International Day of Yoga is held each year on the summer solstice. Since it’s the longest day of the year, it’s the perfect time to grab our mats and get outside.
Yoga can be an excellent way to create community, practice awareness, and focus on our well-being. International Day of Yoga 2023 is a fantastic opportunity for people from all walks of life to explore new communities and passions.
Yoga emerged as a discipline in ancient India, and today there are several schools centered around different practices.
Read on to learn more about International Day of Yoga, why it’s important, and a breakdown of the health benefits of yoga. We’ll also look at some outdoor yoga ideas and what creators in the US and countries all over the world hope to bring to yogis in their communities.
What is International Yoga Day?
To understand why event creators celebrate International Day of Yoga, let’s explore the event’s origins and why reflecting on and celebrating yoga is important.
International Day of Yoga (or “International Yoga Day”) is an annual celebration worldwide for yoga and its wide range of health benefits.
It was launched as a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 after 175 member states rallied behind a proposal from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He argued that yoga was “an invaluable gift” from the ancient world.
Yoga is both a physical activity and spiritual practice that teaches people how to unite their minds, body, thoughts, and actions to help them better connect with themselves and others.
Narendra also proposed that the perfect date to celebrate would be the same date every year: June 21 — the summer solstice, the northern hemisphere’s longest day. That date holds special significance for many cultures and religions, and the UN agreed it would be a unifying fit for the new International Day of Yoga.
Fast-forward eight years, International Yoga Day is now recognized in countries across the globe. Event creators on multiple continents use this day to share their love and passion for yoga with people from all walks of life.
The result: a rare day of calm in which people can help each other to restore and renew their sense of self.
Want help getting the word out there about your International Yoga Day event? Check out our marketing guide for events to find out how you can get more attendance at your special yoga event.
The importance of yoga for health and well-being
The UN didn’t simply decide to create an International Day of Yoga because its ambassadors loved a good stretch.
They supported this day of recognition because ancient yoga is an art form that’s proven to offer various physical and mental health benefits.
In terms of your physical well-being, yoga can help you in many areas. Research has found that yoga can increase flexibility and muscle strength. It’s also a particularly effective way for young people to improve their cardiovascular health, blood flow, and overall circulation.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Professional yogis and doctors alike agree that regular yoga sessions have the potential to improve your respiratory system, balance your metabolism and bolster weight loss.
And while yoga attracts many people for its physical health benefits, it’s also a fantastic way to support mental health and well-being.
Yoga enables you to create mental clarity and calmness. It teaches you about focus and control but also pushes you to find serenity and center yourself. That improves your bodily awareness, relaxes the mind, and sharpens concentration.
Yoga is also a way to relieve chronic stress patterns, which is why researchers have found yoga is an effective way to reduce signs of depression.
Considering this range of health benefits, it’s hardly surprising that people worldwide are encouraged to try yoga. It’s a unique, affordable, and social way to improve your well-being. As a result, yoga is worth exploring as a way to anchor your next event.
Ready to learn more about the importance of yoga and how you can teach others about those benefits through your business? Check out our free ebook on how to grow your yoga business.
Poses in the sun
Now that we’ve looked at the origins of International Yoga Day and why it’s so important, let’s zoom in on a dynamic event creator to see how she’ll be celebrating in 2023.
Jenny Normand of Shaka Power Yoga in Houston, Texas, will celebrate this year’s International Day of Yoga under the sun, surrounded by the waterways and beautiful trails of Josey Lake Park.
Normand first fell in love with the outdoors when she obtained her yoga certification from Power Yoga Hawaii, and she credits paradise island with inspiring her current practice.
“I fell in love with the culture,” she says. “It made me want to share my practice with others.”
Among her unique Hawaiian inspirations is offering stand-up paddleboard yoga, emphasizing strength, balance, and flexibility.
For this International Day of Yoga, Normand will stick to land with her fifth annual celebration — absolutely free.
She and several of her studio instructors will lead a day focused on meditation, grounding, and centering.
At this year’s celebration in Bridgeland, the Shaka Power team has organized for several local health and wellness vendors to be onsite to create a fun and festive atmosphere. They’re also hosting some giveaways for guests of all ages — all while celebrating yoga in the beauty of Josey Lake Park.
“It’s a great way to be outside, and to be with others, enjoy Mother Earth, and do this wonderful yoga practice,” she says.
Online International Day of Yoga 2023 events
If you’re keen to explore setting up an International Yoga Day event but don’t have the time or budget to pull off an in-person event, an online yoga event could be your solution.
Online events took off during the pandemic. But even though the weird and wonderful world of events has essentially gone back to in-person, many people still love the format and convenience of logging into a digital event.
