New Delhi, June 20:  Ahead of the 4th International Day of Yoga on June 21,  preparations are underway in full swing at Forest Research Institute in Dehradun where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the celebrations. In the run-up to mark the occasion, the Prime Minister will join thousands of volunteers, performing Yoga asanas in the lawns of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. A series of Yoga related events are being organized across the world to mark the occasion.

Modi has also taken to social media to share the intricacies of various Yoga Asanas and has also shared pictures of people performing Yoga, at various locations across the world. Greeting Yoga enthusiasts across the world on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that Yoga is one of the most precious gifts given by the ancient Indian sages to humankind.

To recall, the Prime Minister had earlier participated in Yoga celebrations at Rajpath in New Delhi in 2015, the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh in 2016, and the Ramabai Ambedkar Sabha Sthal in Lucknow in 2017.

“Yoga is not just a set of exercises that keeps the body fit but it is a passport to health assurance, a key to fitness and wellness. Nor is Yoga only what you practice in the morning. Doing your day-to-day activities with diligence and complete awareness is a form of Yoga as well,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said in a world of excess, Yoga promises restraint and balance; in a world suffering from mental stress, Yoga promises calm; in a distracted world, Yoga helps focus; in a world of fear, Yoga promises hope, strength and courage.

For the unversed, the first International Day of Yoga was observed all over the world on June 21, 2015. Nearly 35,985 people, including the Prime Minister, had performed 21 yoga asanas (postures) for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2018 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).