Yoga: An Ancient Practice in India’s Modern Diplomacy

“Yoga comes from India and it is a very old tradition. Yoga is free from copyrights, patents and royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender and fitness level. Yoga is portable and is truly universal”^[1] -- These words were spoken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21st June 2023 on the occasion of the 9th International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters in New York which aligned with his State Visit to the United States.

Yoga is an ancient Indian system for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being. As explained by the Sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras is an 8 fold system including Yama or the moral conduct; Niyama or right observances; Asana or right postures; Pranayama or control of “prana”, the subtle life currents; Pratyahara or the interiorization, withdrawal of one’s senses from external objects; Dharana or one-pointed concentration; Dhyana or Meditation; and Samadhi or the highest stage with the experience of superconscious, also called union with God.^[2] Yoga represents the essence of India's wisdom of physical, mental and spiritual well-being that is universal in nature and transcends nationality, race, or religion and hence is beneficial for all mankind.

Global Popularity of Yoga and Role of Indian Yoga Gurus

The global dissemination of Yoga over more than a century could be attributed to the various Yoga gurus and spiritual masters who travelled various parts of the world particularly the United States and Europe to propagate the Yogic teachings and practices. Swami Vivekananda played a critical role in presenting the ancient Indian spiritual principles and worldview at the stage of the World Parliament of Religions (1893). His overwhelming success in disseminating Venatic and Yogic traditions of India to the world opened channels for dialogues about them leading to invitation to many Yoga gurus and spiritual masters to visit the West. In the 1920s, Paramahansa Yogananda also known as ‘Father of Yoga in the West’ took Yoga-meditation teachings to the US which led to its acceptance and widespread popularity. His book Autobiography of a Yogi has earned global recognition as an introduction to Indian spirituality and Yoga-meditation.

A boom in the popularity of Yoga-meditation in the 1960s onwards was witnessed in the Western world after the passage of Hart-Cellar Act/Immigration and Nationality Act (1965) in the US removing the quota system for immigration from a particular country. Since then, a number of Yoga gurus such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Muktananda, Baba Hari Dass, Patabhi Jois, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Jaggi Vasudev, Sister Shivani, Baba Ramdev among many others have gained global popularity having millions of followers. Today, Yoga is practised in all parts of the world including many Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Iran among those who are now acknowledging the holistic benefits of Yoga.^[3] The acceptance of Yoga in different nations and societies has been largely because of the way in which it has been presented by Indian gurus as scientific, universal and non-proselytising.

Yoga in Ongoing Holistic Health Discourse

The global concept of healthcare has drastically changed by the end of the 20th century. The holistic health movement gained momentum in the 1970s which challenged the ‘sacrosanct’ stature of modern medicine and its limitations in treating chronic ailments, mental diseases and lifestyle-based diseases. As per the World Health Organisation’s definition, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” and not mere absence of disease and ailments. Today concepts such as “holistic health”, “wellness” and “integrative health” ^[4] are getting traction.

Yoga has found a special place in this evolving understanding of health. In advanced countries such as the United States, there is a popular demand for the inclusion of evidence-based unconventional medical practices in mainstream medicine. There is a growing pool of research-based evidence which establishes the benefits of Yoga-meditation According to the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Yoga and Meditation have the highest rate of growth in popularity in terms of complementary health practices.^[5]

Proposing an International Day of Yoga at UN: Modi Government’s First Multilateral Feats

One of the first diplomatic manoeuvre multilateral initiatives undertaken by the newly formed NDA government under the leadership of PM in 2014 was to promote Yoga at the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. On December 11, 2014, India introduced the Resolution A/69/L.17 with the aim of establishing the International Day of Yoga to be commemorated at the UN on 21st June every year.^[6] With 177 countries co-sponsoring the resolution, it was passed by the UNGA without the need to vote. The success in gaining overwhelming support for Yoga became a source of boost for the Modi government in putting forth India’s image of a key global player as well as projecting Indian thoughts and ideas as a solution to ongoing global concerns.

Recognition as UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage

The following year to the first International Day of Yoga, in 2016, UNESCO identified Yoga as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. As per UNESCO, Yogic practices contribute towards five of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals– Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3); Quality Education (SDG 4); Gender Equality (SDG 5); Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10); and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).^[7]

The Indian Government Prioritising Yoga Promotion in Last 10 years

Recently, the 10th International Day of Yoga was celebrated with hundreds of thousands’ participants practising Yoga across the globe. This has been a monumental achievement of the Modi government. The Indian Government in the last 10 years, especially under the personal prerogative of PM Modi, has taken numerous initiatives at the national and international levels to promote the Indian systems of healthcare.

National Initiatives

Establishing Ministry of AYUSH: Prioritising the promotion of traditional and complementary medicine systems, the Modi government elevated the erstwhile Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) to full- fledged ministry in November 2014. The Ministry of AYUSH is responsible for education, research, and propagation of these alternative healthcare systems in India. The annual budget of the ministry has gradually been increasing since its inception. The initial budget allotted for the Ministry of AYUSH was FY 2023–24 is ₹3,647.50 crore (US$440 million).^[8]

Inclusion of Yoga in National Health Policy: The National Health Policy 2017 recommended the introduction of Yoga in schools and workplaces to promote good health. This integration aims to leverage the health benefits of Yoga in the overall well-being of the population. The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy has opened Yoga OPDs in government hospitals and provided financial assistance for National/International seminars. Additionally, Yoga training has been extended to police personnel and defence staff.

Certification and Standardisation: The Yoga Certification Board has been established to certify and accredit Yoga professionals and institutions, with the aim of promoting the practice of Yoga and ensuring standardisation in training programs. It operates autonomously under the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, with committees overseeing different aspects of certification and accreditation.

Promotion through Sports: Mallakhamb and Yogasana, indigenous sports from India, were included in the National Games 2022.^[9]

Global Outreach

The Government of India has engaged various ministries to create awareness about Yoga abroad and to facilitate Yoga tourism for foreigners in India. Some of the key initiatives taken by the Indian Government:

E-Tourist Visa: Realising the global popularity of Yoga and other Indian medical systems, the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2016 allowed foreigners to visit India on a tourist or an e-tourist visa for short-term Yoga programmes and for short-duration medical treatment under Indian systems of medicine.^[10]

Yoga Economy/Heal in India Initiative/ India's Medical Value Travel (MVT) Portal: The MVT provides end-to-end online services for medical interventions, wellness, and traditional medicine. India's MVT market is expected to grow from an estimated $6 billion in 2022 to $13 billion by 2026.^[11] The Ministry of AYUSH has implemented programs like "Heal by India" and "Heal in India" to promote the benefits of Ayurveda and Yoga both in India and internationally and strategically attract Yoga enthusiasts from across the globe.

Prime Minister Modi in the 10th International Day of Yoga in Srinagar said that the world will witness a "new yoga economy" in coming years, with more Yoga tourist trends creating in places such as Rishikesh, Kashi, and Kerala.^[12] Places like these have been witnessing flocks of foreign tourists who are interested in learning about Yoga and Indian healing systems.

Digital Promotion: The Department of Science & Technology launched a pilot project mobile app called 'Celebrating Yoga' in 2017 to popularise Yoga and encourage participation. This initiative utilised the technology to make information about Yoga easily accessible to the masses. Later in 2021, the Ministry of Ayush launched a comprehensive “Namaste Yoga” app that offers information on yoga, events, classes, and tracking physical activity with features such as step count and calories burnt.^[13]

Deployment of Yoga at India Missions: Certified Yoga teachers have been deployed abroad at Indian missions and consulates to promote Yoga internationally. This initiative not only showcases India's expertise in Yoga but also encourages global engagement in traditional wellness practices.

Yoga in India’s G20 Presidency

During its G20 presidency in 2023, India utilised the forum to showcase the efficacy of Yoga and its potential to be incorporated within the global healthcare system. The Indian government very efficiently emphasised the relevance of incorporating Yoga-based approaches in addressing the issues of global concerns and promoting inclusive growth, sustainable development, and mitigating climate change.

During the G20 summit, India organised large-scale yoga demonstrations and mass yoga sessions, bringing G20 delegations and participants from all over the world together to perform various asanas and pranayama. A number of yoga workshops and masterclasses led by famous yoga practitioners were also organised to introduce overseas audiences to various traditions and forms of Yoga. Yoga studios and wellness centres were organised within the G20 summit venue, providing the delegates and attendees the opportunities to gain physical, mental, and spiritual advantages from regular Yoga practice.^[14]

Under the G20's Science-20 Summit, 100 delegates including scientists, academicians, experts and policymakers from each of the 20 member nations were hosted at Coimbatore's Isha Yoga Centre with the idea to project India’s cultural and Yogic tradition.

