By Dwayne Mahimkar*
Apia, Samoa – 23 June 2025 – Samoa is among the first in the world to celebrate the 11th International Day of Yoga, held at the USP Samoa campus in Alafua early Saturday morning.
Around 30+ people partook in this year’s Yoga Day celebration at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) campus in Samoa. The event was organised by the ‘Indians in Samoa’ community in collaboration with the staff and student body of USP Samoa. The participants are among the first to celebrate this particular day, recognised by the United Nations in 2014.
The one-hour event included many exercises that focus on health and well-being. Educator and yoga practitioner, Vaishali Nitturkar, led the early morning session.
The session focused on poses and stretches, which ease the body from pain and stimulate relief in the muscles; breathing techniques, which helps with calmness and mental well-being, and certain health problems; and meditation, to focus on one’s own body, mind and soul.
Participants performing the ‘tree pose’ led by Vaishali Nitturkar (Source: Indians in Samoa)
Hon. Neeta Bushan, the High Commissioner of India based in Wellington, who is also in charge of Samoa, shared her remarks via an audio message.
“This year’s yoga day is being celebrated under the theme ‘one earth, one health’, which is a reflection of our shared commitment to a better health and wellbeing of people all over the world [sic]” expressed by Bushan.
She extended her gratitude to the Indian diaspora and communities who helped organise the event.
Some of the participants got to share their words of gratitude to the Indian community and Vaishali for conducting the session, and how the event has helped with health and wellbeing.
USP Agriculture Professor, Dr Leslie Ubaub, has shared her experience in practising yoga at her home in the Philippines, and the difficulty of finding a community that practises it here in Samoa.
She wished for more sessions to be held annually, furthermore, with the possibility of conducting it weekly.
The students got to share how they will acquire certain breathing techniques from the session to help with studies, research and before sitting exams or tests.
Other countries in the Pacific celebrating this day are Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, and Niue, which are all members of the USP Region.
Indians in Samoa, USP students, and many participants from the community joined on the USP Samoa campus to celebrate the 11th International Day of Yoga (Source: Indians in Samoa)
*Dwayne Mahimkar is a USP Second year BA Communications and Media student.
