[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 2015

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a global day of 
physical and mental exercise as the world celebrates International Yoga 
Day on June 21, 2015.
  Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that aims to 
integrate the body and the mind. It encourages participants to assume 
various postures and to conduct breathing exercise, subsequently 
allowing them to achieve a deeper sense of consciousness and 
tranquility.
  Developed around the fifth and sixth century BCE by the ancient 
Indian civilizations of the Indus River Valley, yoga is a hallmark of 
the Indian culture. The world's religions that originate from India--
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism--utilize yoga as a central part of 
their religious and cultural traditions. In fact, yoga appears 
prominently in the Bhagadad Gita, one of Hinduism's most important 
texts, and in some of the earliest Buddhist texts.
  In the mid-19th century, the Western public gained an active interest 
in yoga, valuing the practice for its transcendental experience. By the 
1980's, yoga became viewed as a means to promote physical wellbeing, 
citing improvements to mental health and flexibility.
  On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 
June 21st as International Yoga Day. The importance of this special day 
cannot be understated, because as the saying goes, ``in the practice of 
yoga, one can emphasize the body, the mind, or the self and hence the 
effort can never be fruitless.''
  This year, there will be a rally on June 21 celebrating International 
Yoga Day in Times Square. I am honored to recognize the invaluable gift 
of consciousness and well-being that yoga has brought to the people of 
the United States and the world, and I wish the participants of 
International Yoga Day a stimulating experience.

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