according to India's Press Information Bureau (PIB), and entered the Guinness World Records twice: for the largest yoga lesson at a single venue and for the largest number of nationalities in a yoga lesson. In 2016, yoga was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Unlike the other festivals in this chapter, the date is fixed: 21 June every year, close to the June solstice, the longest day in the northern hemisphere. It is also the only one created in our time, and the one that belongs to every practitioner, whatever their background.

The themes of recent years

Each edition has an official theme, announced by India's Ministry of Ayush and relayed by the UN:

YearEditionThemeMain event in India
20206thYoga at Home, Yoga with Familyheld online and at home, during the pandemic
20217thYoga for Wellnessonline and at home, during the pandemic
202511thYoga for One Earth, One HealthVisakhapatnam
202612thYoga for Healthy AgeingKolkata

Over the years, the main national event has travelled from New Delhi to Chandigarh, Lucknow, Dehradun, Ranchi, Mysuru, Jabalpur, Srinagar and Visakhapatnam, then Kolkata in 2026. PIB reports that in 2025 more than 13 lakh (1.3 million) yoga events were organised across India, and that the day is now observed in more than 190 countries.

The Common Yoga Protocol

To let people practise "together" on the same day, the Ministry of Ayush developed in 2015, with yoga teachers and institutions, the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP): a standardised session of about 45 minutes, which PIB describes as combining loosening practices, postures, kapālabhāti, prāṇāyāma, meditation and relaxation. In its 2026 edition, institutions may add 15 minutes of further practices such as prāṇāyāma, yoga nidrā, meditation or satsaṅg. It is available in the six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

You can download the official booklet free of charge: Common Yoga Protocol, 2026 edition (PDF, Ministry of Ayush). It is a large file (about 25 MB).

Marking the day as a practitioner

The International Day of Yoga invites you to practise and to share. A simple way to give it meaning:

  1. Practise in the morning, outdoors if you can: the Common Yoga Protocol, or your own sequence in the traditional order, body, breath, silence.
  2. Read one verse before you start. The Bhagavad Gītā gives one of the most famous definitions of yoga: samatvaṃ yoga ucyate, "evenness is called yoga" (2.48).
  3. Invite someone who has never practised: a parent, a friend, a colleague. Choose gentle versions; chair yoga works for anyone.
  4. Take stock: 21 June is the middle of the year. Write where your practice stands and what you would like it to become.

In India, public sessions are held across the country: more than 13 lakh events in 2025, according to PIB. In Rishikesh, do not confuse the day with the International Yoga Festivals of Rishikesh, separate events held each March.

To go further into what yoga is beyond postures, read what is yoga? and the sun salutation, easy to add to the day. Our book The Yogi's Sacred Year gives the International Day of Yoga its own chapter, with a 60-minute session from body to silence, among twelve festivals of the Indian year.

Questions people ask

What is International Yoga Day?

A day proclaimed by the United Nations in 2014 to raise awareness of yoga worldwide. It is observed every year on 21 June with mass sessions, many following the Common Yoga Protocol published by India's Ministry of Ayush.

When is International Yoga Day?

Always on 21 June: the date is fixed by the UN resolution and does not follow the lunar calendar. The 12th edition took place on 21 June 2026; 21 June 2027 will be the 13th.

What was the theme of International Yoga Day 2026?

Yoga for Healthy Ageing, according to the United Nations and India's Press Information Bureau. The 2025 theme was Yoga for One Earth, One Health; in 2021, Yoga for Wellness; in 2020, Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family.

Where can I find the International Yoga Day protocol PDF?

The Common Yoga Protocol is published free of charge by India's Ministry of Ayush on yoga.ayush.gov.in, in English and in the six official UN languages. It is a standardised session of about 45 minutes.

Why 21 June?

The UN page on the day does not give a reason for the date. 21 June is close to the June solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Sources

  1. International Day of Yoga, 21 June, United Nations checked October 18, 2026
  2. General Assembly resolution 69/131, International Day of Yoga, 11 December 2014, United Nations checked October 18, 2026
  3. International Day of Yoga 2026: From Annual Observance to Everyday Wellness, Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 20 June 2026 checked October 18, 2026
  4. Common Yoga Protocol, 2026 edition (English), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India checked October 18, 2026
  5. Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) checked October 18, 2026

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