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 as part of a relaxing yoga event.
Yoga can be an excellent way to create community, practice awareness, and focus on our well-being. International Day of Yoga 2024, on the 21st of June, 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 centred 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 organisers hope to bring to yogis in their communities.
What is International Yoga Day?
To understand why event organisers celebrate International Day of Yoga, it’s worth exploring the event’s origins and looking at 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.
International Yoga Day 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.
It’s both a physical activity and spiritual practice that teaches people how to unite their minds, bodies, 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 in June every year: June 21st. That’s because it’s 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 recognised in countries across the globe. Event organisers on multiple continents use this day to share their love and passion for yoga with people from all walks of life.
The result is a rare day of calm in which people can help each other to recentre 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 centre 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.
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 couple of dynamic event organisers to see how they’ll be celebrating in 2024.
Amante Ibiza in Spain will celebrate this year’s International Day of Yoga under the sun at their Yoga and Breakfast by the beach At Amante, surrounded by the idyllic Sol Den Serra Bay.
The bay is particularly beautiful in the early morning sunlight and is the stunning backdrop for a yoga class. Held by the professional Diana Naya, the perfect natural surroundings make an ideal location for an early morning hatha yoga practice.
Diana believes that yoga is meant to offer a meaningful experience to both beginners and experienced students. These classes are accessible and enjoyable and can be embraced by people from all walks of life.
The class is followed by a healthy buffet breakfast on the Amante terrace, which includes freshly squeezed juices, fruit, eggs, natural yoghurt, cereals, dried fruits and freshly baked wholegrain patisserie.
Photo by Conscious Design
Online International Day of Yoga 2024 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 our community. Eventbrite supports online event organisers 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 organiser Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centres and their hybrid International Day of Yoga event for kids. It’s an in-person event led by a certified yoga instructor that is also available to attendees online. 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 SohamYoga’s 50 Days of Yoga Challenge for Wellbeing event. This event is an online experience that yogis can attend every day from the start of May, leading up to the International Day of Yoga.
Sound like an approach you might consider for your next yoga event? Eventbrite can help. Our all-in-one solution gives you all the tools to create, manage, and promote your virtual event experiences. Get started for free.
International Day of Yoga 2024 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 favourites from around the world.
Celebrating International Yoga Day in the UK
You’ll be spoilt for choice regarding great yoga events if you’re based in the UK.
But one to watch is event organiser SohamYoga’s International Yoga Day 2024: Yogathon charity event in Harrow.
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 then a yogathon composed of 12 different yoga postures.
Want to find an event in your local area? Explore the events our amazing community of yoga event organisers are putting together all over the UK in June.
Celebrations happening across the globe
Although the UK 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 the event organiser National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine and its International Day of Yoga 2024 event.
Based at Southern Cross University in New South Wales, the inclusive, family-friendly event features free yoga classes, the opportunity to connect with other yogis over complimentary herbal teas, and a nourishing lunch.
The event is held in collaboration with the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre at the Consulate General of India in Sydney and is held each year on the International Day of Yoga.
If you’re looking for inspiration on the other side of the pond, International Yoga Day Celebration & Free Community Yoga @ Jax Beach by event organiser The Art of Living Foundation is a great place to start.
It’s happening in Seawalk Pavilion, Jax Beach in Florida and is designed to appeal to beginners to advanced yogis. It includes sessions by internationally recognised instructors, energising yoga dances and more.
Many of these events have the same foundation at heart — but if you’re trying to do something a bit different, you might be inspired by event organiser Rosedale.
Their Goat Yoga event is exactly what it sounds like. Guests at the US, Ohio 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.
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 organiser, 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.
