Celebrating International
Yoga Day

The idea of an International Day of Yoga was first proposed by the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 27 September 2014.

In his speech, he stated:
“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but discovering a sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. Changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, can help in well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.” — Narendra Modi, UN General Assembly

The first International Yoga Day was celebrated in 2015 with the theme “Yoga for Harmony and Peace” and this year the theme is “Yoga For Humanity”.

Based on the struggles that the entire globe dealt with, (and is still dealing with) around a pandemic that has forced us to change the way we live, this year’s yoga theme has never been so vital to all nations, all people, all of humanity.

When things have been shut or locked down, many people have very few resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Yoga is something that is accessible to every single person on this earth, and it can dramatically change the course of one’s life.  Whether to help cure physical/mental ailments, emotional blockages, spiritual well being, cope with addictions, or to just stay fit and active, Yoga has and continues to be a beacon of light for the world’s population.

India gave a gift of Yoga to humankind, and this gift has been so graciously accepted by all walks of life.  It is vital to continue spreading the essence of Yoga’s benefits, remind people that it can be done virtually anywhere, and embrace it and its endless possibilities to nourish one’s whole self.

Cancellations & Course Schedule Changes for Online Offerings:

Whilst it is not typically the case, from time to time there may be circumstances that prevent a course from running at its scheduled time, including but not limited to: government restrictions, global or local regulatory changes including those associated with the pandemic, extreme weather events, individual circumstances, insufficient numbers and/or severe disruption to power supply or technology platforms.

If any of these circumstances occur:

1. Cancellation requests made by a course participant due to their own individual, extenuating and/or unavoidable circumstances: the participant is eligible for a refund (less administration fee of 5%) up to 20 days prior to course commencement. In the 20 days leading up to the course and/or after course commencement, the participant is no longer eligible for a refund but can allocate unused funds towards other eligible Institute online offerings.

2. Cancellations required to be made due to other extenuating circumstances such as those relating to government regulatory changes, extreme weather events and so forth which are not driven by the Institute or the individual: the participant is eligible for a refund (less administration fee of 5%) and/or allocation of unused funds towards other eligible Institute online offerings.

3. Cancellations made by the Institute due to insufficient numbers and/or other Institute specific circumstances: participants are eligible for a full refund and/or allocation of unused funds towards other eligible Institute online offerings.

Please note: As an organization that works internationally, when issuing refunds, Akhanda Yoga Institute is not responsible for changes that may have occurred with exchange rates.