Experts from The Royal Society in the United Kingdom, The National Academy of Sciences in the United States, The International Science Council in France, CERN in Switzerland, and The Indian National Science Academy deliberated on the subjects of Clean Energy for a Greener Future, Universal Holistic Health, and Linking Science to Society & Culture.^[15]

The Indian Government through its G20 presidency aimed to project Yoga as a valuable tool for enhancing individual and community well-being, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the broader agenda of global cooperation and received overwhelming response from the G20 delegations for the same.

Moving Ahead in the Yoga Way

Being India’s cultural heritage, Yoga has also emerged as an important tool in India’s diplomacy in the last 10 years. Today, when the world is still struggling from the aftermath of the global pandemic, Yoga has been a special contribution from India in promoting holistic healthcare worldwide.

According to a recent analysis, the global yoga market is expected to be worth $107.1 billion by 2023. From 2024 to 2030, the market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 9.4%. India is becoming a popular health tourism destination, attracting global patients seeking low-cost, high-quality medical treatments, wellness retreats, and complementary therapies including Yoga-meditation. India's medical tourism business is predicted to be worth $14.31 billion by 2029.^[16] The Indian health and wellness market is projected to grow at a 5% CAGR between 2024 and 2032, owing to rising consumer awareness of healthy lifestyles, increased demand for organic and natural products, and increased investments in healthcare infrastructure and medical tourism.^[17] Yoga and thus Yoga economy hold a lot of potential creating wellness-based jobs in India.

However, to amplify this impact, India will have to lead the holistic health narrative by applying Indian healing systems including Yoga-meditation through an integrative and evidence-based approach that not only helps Yoga tourism but more importantly brings down the disease and ailments rate with India drastically in an affordable manner.

While a number of universities are engaged in research in Yoga-meditation, India will have to lead in this domain as well. Promotion of deeper research in psychology on how Yoga-meditation Health impacts mental health needs to be emphasised.

Yoga-meditation has originated in the Indian subcontinent and has ancient connections with Southeast Asian countries as well. Yoga tourism can also be linked with India’s Neighbourhood policy and Act East policy.

While the Yoga market is on the rise, a caution needs to be made where this great ancient science of Yoga is not merely branded as a commodity and glamorised as a series of mere postures and stretches. It will be crucial to maintain the essence and value systems of Yoga and create awareness about them. It will be important to highlight that meditation (also popularised as mindfulness) is a key integral element of Yoga as in many of the Western studies and researches Yoga and meditation are studied separately which limits the understanding of scope of Yoga. Although meditation practices are derived from various, eastern health practices, wherever required, a hyphenated terminology “Yoga-meditation” can also be used to have a holistic understanding of it.

Yoga: India’s Soft Power or a Global Benefactor?

Yoga quietly has served as a cultural ambassador of India for ages. In modern times, there has been an exponential rise in popularity of Yoga in the Western world. The recognition of the potential and global outreach of Yoga; putting thrust on the declaration of the International Day of Yoga and; prerogative of promoting Yoga as a major foreign policy priority under the leadership and active participating of PM Narendra Modi have resulted in Yoga becoming a unique soft power tool for India in the last 10 years.

In both philosophical and application levels, the universality of Yoga and its proven physical, mental and spiritual benefits help bring the Indian civilisational ideas such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (World is a family) & Sarve bhavantu Sukhinah (May all be happy and prosperous), Sarve santu niramaya (May all be free from illness and afflictions) into action.

Yoga is India’s gift to the world. The millions of practitioners of Yoga across the world who have applied Yoga in their lives to deal with physical ailments, mental stress, conflict-avoidance, spiritual growth or general well-being hold a sense of homage to India which in itself has a lot of intrinsic value. In contemporary times, when the world is witnessing geopolitical turmoil and conflicts, the Indian government has urged the concerned stakeholders to tread a path of dialogue and diplomacy. Yoga- meditation in a way complements India’s image as the nation that seeks peace and harmony in the world.

