Thousands of yogis of various levels of skills, age and nationality, and health-conscious residents laid down their mats, relaxed and communed with nature to participate in the nationwide celebration of World Yoga Day on Tuesday.
The International Day of Yoga, which is now in its third year, is actually today but yogis in the UAE celebrated it a day earlier.
The United Nations declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga in 2014 after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself a yogi, called for the day to be declared as a global celebration of yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago, that has now become a worldwide phenomenon.
Unlike in the past two years, there were multiple venues across the UAE for World Yoga Day. As the sun set down, participants trooped to the main venues in Dubai such as Burj Park, Zabeel Park and Burhani Complex in Al Nahda; at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. Warm-up sessions such as stretching, breathing exercises and exercise meditation were held prior to the main yoga session, which spilled over until midnight.
The events in Dubai were organised by the Indian Consulate General with support from several local schools and yoga associations such as The Art of Living and no less than Indian Consul General Vipul himself joined the yogis at Burj Park. The UAE Minister of Happiness Ohood Al Roumi and Saeed Hareb, secretary general of Dubai Sports Council also graced the event
Speaking to Khaleej Times, yoga instructor and Indian expat Rana Kusum said anyone can practice yoga. "It is for everyone and anyone. There are different levels of yogis: beginners, intermediate and advanced - and there are basic asana (yoga pose or body posture) which can suit the newbies."
"Proper breathing is very important and with constant practice, around one hour each day, one can become an intermediate yogi in no time," added Kusum, who learned yoga at a school in Mysore, India.
Anand Mungre, a management executive at international property firm, brought along his wife and kid to participate in the community. "I've been practicing yoga for seven years and I can say that it has become a big stress-reliever for me. I also feel strong and healthy," Mungre said.
More than stress-release, yoga has also contributed to international solidarity, noted Rashi Datt, teacher at The Art of Living, an organisation focusing on stress-relieving "We see here people coming from various nationalities and they move in sync," she added.

source: Khaleejtimes