Celebrating cultural diversity through Yoga

SANGEETA PADMANABHAN and BHUSHAN BHUKTE from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy explain the relationship between Yoga and unity, and the simple practices that we can all do to celebrate diversity and build peace, collaboration and harmony.

 “I am blessed with all divine gifts,
All men and women of the world are my brothers and sisters,
 and my thought is one with theirs.”

—Heartfulness Meditation for Unity

If all of us were the same, the world would be a very boring place. It is our diversity that makes life so interesting. Yoga helps us celebrate that cultural diversity.

One of the definitions of Yoga is “Yujyateanenaiti Yogah,”meaning Yoga is that which joins. It unites the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our being. Yoga unites our individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. The practice of Yoga helps us to experience the light that resides in all of us as coming from the same source.

We are one world family, “VasudhaivaKutumbakam,” the coming together of all types of people. The practice of Yoga creates harmony within us, and harmony within leads to harmony around us.

Swami Vivekananda introduced the world to Raja Yoga in 1893, and paved the way for many others to spread Yoga around the world. Since then, it has become available in many forms.

Heartfulness celebrates, promotes, and supports the integrity and diversity of Yoga around the world through a very unique program, which started in 2021. It is called, “Yoga for Unity and Wellbeing” and it offers 100 days of Yoga leading up to the International Day of Yoga on 21 June 2022.

The Heartfulness Yoga Academy and over 40 Yoga organizations conduct a united program, in harmony, to spread yogic practices and knowledge free of cost on a virtual platform.

The coming together of all these prestigious Yoga institutions, and the close collaboration of teachers and experts, is a source of immense happiness. It is a unique program that has been tailored for seniors, beginners, enthusiasts, Yoga professionals, and children. You can find the Yoga that suits you and belong to this growing community. This year we have a real bouquet of Yoga styles and practices that celebrate unity in diversity.

Register here for free: www.yoga4unity.com.

Our journey creates an inner meditative state that manifests the heart’s intrinsic goodness. This expression of goodness makes peace dynamic and life-affirming, and in its wake, brings unity and harmony to this world.