In present times, when the Western conceptualisation of peace and the approaches adopted by the international organisations in conflict resolution and in achieving global peace, inclusive growth and promoting sustainable development seem to be dysfunctional, an important question arises that can the civilisational wisdom of the East including Indian thought and practices bring a sustainable peace to the world?

References

^[1] PTI, “PM Modi leads historic Yoga session at UN; describes yoga as “truly universal” and free from copyrights”, The Economic Times, June 22, 2023 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/pm-modi-leads-historic-yoga-session-at-un-describes-yoga-as-truly-universal-and-free-from-copyrights/articleshow/101167487.cms?from=mdr [3]
^[2] “Yoga: Meaning.” Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, 6 April, 2023, URL:yssofindia.org/about/yogoda-satsanga-society-of-india-glossary-page-7.
^[3] PTI, “Muslim-majority Arab countries join yoga day celebrations.” The Times of India, 22 June 2017, URL: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/middle-east-news/muslim-majority-arab-countries-join-yoga-day-celebrations/articleshow/59268761.cms .
^[4]As per the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Integrative health brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way. Integrative health also emphasizes multimodal interventions, which are two or more interventions such as conventional health care approaches (like medication, physical rehabilitation, psychotherapy), and complementary health approaches (like acupuncture, yoga, and probiotics) in various combinations, with an emphasis on treating the whole person rather than, for example, one organ system. Integrative health aims for well-coordinated care among different providers and institutions by bringing conventional and complementary approaches together to care for the whole person.”
US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name?”, NCCIH, URL: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name [4]
^[5] US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “National Survey Reveals Increased Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractic Care Among U.S. Adults.” NCCIH, www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/national-survey-reveals-increased-use-of-yoga-meditation-and-chiropractic-care-among-us-adults# [5]
^[6] Permanent Mission of India to UN, New York, Statement by Ambassador Asoke K. Mukerji introducing the Draft Resolution on International Day of Yoga (A/69/L.17) [ Agenda Item 124: Global Health and Foreign Policy] at the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014 URL: https://www.pminewyork.gov.in/IndiaatUNGA?id=NzE1 [6]
^[7]UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Yoga, URL: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/yoga-01163 [7]
^[8] Ministry of Ayush, Notes on Demands for Grants, 2024-2025, Indian Budget, GoI, URL: https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/sbe4.pdf [8]
^[9] Raj, Pritish, et al. “The Bridge - Home of Indian Sports.” The Bridge - Home of Indian Sports, 15 Sept. 2022, URL: thebridge.in/national-games/national-games-2022-newly-added-sports-mallakhamb-yogasana-35422?infinitescroll=1.
^[10] Express News Service, “Government goes visa way to promote yoga”, The Indian Express, June 3, 2016, URL:https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/international-yoga-mha-government-goes-visa-way-to-promote-yoga-2831567/
^[11] FICCI : Medical Value Travel (MVT). August 19, 2023, www.ficci.in/api/sector_details/133 [9]
^[12] Singh, Rimjhim. “International Yoga day 2024: World seeing a new Yoga economy, says PM Modi.” Business Standard, 21 June 2024, URL: www.business-standard.com/india-news/international-yoga-day-2024-world-seeing-a-new-yoga-economy-says-pm-modi-124062100255_1.html [10].
^[13] Ministry of AYUSH, “Namaste Yoga”, GoI, URL: https://namaste-yoga.ayush.gov.in/ [11]
^[14]S, Manral. “Review on Role of Yoga in Chittodvega w.s.r. to Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine (2024) URL: www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Review-on-Role-of-Yoga-in-Chittodvega-w.s.r.-to-Manral/f95caacbc34cd3368420a0d49c98758c1ba6a9c7 [12].
^[15] ANI,. “S20-G20 Summit: Isha Yoga Center brings a new impression of India, say G20 Delegates.” The Economic Times, 23 July 2023, URL: economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/s20-g20-summit-isha-yoga-center-brings-a-new-impression-of-india-say-g20-delegates/articleshow/102051726.cms?from=mdr.
^[16] India Health and Wellness Market Size, Growth, Report 2032.URL: www.imarcgroup.com/india-health-wellness-market [13].
^[17] ibid.

(The paper is the author’s individual scholastic articulation. The author certifies that the article/paper is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere, and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct). (The paper does not necessarily represent the organisational stance... More >>