On International Day of Yoga, we thank yoga

Happy International Day of Yoga! While we (and everyone we know) celebrates yoga every day, it is powerful to have a dedicated moment that unifies practitioners around the world. On December 14th, 2014, the United Nations passed resolution 69/131, declaring June 21st to be the day to celebrate the benefits of yoga and elevate awareness worldwide.

Yoga practitioners have welcomed this holiday and run with it!

There are global celebrations that range from Yoga Mala festivals (a practice of 108 Sun Salutations) to outreach classes for under-served communities, as well as benefit classes where the proceeds go to support a specific cause. These festivities are exactly what the founders hoped for when passing this resolution—and more. The team at Glo will be attending events to honor the practice, but as the day approached, in addition to being pulled outward to celebrate, we were drawn to pause and move inward; to ask ourselves, what does this day really mean to us?

Instead of focusing on yoga “for something,” we thought we’d take a moment and actually thank yoga for all that it does for us. Our focus is often on how yoga can help us, but how do we help yoga? We can start by telling it how grateful we are.

Thank you, yoga –

For holding space for healing
For offering unconditional support
For revealing the answer that’s already within
For reminding us that we are body, mind, and spirit, and all require care
For returning us again and again to the present moment
For creating connection
For surfacing what needs to be released
For lovingly insisting we do the work
For inviting us to live fully
For exposing the illusion of our separateness
For honoring our effort, however we show up
For shining the light of wisdom
For welcoming us home no matter how long we’ve strayed
For remaining steadfast through our challenges, our mistakes, and our pain
For giving and giving without expectation
For reflecting the vision of our fullest, truest Selves.

Whether it’s writing in your journal, sharing your ideas with a friend, or simply sitting quietly with yourself, we invite you to take a moment to do this today. If you are at all like us, once you start thanking yoga, you won’t be able to stop.