Ramdev holds yoga session in UK

Coventry [United Kingdom], June 24 (ANI): Yoga Guru Ramdev, along with the Consulate General of India, Birmingham, organised a yoga session in Coventry City.

Elated with the success of the event, which was attended by over 2500 individuals of varied ethnicities, Ramdev expressed his gratitude to the Consul General, Dr Aman Puri, for helping organise the session.

"I thank Dr Aman Puri for this event. He practiced Yoga besides me and also got over 2500 people at the event. People were so enthusiastic that they had arrived two hours prior," said Ramdev.

He then shifted the focus to the children who attended the session, saying that they were the future of the nation and the world and that yoga would help them lead a life sans disease and bad habits.

"The children added more colours to the event. They are our nation and the entire world's future. If they take up the path of Yoga, they would not only lead a life away from diseases but also bad habits, as, from the good habit of Yoga, all bad habits will go away," Ramdev said.

He also went on to say that yoga was the key to world health, peace and harmony and that eventually, the whole world would adopt this practice.

"This is not just a one-day event; people have made the resolution to adopt it into their daily lives. We have more than 5000 Yoga teachers and volunteers who are providing a free yoga service," Ramdev added.

He was similarly pleased with children chanting 'Om' and reciting the 'Gayatri Mantra.'

"Yes, I was very happy with that. These 'mantras' are not meant for any religion. This is just a plead to the gods for granting a sound mind and pure thoughts. Watching the British kids recite it brought me a great joy," Ramdev added.

Dr Puri was similarly pleased with the day's proceedings but said that he was aiming to achieve even bigger things with Ramdev.

"We are delighted with Swami Ramdev being able to come to the Midlands. More than 2000 people gathered, they came from London and many parts across the UK. We hope that Swami Ramdev can perform Yoga with more than a lakh people at the Ricoh Arena (a football stadium) in 2021," Puri said.

On a related note, a number of countries celebrated the fourth International Yoga Day on June 21.

President Ram Nath Kovind performed asanas along with his Suriname counterpart Desi Bouterse in the Latin American country.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on the occasion, addressed the European Parliament in Brussels, where she highlighted the importance of yoga.

In South Africa's Pretoria, the Yoga Day was celebrated at the historic township of Soweto, where a large group of school children took part in group sessions. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI