Celebrate International Yoga Day 2025 in style! Explore global yoga events, unique traditions, and travel-worthy retreats that make this day unforgettable.
Each year, International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 as a celebration and serious activity. International Yoga Day is more than just a day to celebrate; it brings people together worldwide. In 2015, the United Nations initiated International Yoga Day to engage millions of people in countries across the world in an event that incorporates mindfulness practices, meditation, and physical well-being. As we enter the year 2025, amidst a world filled with extreme stress, screen fatigue, and sedentary lifestyles, practicing yoga has never been more relevant.
This International Yoga Day, whether you do yoga or just have an interest in yoga, you have delightful and inspiring ways to engage with this year’s International Yoga Day activities across cultures, continents, and communities.
1. Mass Sunrise Yoga Sessions in Iconic Locations in India
The birthplace of Yoga leads the celebration of International Yoga Day, in a bright but personalized and spiritual way. The main national event for International Yoga Day will be held at the Rishikesh Ganga Ghats, where thousands of yoga lovers will greet the sunrise on the banks of the holy river Ganges with Surya Namaskar.
Other events for major sessions within India include an International Yoga Day session within:
- Jaipur’s Amber Fort
- The Red Fort in Delhi
- The Gateway of India in Mumbai.
Each of these scenic and spiritual locations will provide an intimate experience, connecting our body, mind, and nature uniquely and noticeably.
Pro-tip: If you can’t make it out in person, much of the live mass sessions should also be streamed on YouTube or other wellness government platforms.
2. Yoga on the shore: From Bali to California
Picture rolling through your vinyasa with the waves in the background. In 2025, beach yoga is one of the most peaceful and Instagrammable ways to mark the day.
Places around the world featuring morning yoga on the beach:
Bali, Indonesia(Uluwatu cliffs and Canggu beaches)
Bondi Beach, Australia
Santa Monica, California
Goa, India
These are typically open-air yoga classes fusing yoga, sound healing, ocean dips, and sun salutations to match the break of dawn.
3. Full moon Yoga and Sound Baths in Europe
This year, International Yoga Day is close to the Summer solstice and has a nearly full moon, so magical moonlit yoga will be extra special.
In cities like:
- Barcelona
- Mykonos
- Tuscany
- Copenhagen
You will find unique events combining Yin yoga, chakra meditation, and crystal bowl sound baths, all under the night sky! Some will include Reiki healing and guided journaling, to jot down thoughts on inner peace.
4. Virtual Global Yoga Marathons
For those who don’t have the opportunity to attend in person, virtual yoga festivals have become widely available in the post-pandemic world, and they are alive and well in 2025!
The International Yoga Alliance and a UN agency are hosting 24-hour live global yoga marathons with:
Celebrity yoga teachers such as Adriene Mishler, Shilpa Shetty, and Deepika Mehta.
Classes available in different languages and styles, including yoga with Hatha and Power Yoga, Kundalini, and Chair Yoga
Global participation in real-time via Zoom, YouTube, and Meta VR
Bonus: Participants can earn digital wellness badges and participate in expert Q&As after class.
5. Yoga for a Purpose: Charity and Community Events
The theme this year for International Yoga Day is “Yoga for Unity and Sustainability”, emphasizing our wellness and the wellness of our world.
Worldwide, yoga studios and NGOs are teaming up to provide:
Donation-based yoga classes to benefit mental health charities
Eco-yoga or tree planting yoga events
Free community yoga classes in marginalized communities
In NYC, London, and Cape Town, parks are being transformed into quiet oases where they can practice with mats, music, and mindful intentions.
6. Workplace Wellness Yoga for Corporates
With the 2025 initiative, the emphasis on employee wellness continues to grow, and corporate yoga is sweeping the globe.
Tech companies and startups are hosting:
Midday yoga breaks
Yoga workshops at their desks
Mindful breathing seminars
They have even started gamifying this experience with an approach called “yoga bingo”, and integrating into wellness apps like Google, Infosys, or MetaYoga, or through a work-provided solution.
