Toronto, June 20, 2025: Amid rising healthcare costs and alarming rates of mental illness in Canada, the Canada India Foundation (CIF) has championed alternative systems like Yoga & Ayurveda as potential solutions. Recognizing their immense benefits, the United Nations declared June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2015, following a proposal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This historic resolution was supported by 177 member states, highlighting the global relevance of these ancient practices.
Yoga has been scientifically proven to alleviate both physical and mental health challenges. It reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, while promoting better sleep, enhancing body awareness, and improving overall well-being. By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, yoga slows heart and respiratory rates, stimulates digestion, and enhances blood flow—offering a holistic approach to health.
This year, CIF celebrated International Yoga Day on June 20, 2025, in partnership with the KITE Research Institute at the University Health Network (UHN). Held at the Rumsey Cardiac Outdoor Track in Toronto, the event brought together a diverse community & key executives from UHN leadership to embrace the transformative power of yoga.
Ritesh Malik, Chair of CIF, stated: “For CIF, promoting the wider adoption of yoga and Ayurveda has been a long-standing priority. Over the years, we have celebrated International Yoga Day at various venues across Ontario, fostering community engagement. Yoga, when combined with Ayurveda, offers a holistic approach to recognizing and managing modern health challenges. We deeply value the work of Dr. Paul Oh and his team in integrating yoga into patient care.
Satish Thakkar, Immediate Past Chair of CIF, highlighted: “Since the recognition of International Yoga Day by the UN, research institutions and healthcare systems worldwide have increasingly acknowledged the benefits of yoga and Ayurveda protocols. Studies confirm that yoga not only improves mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression but also enhances physical health by addressing chronic pain and improving sleep patterns. With CIF’s emphasis on holistic well-being, today’s event reaffirms its commitment to bringing yoga and Ayurveda into mainstream healthcare, helping to address modern-day health challenges while promoting a balanced and harmonious way of life”.
Dr. Paul Oh, Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention Program at the University Health Network (UHN), has been a passionate advocate of yoga. He remarked: “We are proud to integrate yoga as part of our rehabilitation programs. Beyond exercise, yoga encompasses meditation and lifestyle adjustments, which have shown to improve patient outcomes significantly. We continue to study its benefits to offer innovative, patient-centered care.”
The event featured a yoga session led by Instructor Prem Narayan, offering attendees an opportunity to experience firsthand the benefits of this timeless practice.
