The Russian Embassy in New Delhi hosted a Yoga session ahead of International Yoga Day, with diplomats noting the practice's immense popularity in Russia. Meenakshi Lekhi hailed the historic India-Russia ties during the event.
The Russian Embassy in New Delhi on Saturday hosted a session on Yoga ahead of the International Yoga Day celebrations on Sunday, with a senior diplomat sharing how the ancient practice has gained immense popularity across Russia. Yulia Aryaeva, Counsellor (Culture) at the Russian Embassy, told ANI, "We are very happy to host the celebration because Yoga is India's gift to the world. It is extremely popular in Russia. In many cities, people are practicing Yoga and are coming to India to know more about it."
Diana Alipova, the spouse of Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov, praised the Yoga session and told ANI, "I love practicing Yoga because it gives harmony of body and mind. I am grateful to Prime Minister Modi for making this practice international and establishing the International Yoga Day." She highlighted the immense popularity of Yoga in Russian cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg. She lauded the benefits of the practice and said, "It is really beneficial for everyone's health. I believe everyone should practice Yoga every day for at least 15 minutes".
Russia-India Friendship and Yoga's Global Rise
Former MoS External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi also participated in the programme. She praised the initiative by the Russian Embassy ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations and said, "Russia and India are historic friends". On the importance of Yoga, she noted how it is gift and legacy to the world by India. Lekhi recalled how soon after coming into power, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's key priorities was to highlight the significance of Yoga to the world. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is himself a practitioner and telling others to join in was fantastic...When countries come together to celebrate positivity and consider international heritage, that is fantastic for India."
Yoga Trainer Pragya Singh from Life Yoga told ANI, "I feel really proud that yoga has come from India and this is a gift from to the whole world. As a practitioner, I would say if you are not practising yoga, you are really missing out on all the fun and joy." She urged people to take out time and practice Yoga to enhance various aspects of life.
A UN-Proclaimed Day for Holistic Health
The United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014, following the proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the opening of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2014. This ushered in an era of holistic health revolution, in which attention was given to prevention rather than cure.
Since its first edition in 2015, India has led the celebration globally under the aegis of the Ministry of AYUSH, with active support from state governments, Indian missions abroad and UN agencies. 2026 marks the 12th year of International Yoga Day. The theme for this year's observance is "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", which highlights the role of yoga in helping people remain active, independent and engaged across all age groups. (ANI)
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