Gulf countries spotlight importance of integrating yoga into daily life

Riyadh, June 21 (IANS) Several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Saturday celebrated the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) under the global theme of 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', highlighting the significance of yoga for the overall well-being.

The IDY celebrations in Riyadh were organised by the Indian embassy in association with the Saudi Yoga Committee and the Indian diaspora.

Leading Saudi yoga personality and the President of Asian Yogasana Sports Federation Padma Shri Nouf Marwai, Director of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Sport Shahad Al Mufti, CEO of Saudi Yoga Committee Ahmed Alsady and several other Saudi officials and members of the diplomatic community in the country attended the event.

The Common Yoga Protocol was led by local yoga instructors Nervin Asharam and Seema Ghanam.

In Kuwait, over 1500 people came together at the Salmiya Boulevard Cricket Ground to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga. The grand yoga session was organised by the Indian embassy in Kuwait in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the Ministry of Ayush, and in collaboration with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The participants from all walks of life — including diplomats, students, Indian community members, and yoga enthusiasts — gathered early Saturday morning to take part in the event.

Addressing the crowd, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, highlighted the importance of integrating yoga into daily life for overall well-being. He thanked all attendees for their enthusiastic participation in the celebrations.

The event witnessed participation from Padma Shri awardees Acharya H.R. Nagendra, founder of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, and Sheikha Shaikha A.J. Sabah, a prominent member of the Kuwaiti royal family and a strong advocate for yoga in the region.

Additionally, the Indian embassy in the UAE, together with Abu Dhabi Sports Council, organised IDY celebrations at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC). The Chief guest of the event, Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence, along with tennis ace Sania Mirza and Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir joined yoga enthusiasts in celebration of the global festival.

--IANS

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