Washington, DC [US], June 20 (ANI): The Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, on Thursday (local time) organised a vibrant Yoga session at the iconic Lincoln Memorial ahead of the International Day of Yoga on June 21. The event saw enthusiastic participation from a large number of people, including members of the Indian diaspora and local residents.

Speaking at the event, India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, said, 'We are all here to celebrate the 11th International Day of Yoga. An enormous, great, fun-filled celebration of India's ancient civilisation heritage in the form of Yoga. A large number of extended Indian families and the Indian diaspora are present with us here, along with the other citizens of the US. It's a wonderful day, a wonderful experience for us...I want to thank everybody for being here with us this morning to celebrate this heritage from India...'

Yoga and meditation instructor Acharya Govind Brahmachari, who led the session, highlighted Yoga's deeper purpose beyond physical fitness.

'Yoga is widely popular already. We want to bring yoga to every household worldwide because it has many benefits. The deeper aspects of yoga are perhaps not so much known yet. We are here to spread awareness of the original purpose of yoga to actually attain a sense of freedom or oneness with the universe. So that's a deeper aspect of yoga that's very much related to meditation. Then the yoga postures, which are known as yoga asanas, are a part of the practice, part of a holistic system to support the mind, to attain freedom from unpleasant feelings and emotions and thoughts,' he said.

Dr Smita Patel, a participant at the session, praised the initiative and highlighted the health benefits of yoga. 'I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Modi for starting this 11 years ago, and I liked today's theme 'One Earth, One Health'. As a physician, I believe yoga is as essential as breathing and taking medication. Yoga helps reduce anxiety, improve depression, and for children, it helps their attention span, concentration, ability to focus on a task, and ability to complete a task,' she said.

Acharya Madhuvartanand Avdhut from Ananda Marga Yoga and Meditation Centre also shared his thoughts, saying, 'The first yogi was Lord Shiva, who came to this earth 7000 years ago. Yoga has three different parts. Yog Asana, Yog Darshan and Yog Sadhana... Yoga is a multi-faceted approach to healthy living. Yoga can bring world peace and it can unite human society...'

The event reflected the growing global embrace of Yoga not just as a physical discipline but as a holistic path to well-being, inner peace, and universal harmony.

This year in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the national celebrations from Visakhapatnam, where he will participate in the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) session at the city's beachfront. Nearly 5 lakh participants are expected to join him in the mass yoga demonstration.

Simultaneously, Yoga Sangam events will be held at over 3.5 lakh locations across India, making this one of the largest coordinated Yoga celebrations.

In addition, citizen engagement initiatives like 'Yoga with Family' and youth-focused campaigns under 'Yoga Unplugged' have been launched on digital platforms such as MyGov and MyBharat to promote participation and awareness.

According to the release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the 2025 theme -- 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' -- highlights the interconnectedness of human and planetary health and echoes the global vision of collective wellness, rooted in India's philosophy of 'Sarve Santu Niramaya' (May all be free from disease).

Since 2015, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted India's proposal to observe 21st June as IDY, the Prime Minister has led the celebrations from various locations, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mysuru, New York (UN Headquarters), and Srinagar. IDY has since evolved into a powerful global health movement. (ANI)