Excellencies, Distinguished guests,
Friends from the UN and from outside, Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this very special event today.
 

2.    As you are well aware, tomorrow, June 21, is the International Day of Yoga. In fact, tomorrow will be the 2nd time that the International Day of Yoga is commemorated the world over.
 

3.    The UN General Assembly decided on 11th December 2014 to proclaim June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
 

4.    In doing so, the international community wholeheartedly responded to a call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly on 27th September, 2014.
 

5.    While the commemoration  of the  International Day of Yoga has so far focused on popularizing Yoga's contribution to health and wellbeing, this event today is perhaps the first time that we have a purely intellectual discussion on the potential contribution of Yoga in moving the world to a more sustainable pathway.
 

6.    Yoga, after all, is much more than physical regimen, even though most of us are associated with it as physical postures and breathing exercises.
 

7.    At its core, Yoga is as much about mindful thought as it is about mindful action.
 

8.    One of the oldest scriptures on Yoga, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, describes Yoga as योगश्चित्तवश्ृ त्तनिरोध् (Yogash-Chitta-Vritthi-Nirodahah) or 'Yoga is the suppression of the fluctuations of the mind'. It is about stilling the consciousness and controlling mind's usual impulses.

 
9.    At the same time, Yoga is equally about action. It has been described simply as  योग्: कर्समु कौशऱर् ् (Yogah-Karmasu-Kaushalam). In other words, Yoga is skillfulness in action.
 

10.    Both these aspects - mindful thought and mindful action - have a direct bearing on our collective response to global problems, something that we trying to address through the SDGs.
 

11.    To delve into this intellectual side of Yoga and to relate it to the political vision we have collectively set ourselves in the form of the SDGs, we are delighted to have with us two very distinguished Yoga Masters.

12.    'Sadhguru' Jaggi Vasudev is perhaps one of the most well-known teachers of Yoga.

13.    He is not just a realized mystic himself, but also an acclaimed speaker who is known for his gift of conveying complex ideas and thoughts in simple and powerful language.

14.    Sadhguru has said 'Yoga is the science of enhancing perception'.

15.    How then do we bring this science to bear not just on personal perception but to global consciousness - the consciousness of the SDGs, which is about bringing positive change in our world to make it a better place for all its people as also for the future generations.

16.    I am sure he will enlighten us on this and other questions in his inimitable way.

17.    We also have with us an amazing person in Ms. Tao Porchon-Lynch, who at 97 years, is a young practitioner of Yoga. She is someone whose life itself is in many ways an embodiment of the practice of Yoga - of simplicity, positive thinking and a sense of oneness with nature.

18.    We are equally delighted that two distinguished guests have joined us to participate in the conversation with the two Yoga Masters.

19.    Mr. Max Kennedy is a well-known author and an activist with a distinguished public career. Mr. Kennedy also serves on the Board of Overseas Private Investment Corporation which serves as the development bank of the United States. He will be talking to Sadhguru on his perspective of Yoga.

20.    The conversation with Ms. Tao Porchon-Lynch will be moderated by her student and biographer Ms. Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy who is a Harward Business School strategist, an author, a Yoga practitioner and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

21.    And just if you are wondering - no, Max and Teresa are not related!

22.    Let's just say it's some kind of a yogic coincidence that both the conversationalists today are Kennedy's!

23.    Without much further ado, let me once again thank each one of you for joining us today.
 
24.    There is much to learn from the two Yoga Masters and I am just as eager to listen to them as you are.

Thank you.