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The Conversation
The Conversation
Jeremy David Engels, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State

On International Yoga Day, lessons from the first American yogi – Henry David Thoreau

Celebrating International Yoga Day on the beach in Miami Beach, Fla., in 2022. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

International Yoga Day, dedicated to celebrating yoga as part of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity,” has proved controversial since its inception in 2015.

To celebrate the day on June 21, yoga gatherings are held in many parts of the world, but there are also devoted yogis who refuse to participate, saying the holiday is designed to covertly promote a right-wing Hindu fundamentalist agenda.

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