Dr. Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra
President, IYA

The Sanskrit adage “Vasudaivah Kutumbah” says that all living beings and the Earth are part of one large family. This ethos of inclusion is also seen in the theme of the International Yoga Day 2023: “One Earth, One Health.” The idea is that human health and well-being are connected to our natural surroundings, our rivers, trees, forests and land. The Earth and all other living beings and all humans are part of one large family.

Family ethos becomes particularly important in today’s day and age when anxiety, isolation and alienation are on the rise. This sense of family though must extend not only to our immediate family but to society as a whole and even to our country. I would go as far as to say that all the nations of the world should collaborate as members of one family to solve the many challenges, we as people face today. During the pandemic, India worked hard not only to address the needs of its people but also cared for the world as a whole. India was at the forefront of vaccine production, humanitarian aid and relief efforts and global supply chains. India undertook these efforts driven by a sense of connectedness with the world, a sense of commitment to the idea of Vasudeva Kutumba. We considered everyone as part of “One Earth, One Family” without any differentiation. This is the attitude that is required of all of us today: one of interconnectedness between the world as a whole and Nature too.

Remember the wise words of the Chandyoga Upanishad ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ Thou art that. It speaks for a universal oneness. Remember you are never separate or isolated from all that there is. With that in mind let us all commit in earnest to “One Earth, one health”