Yoga day celebrations create an isle of peace as clouds of war hang over UN

More than 1200 diplomats and UN officials and staff practiced yoga on the UN campus by the East River, joining the world’s celebration of the International Day of Yoga.

India's Permanent Representative P Harish said the spirit of the yoga day at the UN was animated by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family.

Yoga, he said, is more than physical, it is a holistic discipline that cultivates inner balance, mindfulness, and a sense of responsibility in daily life.

The International Day of Yoga was created by the General Assembly in 2014, following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to globalise the yoga movement.

Although June 21 was designated as the Yoga Day, it was held a day earlier because it falls on a Saturday when the UN would be closed and because the day of summer solstice, with which it was meant to coincide, fell on June 20 this year.

The theme this year is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' following up on the 'One Earth, One Health' concept introduced by India during its presidency of the G20.

Deepak Chopra, the "New Age Guru" and advocate across the US media for alternative health systems, conducted a meditation session.

Earlier, serenity descended on the frenetic Times Square when more than 10,000 yoga enthusiasts took over the crossroads of the world for a daylong practice of the ancient art.

At the observance called Solstice at Times Square that was co-sponsored by the consulate general, actor Anupam Kher told the participants, a microcosm of the globe, that the stillness of a single breath raises the strength to heal the whole world.