(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Thousands of people laid out their mats and stretched into yoga exercises in New York's Times Square yesterday, including the Secretary General of the UN, to celebrate the first International Day of Yoga.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon, dressed in white, joined the yoga gathering late in the morning in one of the most recognisable squares in the world.
Ban hailed the many benefits the ancient exercise could bring to people around the world.
"To all of you I say: Namaste!" the UN leader told the crowd.
"My hope is that yoga will give people everywhere the sense and the oneness we need to work together to live in harmony and usher in a life of dignity for all."
The UN declared in December that June 21 would be a world yoga day, highlighting its health "benefits" for the public. That coincided yesterday with the annual session in Times Square for yoga on the first day of summer.
Hundreds of yoga mats were distributed free yesterday in New York, and pedestrian areas, typically hectic, were completely covered with people taking instruction from teachers by loudspeaker.
Yoga classes started at early in the morning and were scheduled to last until the evening.
Outdoor yoga classes were planned yesterday in major cities across the US.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.