Millions exercise together for global Yoga Day

Published 9:26 am Tuesday, June 21, 2016

CHANDIGARH, India — Millions of people twisted their bodies in complex positions in celebration of International Yoga Day on Tuesday.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined a crowd of 30,000 schoolchildren and other residents of the northern city of Chandigarh for a mass yoga session.

Before starting, Modi urged people to make yoga a part of their lives, saying the practice — which began in ancient India — doesn’t differentiate between the rich and poor, and is accessible to all.

Email newsletter signup

“With zero budget, yoga provides health assurance and it does not discriminate between rich and poor,” Modi told participants at the event.

Similar yoga events were held in villages, towns and cities all over India. Last year, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga.

At the United Nations in New York, various yoga poses were projected on a side wall of the U.N. headquarters building to highlight the role yoga can play in helping the U.N. achieve its sustainable development goals.