NEW YORK — Millions of people celebrated the first International Yoga Day, rolling out their mats and striking complex postures on city streets, squares and classrooms around the world.
“Yoga is a lifestyle. It’s not just doing the poses, but being able to take the different aspects of the Ashtanga yoga and bring to their daily living,” said Nirmala Raniga, Founder and Director of the Chopra Addiction and Wellness Center.
She was in Vancouver, where an event took place at the Plaza of Nations. Originally, Vancouver was supposed to have one of the highest-profile events to mark the day, with thousands taking a yoga class on Burrard Bridge – but that event was scrapped due to public outcry over a variety of factors.
WATCH: Vancouver marks International Yoga Day
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spread his mat among rows of people, including his Cabinet members and foreign diplomats, at New Delhi’s main thoroughfare, which was transformed into a sprawling exercise ground. New York’s busy Times Square was closed off to traffic as several hundred yoga enthusiasts took to their mats.
READ MORE: Millions across India take part in International Yoga Day celebrations
In Taipei, more than 2,000 participants rolled out mats and performed 108 rounds of the “sun salutation” — the sequence of poses often practiced at the beginning of a routine as the sun rises.
And in Dubai, 21-year-old Ivan Stanley, from India, tried to breaks the world’s record for holding a headstand. Stanley held the position for 61 minutes and registered his attempt with Guinness World Records, which has yet to announce if he broke the record.
Other cities where people celebrated Yoga Day include Austin, Texas, Tel Aviv, Israel, Beijing and Mexico City.
Many believe that yoga, the ancient form of exercise, is the best way to calm the mind and the best form of exercise for the body.
– With files from Global News
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