President Draupadi Murmu participated in the International Yoga Day celebrations held in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and practiced yoga. On this occasion, she said that yoga is a powerful medium to connect individuals with themselves and society, society with nature, and all humanity with universal consciousness.

Addressing the ceremony, President Murmu extended her greetings to the countrymen and yoga practitioners across the world on International Yoga Day. She said, "I am delighted to be present on the sacred land of Jabalpur. I extend my greetings to all yoga practitioners, both in India and abroad, on International Yoga Day. Today, we celebrate India's great tradition, which has shown humanity the path to a healthy, balanced, and meaningful life. Yoga is an invaluable gift of our cultural heritage to the world community. It is the result of thousands of years of practice by our sages and saints."

The President said, "Our scriptures consider the balance of body, mind, and spirit to be the foundation of success in life. Yoga is the path to achieving that balance. Yoga literally means 'to connect.' It is a powerful medium to connect the individual to self and society, society to nature, and all humanity to universal consciousness."

He said, "Today, when the world is facing many challenges, yoga is playing a vital role in showing humanity the path to peace, balance, harmony, and collective well-being. In 2014, at India's initiative, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as International Yoga Day every year. This initiative has further strengthened yoga's identity as a powerful medium for global welfare. Today, millions of people in many countries around the world are making yoga a part of their daily lives."

The President said the first-ever 'World Yogasana Expert Championship' held in Ahmedabad this month, with participants from many countries, is also an example of yoga's growing global acceptance. "When I travel abroad, people ask me about yoga," she said. "Yoga is practiced regularly in many countries. This is a testament to India's initiative and yoga's global popularity."

This year's theme is "Yoga for Healthy Aging." This theme highlights the importance of yoga for senior citizens to lead a healthy, active, self-reliant, and dignified life. The lifestyle we adopt today forms the foundation for our health and happiness in the future. Yoga helps us remain active and self-reliant even in old age.