Remote employees have transformed yoga breaks together on Zoom, or facilities employees are joining optional guided meditations in specially designed “calm pods” sponsored by their organization.
7. Family & Kids Yoga Festivals
Numerous cities have already begun hosting family-centered yoga festivals as a way to promote yoga to people of every age in the hopes of making yoga more accessible and fun for everyone.
Festival activities may include:
Animal poses yoga for toddlers
Storybook yoga
Mother + baby yoga
Interactive breathing games
In Dubai, Singapore, and Toronto, schools are launching “Yoga Hour” in the classroom to promote emotional regulation for students to be able to better focus.
8. Cultural Fusion: Yoga + Dance, Martial Arts & Art
In 2025, fusion is going to be the word. We now have creative combinations like:
Yoga + Contemporary Dance workshops in Paris and Los Angeles
Yoga + Capoeira in Brazil
Yoga + Art & Journaling retreats in Morocco
Mantra painting + sound healing in areas with spiritual energy like Sedona
These events demonstrate how yoga can be experienced as more than just a physical workout, but as a way to connect and express oneself in a fuller dimension of creativity and mindfulness.
9. Luxury Yoga Retreats in Exotic Destinations
Luxury yoga retreats are stepping into the spotlight as wellness tourism continues to rebound in 2025 even if travel global restrictions are still heavily pending.
Some of the best retreats include:
Ananda in the Himalayas (India): Ayurvedic meals, Himalayan views, Chakra therapy
Como Shambhala Estate (Bali): Exploration of the jungle, curated yoga programs
Blue Spirit Retreat (Costa Rica): Near oceanfront with meditation pillars, vegan/plant-based menu
Amangiri (Utah): Desert yoga at sunrise with spa rituals
Many retreats have detox programs for a week, digital detox areas, and, of course, intentional goal setting.
10. Social Media Challenges & Global Hashtags
TikTok & Instagram Reels have turned yoga into a worldwide trend, and it’s being done in creative and inspiring ways.
Popular hashtags of 2025:
#YogaDayGlowUp – photos in before & after the yoga journey
#AsanaChallenge2025 – users tagging 10 people, friends, and continuing a global pose chain
#MyYogaSpace – sharing with people their yoga corner or space as aesthetically pleasing as possible
Well-known wellness influencers are hosting 5-day pose challenges, live interviews with yogis & gurus, and Q & A AMAs on YouTube.
Pro Tip: Leverage hashtags with existing engagement and create visually aesthetic pictures to get featured in round-ups or even local publications!
Bonus: How to Start If You’re a Beginner
If you have never tried yoga before, International Yoga Day is the most suitable opportunity to commence.
An easy starter pack for beginners follows:
Free YouTube class recommendations include: Yoga With Adriene or Sarah Beth Yoga
Begin with Hatha or Restorative yoga
Introduce props: Bolsters, blocks, and even pillows are some of the supports used
Keep it brief: 10 to 15 minutes can do all the work in feeling the change
Most importantly, there are no perfect poses in yoga; there is just flowing with your breath, body, and mind.
International Yoga Day 2025 is not merely a one-day show; it is basically a worldwide call to restore balance. Yoga, simply by its spanning events, healing, and lifting power, from detox retreats to corporate welfare to moonlight yoga and community-based causes.
FAQs
1: What would be the theme of Yoga Day International 2025?
The theme brings forward “Yoga for Unity and Sustainability,” highlighting yoga’s promise for world peace, personal well-being, and the health of our planet.
2: Who started the International Yoga Day?
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, founded the International Yoga Day, which was declared an event by the United Nations in 2014. The first celebration took place on June 21, 2015.
3: Do I need to be flexible to do yoga?
Absolutely not! Yoga is for everybody, and any level. Flexibility will come with practice, but it is not a requirement.
4: Can kids do anything for International Yoga Day?
Most definitely. There are a number of events that are targeted at children and include age-appropriate poses and games that promote the fun in moving through yoga.
5: How can I find a yoga event near me? Check with the city’s wellness councils, local yoga studio websites, on Facebook events, or the UN’s site with officially recognized listings for the Yoga Day event
