International Yoga Day: Stamps, coins and commerce

The government of India will release stamps and coins of the denomination of Rs.10/- and Rs.100/- on International Yoga Day (IYD) today on June 21. The Department of Posts is bringing out stamp and the finance ministry coins. Earlier, in 1991, Yoga stamps were also released by department of posts. Also, on IYD, the Discovery Channel will telecast a short film 'The Story of Yoga' to take viewers through a journey of rediscovering the Indian ancient practice.

On the commercial side, yoga bracelets, rubber stamps, posters, women tops, ornaments, necklaces, prayer flags, mandalas, pendants, wall decorations, mobiles, stickman figures, etc., have come into market. Market forces are always out to cash on the international observation by selling theme-based gift items and souvenirs.

According to Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, three form of Yoga - Karma Yoga, Gyan Yoga and Bhagati Yoga - can be practiced for liberation from the pangs of the birth-n-death cycles as propagated by Vedic culture. Also, earlier, Buddhi Yoga - a system of methods for development of human consciousness, which follows raja yoga practice - was common.

Yog asanas are a small spec of yoga practice. It is held that a person is said to achieve yoga or become yogi, if he or she achieves the union with the Self. Yoga strives for creating a perfectly disciplined mind that is free from all desires to get absorbed in the Self alone without any externalization 

I personally feel that ancient yoga was authentic, and now with its commercialism, cultural superficiality and pseudo-spirituality brought in by various yoga studios, it has moved away from its real essence. 

The design of the stamp features the logo of the International Day of YOGA.

Source : merinews