With an online event, you can drastically expand your audience to include guests from all over the planet. This is great for your brand but also great in terms of accessibility. You’re creating a unique event and service that many yoga fans in remote locations can’t find elsewhere – an inclusive approach that mirrors the whole ethos of the UN’s International Day of Yoga.
Need a bit of inspiration? Check out Eventbrite’s yoga community.
Eventbrite supports online event creators from all over the world to manage and promote online yoga events — and if you need help brainstorming, there are loads of innovative ideas happening right there.
For example, take a look at event creator Penn Medicine Princeton Health and their virtual International Day of Yoga event. Led by a certified yoga instructor, this event will take the form of a typical yoga class that attendees can attend from home. In keeping with the date of International Yoga Day, the class plans to focus on a flow of sun salutations to welcome the summer solstice.
It’s also worth looking at the Celebrating International Day of Yoga event organized by Heygo. Rather than a guided yoga class, this event is an online experience in which a guide virtually walks guests through events happening in India to commemorate the celebrations.
Sound like an approach you might consider for your next yoga event? Eventbrite can help. Our all-in-one events platform gives you all the tools to create, manage, and promote your virtual event experiences.
International Day of Yoga 2023 events you can attend in-person
Online yoga events are an incredibly inclusive and accessible way to share yoga with attendees from different backgrounds and places. But there’s something inspiring about participating in a group yoga session live and in person.
If you’re keen to participate in a yoga day event (or start your own), it’s worth checking out some of the world’s most popular and interesting upcoming celebrations — and our community has a massive range of options.
To help start your search for inspiration, here are a couple of our favorites from around the world.
Celebrating International Yoga Day in the US
You’ll be spoiled for choice looking for great yoga events if you’re based in the US — but a fantastic place to start is International Yoga Day in NYC by event creator The Culture Tree.
The Culture Tree will celebrate in Waterline Square Park in New York City and has designed the event to appeal to all ages. There are special children’s yoga sessions and activities, yoga for ages 12+, sound healing sessions, and even a special solstice performance by Brooklyn Raga Massive.
In Rhode Island, The Narragansett Chamber of Commerce is setting up an International Yoga Day Event to create an afternoon focused on wellness. The organizers have set up a yoga class and healthy refreshments, and will also be hosting a range of wellness experts and authors — giving guests a chance to learn about ways to improve their own lifestyles.
Over on the west coast, event creator One Love Movement’s International Yoga Day — Celebrating Kindness, Mental & Physical Wellness event will feature a free and inclusive yoga class for beginners, followed by a guided meditation session and a sound bowl performance with a harmonium.
All of these events have a common foundation — but if you want to try something a bit different, you might be inspired by event creator Beachner’s Goat Yoga.
Their Beachner’s Goat Yoga-International Day of Yoga Event! is exactly what it sounds like. Guests at the Missouri event can participate in an intimate and unique yoga class alongside free-roaming goats. It’s certainly not traditional yoga, but it sounds like a lot of fun.
Want to find an event in your local area? Explore the events our amazing community of yoga event creators is putting together all over the US in June.
Celebrations happening across the globe
Although the US has many great celebrations, some pretty amazing events are also happening elsewhere in the world.
If you’re based in Australia, one to watch is event creator Art of Living Sydney’s Australia: International Day of Yoga Celebrations.
Based outside St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, the inclusive event features yoga classes, breathwork exercises, guided meditation sessions, vendor stalls, face painting, kids’ activities, and live music.
If you’re looking for inspiration on the other side of the pond, one to watch in the UK is event creator SohamYoga’s International Yoga Day 2023 charity event in Harrow, London.
It’s designed to give attendees of all ages a comprehensive crash course in yoga. It’ll feature speeches by special guests, guided breathing and meditation techniques, and end with a yogathon composed of 12 different yoga postures.
Are you on the hunt for something a bit further east?
Check out the 9th International Day of Yoga the Embassy of India offers in Bangkok, Thailand. It’ll take place first thing in the morning as the perfect way to kickstart the longest day of the year, and participants will get a free shirt to remember the class by.
Celebrating International Day of Yoga together
There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate International Yoga Day. That’s part of the charm of this celebration. The UN designed this day to be open and inclusive so that people from all skill levels can try yoga in a comfortable setting.
As an event creator, that gives you many possibilities — and we’re here to support you in every way possible. Join Eventbrite now to start exploring our community and be inspired for your next event.
And once you’re ready to start planning your online or in-person yoga event, we can guide you through the process every step of the way — from planning and promotion to ticket sales and data analytics.
