London marks International Day of Yoga with diaspora-led event

The 12th International Day of Yoga was marked in London with a large gathering at Holland Park, organised by the High Commission of India. The event featured leading yoga organisations and followed another major session near India House earlier in the week.

London: The 12th International Day of Yoga was celebrated with fervour in London on Sunday, with a special yoga and mindfulness event organised by the High Commission of India.

India’s High Commissioner to the UK, P Kumaran, joined several members of the Indian diaspora and other UK-based yoga practitioners through asanas and meditative breathing exercises at Holland Park in central London.

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Hundreds followed experts and instructors on stage on a particularly scorching hot day in the UK capital.

“It is heartening to see that the reach of yoga is spreading gradually,” Kumaran told PTI.

“We just wanted to underline that the reason for our regularly celebrating International Day of Yoga in many geographies is that we want yoga to become a part of healthy lifestyles all over the world,” he said

“It is something that can adjust to age and capability, and we want people to adapt it according to their ability; to do some of the difficult poses or otherwise, so that it becomes not just an annual occurrence but also a regular part of their day-to-day routine,” Kumaran added.

Reflecting upon the significance of the day, just weeks before the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will enter into force on July 15, the envoy noted that it highlights the cultural aspect of a strengthening bilateral partnership.

“The focus of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is, of course, trade in goods and services… (but) people-to-people connections form the bedrock of the partnership; it is therefore important for us to strengthen this living bridge between the two countries,” he said.

Holland Park falls within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which has a history of India-UK connections.

“There is a long historic connection between the borough and India, with former residents in the area such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and it’s an honour to bring yoga to Holland Park,” said Councillor Aarien Areti, the British Indian council representative of the area.

Heartfulness UK, Isha Foundation, the Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Iyengar Yoga and SRMD Yoga were among the organisations leading the gathering in their yoga and mindfulness practices.

The event on Sunday followed another major yoga gathering organised by the mission at the Strand, near India House in London, on Friday.

This year marks the 12th iteration of the International Day of Yoga and is themed as “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, which emphasises the importance of yoga for all ages.