People all over the world take part in International Yoga Day – in pictures

The celebration takes place every June 21

A yoga enthusiast practices yoga on a rooftop in Bangalore, India. EPA

A couple practice yoga at their home through an online class in New Delhi, India. AP Photo

Yoga instructor Suzana Pradhan performs a yoga posture at the rooftop of her house in Kathmandu, Nepal. AFP

A woman conducts a virtual yoga session from her house in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

Men attend a yoga class in Mumbai. AFP

People attend a yoga class at a hotel in Siliguri. AFP

Participants perform yoga in New Delhi. Reuters

People perform yoga outside a residential house in Ahmedabad. Reuters

A Hindu holy man performs yoga at Sangam, the confluence of rivers the Ganges and the Yamuna in Prayagraj, India. AP Photo

A woman does yoga at a promenade by the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. Reuters

A man performs a yoga posture during a yoga class in Mumbai. AFP

A man performs yoga at the Rait village, near Dharamsala, India. EPA

Women perform yoga in Bhopal, India. EPA

Women perform a yoga posture as they take part in a yoga session at Shahrak Haji Nabi hilltop on the outskirts of Kabul in Afghanistan. AFP

An Afghan enthusiast performs yoga to mark International Yoga Day on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo

Did you know that Sunday is World Humanist Day? It’s also World Music Day, Go Skateboarding Day and the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice.

If that’s not enough, June 21 also marks International Yoga Day, and has done so for the past five years.

Take a look through the photo gallery above to see people across the world marking the day by practising yoga.

What is International Yoga Day?

The idea to have a day dedicated to the physical, mental and spiritual practice of yoga was introduced by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was during the opening of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in 2014.

He said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being.

“Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

And it is with that spirit that people all over the world now celebrate yoga every June 21, as the day aims to raise awareness of the many benefits of practising.

A brief history of yoga

The practice originated in India and the word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit for “join” or “to unite”. It symbolises the union of body and consciousness.

Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action

It is thought to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions, possibly as long ago as 3,000 BC, though the study of yoga could be traced back to the 5th and 6th centuries BC.

There is a wide range of yoga schools, practices, goals, thoughts and beliefs in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Although the practice stems from eastern religions and philosophies, today there are also plenty of modern forms of yoga practised across the world, particularly in the West and right here in the UAE.

This includes hatha, for example, or yoga as exercise, which consists of a series of postures, or asanas.