Every year on June 21 , the world comes together to roll out mats, stretch muscles, and celebrate International Yoga Day . And as social media floods with images of serene poses and peaceful parks, the word yoga becomes both a trend and a reminder. But yoga is far more than just a wellness routine or a path to flexibility. It's a civilizational offering , thousands of years old, rooted in profound philosophy, spiritual pursuit, and human transformation. Today, instead of another list of yoga’s health benefits, let’s trace its origin, evolution, and the surprising journey it took across the globe —a journey that began not in modern studios, but in the sacred fire of Vedic chants and the silence of Himalayan caves. The Ancient Birth of Yoga Yoga's roots reach back over 5,000 years , as recorded in the Rig Veda , one of the oldest known texts in human history. The Rig Veda—written in Sanskrit, the language in which yoga still speaks today—is a compilation of hymns and mantras...
I come from a middle-class family in Kerala. My skin is brown — brown enough to not fit the beauty standards this society has so rigidly defined. As I stand in front of the mirror, I see curves that are "too much," hair that is "too frizzy," skin that is "too dark." I have been conditioned to believe that this body — my body — is not enough. The voices around me were never kind. Relatives, neighbors, even parents, in their ignorance, made remarks that stuck to my skin like scars. “You’re too dark,” they would say. “You’re fat, your back isn’t straight, your body isn’t right.” They’d tell me not to wear white — it doesn’t “suit” me. They’d mock me for applying kajal, saying it blends into my skin tone. Red lipstick? Unthinkable. All too bold for a girl with this skin. Strangers stared. The media reinforced it. And slowly, I thought it was normal — all of it. Somehow, I grew immune to these comments. Maybe I’d just heard them so often that my ears stop...