International Yoga Day 2023: History, Yoga Poses & Foods

Yoga is a journey to inner bliss, where the mind, body, and spirit unite harmoniously. As International Yoga Day 2023 approaches, it's the perfect time to indulge in a healthy satvic lifestyle and reap the incredible benefits of this ancient wisdom.

One of the critical aspects of a satvic lifestyle is maintaining a diet that complements yoga practice. It encompasses not only yoga asanas practice but also dietary choices like a satvic diet. A satvic diet consists of wholesome foods like milk that nourish the body, mind, and soul. This International Yoga Day 2023, embrace the satvic diet and incorporate the goodness of Satvic Foods' Golden Milk Masala, which enhances the milk benefits, providing strength, vitality, and endurance.

Satvic Foods' Golden Milk Masala, when added to a warm glass of milk, provides a perfect pre and post-yoga beverage. Rich in natural ingredients like Indian masala, it fortifies milk with essential nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a must-add supplement if you are into yoga.

Yoga is not just a physical exercise but a way of life to indulge in holistic wellness. In this Satvic Foods article, you will explore the significance of International Yoga Day, the yoga benefits for men and women, and how this practice can transform your life.

International Yoga Day: History, Significance, and Themes

Yoga originated in ancient India and has been practiced for centuries since the Vedic and pre-Vedic eras. Maharishi Patanjali, the founder of yoga, compiled the Yoga Sutras, a text that outlines the principles, techniques, benefits, and yoga philosophies. 

Due to the active practice and awareness led by leading yoga gurus, it gained immense popularity across the globe as a means to attain inner peace, balance, and holistic physical and mental wellness.

International Yoga Day, also known as the Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga, was first proposed by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. His proposal was unanimously approved, and since then, June 21st has been regarded as International Yoga Day.

Every year on June 21, this significant event aims to promote yoga benefits for women, yoga benefits for men, and physical and mental well-being in general. This year, mark June 21st on your calendar as the world commemorates the 9th International Yoga Day. Explore its profound impact on your lives by indulging in a satvic diet and lifestyle.

International Yoga Day 2023 Theme

The theme for International Yoga Day 2023 is 'Humanity.' Every year’s celebrations aim to spread awareness about the yoga benefits for mental health, physical health, and overall holistic wellness. Let’s have a look at International Yoga Day themes for the last eight years:

Different International Yoga Day Themes Since 2015

What Are The Benefits of Yoga?

Yoga Day aims to raise awareness about the transformative power of yoga. It is much more than physical exercise - a holistic approach that unites the mind, body, and spirit. Researchers have accorded several health benefits of yoga for physical health. For instance, the American College of Physicians recommends yoga along with other treatments to lower stress to cure chronic low back pain. 

Yoga also helps in weight management by stimulating the metabolic system, be it weight gain or weight loss. From physical body pain to mental ailments, yoga offers numerous benefits that extend beyond the realm of our knowledge. Let's explore some of the remarkable benefits that yoga offers: 

Yoga Benefits for Physical Health: Regular yoga practice enhances flexibility, muscle strength, vitality, and stamina. It improves cardiac health, straightens posture, increases blood circulation, and boosts the functioning of internal organs. 

Yoga Benefits for Mental Health: Yoga offers many powerful techniques for stress management and mental clarity. It lowers stress hormones while increasing the secretion of feel-good hormones like endorphins and GABA. They decrease anxiety and depression and improve mood. Some of the easiest yoga techniques to start with are deep breathing exercises, where one just needs to focus on their breath.

Yoga Benefits for Emotional Health: Physical and mental health play a major role in emotional balance. Additionally, yoga encourages self-awareness and mindfulness and reduces anger and frustration, which leads to emotional stability. When all these three pillars are balanced, it leads to a state of complete well-being, fostering a sense of inner calmness.

Some Other Benefits of Yoga

Specific yoga asanas and techniques help improve strength, body awareness, flexibility, immunity, and various health ailments. Let’s understand some gender-specific benefits of yoga for overall health and well-being:

Yoga Benefits for Women: Yoga offers many benefits for women, addressing specific health concerns like weight gain and menstrual issues. It alleviates PMS symptoms and menstrual discomfort, balances hormones, enhances fertility, and eases the transition through menopause. Additionally, yoga helps to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, supporting reproductive health.

Yoga Benefits for Men: Yoga addresses various aspects of men’s health and well-being. Regular yoga practice can help improve sexual health by boosting libido, increasing blood flow, and reducing erectile dysfunction. Moreover, yoga enhances emotional balance, muscular strength, flexibility, and endurance, supporting overall vitality and athletic performance. 

Irrespective of gender, yoga offers multiple benefits to everyone. Some of the benefits of yoga include:

Deep Sleep: Try the “Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose” - keep your back on the floor and your sitting bones close to the wall. Rest in this position for 5 to 15 minutes, and the blood flow to the brain will help induce quality sleep faster.

You may incorporate the age-old wisdom of drinking turmeric milk in your bedtime routine to induce deep sleep. Additionally, you may try Satvic Foods' Golden Milk Masala - a blend of 20+ spices, nuts, and seeds like walnuts, turmeric, watermelon seeds, foxnuts, and jaifal. Due to the relaxing properties of turmeric and other herbs, it helps promote deep sleep by calming the senses.

