External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday clear that participation in the events was not 'compulsory'.
The celebrations in China will be second biggest in the world after India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the early morning session on the first International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New Delhi.
Five cities -- Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi -- were shortlisted by the Ayush ministry and sent to the Prime Minister's Office for final selection.
'Yoga is magic!' 'Other than keeping me physically fit, it helps me be calm and emotionally balanced. It gives me a lot of energy that keeps me productive throughout the day.'
Modi said the support and participation of the people last year and once again now "redeems the commitment to nurture and promote this ancient discipline and reaffirms yoga as an exemplary manifestation of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world as one family)."
10 asanas you can try to master in 2024 and set the tone for a harmonious year ahead.
'Yoga can increase the volume of hippocampus and improve memory.'
Ahead of the event, Shripad Naik, the Union minister of state (independent charge) for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, which is coordinating yoga day, speaks to Upasna Pandey.
This year's theme is 'Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family' and people will be able to join the celebrations virtually at 7 am on June 21. The Indian missions abroad are trying to reach out to the people through digital media as well as through the network of institutions which support yoga, officials said.
Today, it is modish to be part of a yoga class, to post stories on Instagram while striking an impressively complex asana in a bralette and crop-top paired with neon yoga pants, to bond over green tea and yoga bars after a strenuous session at the studio and have subscriptions to yoga studios, not ashrams, says Manavi Kapur.
The state doesn't only have religious and spiritual significance, but also electoral significance as it is the last Yoga Day celebrations before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, reports Archis Mohan.
The Unlock 3 guidelines will come into force from August 1 and strict enforcement of lockdown in containment zones will continue till August 31.
This man, she says, makes her go weak in the knees.
Special status to Yoga by categorising its promotion as charitable.
The General Assembly hall, where world leaders come together every year for the high-level UN session, was packed with UN diplomats, officials, yoga gurus and practitioners, children and people from various backgrounds as India's Permanent Mission to the UN organised the commemoration of the 5th International Day of Yoga Thursday.
Yoga expert Shikha Pandey shows you how simple asanas can help you become fitter this year.
This year's theme is 'Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family' and people will be able to join the celebrations virtually at 7 am on June 21.
Early retirement is not just about money and calculators. It is more about rediscovering your passions, strengthening bonds, and living a life filled with purpose, connection, and lasting happiness. It's about reclaiming your life, explains Vatsal Ramaiya.
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar also said that diseases like AIDS can be cured by yoga.
Sarvesh Kushare said Neeraj Chopra's advice has boosted his confidence as at one point in time this year, he was not even sure of making the Paris Games cut.
There will be strict adherence to standard operating procedure and other guidelines of the government, and compliance of Covid appropriate behaviour while opening the stadia and sports complexes, the DDMA said.
Kejriwal, who had joined International Yoga Day participants last year along with Lt Governor Anil Baijal and the then Union minister and now Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, was found having high blood sugar following his nine-day, arduous sit-in at the Lieutenant Governor's office.
Rediff.com brings you the government's Yoga Day photo album.
Several Bollywood stars took part in various yoga sessions across India.
This is the fifth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000 in the country.
Since your liver works hard to purify and detoxify your body, it is important to maintain good health of this vital organ and keep it healthy naturally, advises Dr Hansaji Yogendra.
A look at the pictures from the event!
The National Testing Agency, under fire over the lapses in the conduct of NEET and UGC-NET, is gearing up to conduct on Sunday a retest for the medical entrance exam for 1,563 candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks to make up for the loss of time at six centres.
Celebrations will take place in 150 countries with Indian missions coordinating activities in landmark places such as Eiffel Tower in Paris, Trafalgar Square in London and Central Park in New York.
Though all students were asked to participate in the camp, it was not binding on them, said the institute.
Focus on consuming fewer calories overall to create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss, advises rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan.
BKS Iyengar, renowned Yoga Guru and founder of Iyengar Yoga, turns 90 on December 14.Iyenger, who runs the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, has been practicing yoga for over 75 years. He is widely credited for popularising yoga across the world.
The Centre has proposed the chanting of 'Om' and the recital of some Vedic mantras before the 45-minute yoga session, a move which many are criticising.
After the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Yoga Day in December last year at India's request, the officers in the Ministry of Ayush began ideating about how to celebrate it in the country.
A total of 1,016 candidates -- 664 men and 352 women -- have qualified in the examination and have been recommended by the Union Public Service Commission for appointment to various services.
'Nobody is making yoga compulsory. If you don't want to do it, it is okay. Yoga has no religion.'
Archis Mohan tells us how the event came to be celebrated on June 21
The PM performed Yoga with over 50,000 enthusiasts at the Forest Research Institute campus in Dehradun.
One of the last surviving freedom fighters from that era, Isu Laloo Chiba, shared this in a message to support the Indian missions' plan to celebrate the second United Nations-sanctioned International Day of Yoga on 21 June in South Africa.
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