Yoga essential for world harmony: Ramdev

London [UK], June 22 (ANI): Baba Ramdev on Friday said that yoga was essential for maintaining world peace and harmony.

Addressing a press conference a day after International Yoga Day, Ramdev noted that yoga not only helped in curing diseases but could also help individuals attain eternal peace.

"Through yoga, we can protect ourselves from diseases and ailments. But it is not just a form of exercise, it is also essential for eternal peace. World peace and harmony can be achieved through yoga," he said.

Terming yoga as a "secular and scientific practice," Ramdev said he was hopeful of yoga being performed worldwide in the near future.

"Whatever we do with love and purity is called yoga. We can achieve world peace through yoga. The basic philosophy of yoga is 'brotherhood'. Yoga is completely a secular practice, free from discrimination," he added.

The fourth International Yoga Day was celebrated with great fervour across the world on Thursday.

The first International Day of Yoga was observed all over the world on June 21, 2015, where more than 30,000 people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, performed yoga asanas at Rajpath in New Delhi.

The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014.

On a related note, Ramdev led the yoga celebrations in Rajasthan's Kota, with an aim to create a Guinness World Record. (ANI)

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