NEW YORK (Diya TV) – International Yoga Day was celebrated across the United States this weekend, with large public gatherings in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several other cities highlighting yoga’s growing reach as a wellness practice across communities.
In New York, nearly 10,000 people gathered in Times Square on June 21 as the Consulate General of India in New York marked the 12th International Day of Yoga. The day-long celebration was organized in partnership with the Times Square Alliance and included seven yoga sessions under this year’s global theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing.”
The Times Square event coincided with the annual “Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga,” a summer solstice tradition that brings yoga practitioners into one of the busiest public spaces in the world. The New York celebration also featured Padma Shri awardee H.R. Nagendra, a well-known yoga teacher and meditation expert, who addressed participants on yoga’s relevance to modern life.
Consul General Binaya Pradhan said the growing participation reflected the increasing acceptance of yoga among Americans and the Indian diaspora. The New York Consulate also organized a month-long series of yoga outreach programs across its jurisdiction, including New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
But the observance was not limited to New York.
In Los Angeles, the Consulate General of India hosted a major International Day of Yoga celebration at Loyola Marymount University on June 21. The event was held from 8 a.m. to noon and brought together yoga practitioners, community members and partner organizations for a morning focused on health, wellness and unity.
Another Los Angeles event was held at the Art of Living Foundation on West Adams Boulevard. The gathering, listed by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, began at 11 a.m., with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Organizers planned light warm-ups, yoga and breathwork, meditation and light plant-based snacks. The event was described as open to both experienced yoga practitioners and beginners.
Additional Los Angeles-area programming included free International Yoga Day activities hosted by Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Los Angeles, with an early morning online satsang and an in-person yoga session at Santa Monica Beach near Ocean Park. Participants were asked to bring a mat, water and sun protection for the beach session.
In the Bay Area, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco organized International Day of Yoga programming at Crissy Field East Beach on June 20. The event was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and promoted as a morning of yoga, wellness and mindfulness with the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop.
The San Francisco Consulate also held lead-up events before the main Crissy Field celebration. A curtain-raiser yoga session took place June 10 at Salesforce Park, where participants gathered against the San Francisco skyline. On June 12, the Consulate hosted a special yoga session at its premises in collaboration with Art of Living. Deputy Consul General Rakesh Adlakha spoke about yoga’s relevance in a fast-paced world and its ability to bring people together across cultures and backgrounds. The event concluded with guided yoga and meditation.
This year marked the 12th International Day of Yoga. The United Nations theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing,” emphasized yoga’s role in supporting physical and mental well-being for people of all ages. The theme focused on mobility, balance, flexibility, mindfulness and overall quality of life.
Since the United Nations designated June 21 as International Day of Yoga, the observance has grown into an annual global event marked by public yoga sessions, cultural programs, meditation gatherings and wellness workshops.