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Flexibility: Try “Tree Pose” - balance on one foot while holding the other foot to your calf at a right angle. Focus on one mark in front of you while you balance. Start with one minute and see if you can increase the time.

Stress Relief And Mental Focus: Try “Shavasana” - lie down and relax your limbs and shoulders. Gently stretch your limbs away from the body with your palms facing up. Practice deep diaphragm breathing and try focussing on your breath for 3-10 minutes.

Can Yoga Help in Weight Management? 

There are certain poses like Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist), Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose), and Navasana (Boat Pose), among others, that help develop core strength, build lean muscle mass and aid in weight management. 

Yoga For Weight Loss

Yoga offers a gentle yet powerful approach to weight loss by increasing metabolism, toning muscles, and improving overall fitness. Have a look at 3 yoga asanas that can help you lose weight:

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose): Triangle pose stretches and tones the abdominal muscles, thighs, and hips, assisting in weight loss. This yoga for weight loss helps burn more fat from the waist and build more muscles in the thighs and hamstrings.

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation): This dynamic sequence of postures stretches the limbs, which helps burn calories, increase metabolism, and tone the body.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose): This balancing yoga for weight loss engages the core muscles, burn extra calories, boosts metabolism, improves digestion, and helps burn fat.

Yoga for Weight Gain

Contrary to widespread belief, yoga can be an effective method for healthy weight gain. Yoga helps stimulate the inner powers that help reverse certain conditions already prevailing in the body. Yoga poses for weight gain, combined with a balanced vegan diet plan for weight gain, can help build muscle mass, increase appetite, and improve digestion.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose): This pose is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga. It aids in increased oxygen circulation throughout the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles and promoting weight gain.

Matsyasana (Fish Pose): The fish pose stretches the chest and back, which is the best yoga for weight gain. It also helps relieve respiratory disorders, improve digestion, and stimulate the thyroid gland.

Vajrasana (Diamond Pose): Practicing Vajrasana for about 5-10 minutes aids digestion and increased absorption of nutrients, promoting healthy weight gain. This yoga pose for weight gain improves metabolism by curing constipation and increasing appetite.

Now you know certain yoga poses for weight gain and weight loss to start with. However, the question arises - how many times a week should you do yoga?

If you have an active lifestyle, three times a week is a good start. If you are into breathing exercises, it can be done daily and at any time of the day. 

Yoga Diets: Satvic Diet in Yoga Practice

Yoga practitioners often follow a satvic diet, emphasizing purity, balance, and lightness. However, if you are a beginner, you only should focus on consuming natural and homemade foods or what you call a satvic diet. It comprises fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dairy products. There is only one rule for yoga - having clean food will promote a clean mind. 

While you may have questions about what to eat before yoga? Here are some guidelines on what to eat before and after your yoga practice to enhance its benefits: 

Eating Before Yoga

Before yoga practice, fuel your body with a light but nutritious superfoods that provide sustained energy. Opt for easily digestible meals or snacks, and ensure an hour-long gap so your body can properly digest it. Avoid fatty and oily foods because they will take longer to digest, make you feel lethargic, and create hindrances in stretching. 

You may have a bowl of fresh fruit, a smoothie with plant-based protein, or a handful of nuts and soaked almonds. Or you may simply include Satvic Foods' Protein Dry Fruits Ball as your go-to energy option. It is made with 19 quality ingredients like raisins, homemade peanut butter, cinnamon, and flax seeds - providing 15gm of protein per ball. This plant-based protein with balanced micronutrients will digest easily and give you an instant energy boost before your yoga practice.

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Eating After Yoga

After completing a yoga session, it is crucial to replenish the body with nourishing foods to restore electrolytes. Add a bowlful of fresh seasonal fruits or vegetable salads. Include homemade protein bars like oatmeal crackers or protein shakes to regain energy.

You may include Satvic Foods' Almond Peanut Butter (Crunchy) as your after-yoga meal. It is made with 8 premium nuts, and seeds like chia seeds and almonds provides 30gm protein per 100gm. Either have it as a spread on your favorite fruit or blend it into a smoothie - the choice is yours.

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Celebrating International Yoga Day 2023 With Satvic Foods

If you are new to yoga, there could not be a better day than today to start. Get into the fresh air and start with basic breathing/pranayama asanas if you can. If not, you may also start in your room; remember, the start is important. If you already have some experience, pass on your knowledge to your friends and known people. Share this gift of ancient wisdom and let everyone be aware of this satvic lifestyle. You may also participate in the yoga retreats held across Indian and online and share your knowledge. 

As we celebrate International Yoga Day 2023, let’s embrace the transformative power of yoga and a satvic diet and lifestyle. Practicing yoga regularly and embracing the principles of a satvic diet with Indian recipes allows you to achieve balance, strength, and overall well-being. Remember that a diet plays a significant role and is a catalyst for positive change. Indulge in healthy and wholesome foods with Satvic Foods’ range of immunity boosters and spice blends to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

Embrace a healthy and vibrant life with Satvic Foods!