Yoga Day 2026: You Practice It Daily, But Do You Know the Father of Yoga?

Key Takeaways

• International Day of Yoga is celebrated every year on 21 June. 

• A sage from ancient India is known for putting together all the ideas of yoga into one organised book.

• This sage is believed to have lived somewhere between the 2nd century BCE and the 4th century CE, though historians are not fully sure of the exact dates.

Every year on 21 June, people all over the world do yoga together to celebrate International Day of Yoga. This day shows how yoga keeps the body fit and the mind calm.

In 2026, this will be the 12th International Day of Yoga. The theme this year is "Yoga for Healthy Ageing." The main event will be held in Kolkata, West Bengal. As this day comes closer, many yoga lovers would like to know who is called the Father of Yoga? Let’s find out. 

Who is Known As the Father of Yoga?

Maharishi Patanjali is known as the Father of Yoga. Yoga was already there in India for thousands of years before him. But it was taught by word of mouth, from teacher to student. There was no single book that explained yoga in order. Patanjali changed this. He collected all the yoga knowledge and wrote it down in one book called the Yoga Sutras. 

This is why he is called the Father of Yoga. Most experts say he lived somewhere between 2nd century BCE and 4th century CE. The Indian Embassy website mentions: “Yoga is one of the six systems of Vedic philosophy. Maharishi Patanjali, rightly called "The Father of Yoga" compiled and refined various aspects of Yoga systematically in his "Yoga Sutras" (aphorisms). He advocated the eight folds path of Yoga, popularly known as "Ashtanga Yoga" for all-round development of human beings.”

What are the Major Contributions of Maharishi Patanjali?

Patanjali's biggest work is the Yoga Sutras. It has 196 short verses. These verses are split into four parts that explain yoga step by step. He gave the idea of Ashtanga Yoga, which means the eight steps of yoga. 

Patanjali did not see yoga as just physical exercise. He saw yoga as a path that can easily control the mind and helps people to find peace. This is why his work is still taught in yoga schools and colleges today.

What is the Importance of Yoga?

Yoga is not only about bending and stretching the body.

• A 2020 study review by NCCIH found that yoga reduced anxiety or depression symptoms in 70 percent of studies done on children and teenagers

• It makes the body strong and flexible with regular practice of postures.

• Doing yoga regularly improves breathing. Controlled breathing exercises in yoga help the lungs work better and calm the nervous system.

• It helps students who are preparing for exams. A 30 day study on university students showed a clear drop in stress levels after regular yoga practice.

• A 2024 study Science Direct found that a breathing based yoga called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga gave a clear drop in stress scores after practice.

Facts About Yoga

• The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," which means to join or unite.

• Yoga is believed to be around 5,000 years old, with early signs found in the Indus Valley Civilisation.

• India proposed International Day of Yoga at the United Nations in 2014, and the first celebration took place on 21 June 2015.

• 21 June was chosen because it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Maharishi Patanjali holds a special place in the history of yoga as he is the one who gave  a clear structure of yoga to the world.