WASHINGTON: Ahead of the first International Day of Yoga on June 21, the Indian Embassy here has started a series of curtain-raiser events to raise awareness about the ancient Indian practice.

Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, at a talk on 'Nurturing Peace Through Yoga and Meditation', emphasized the relevance of Yoga in today's world, saying it's not only about flexibility in body but also flexibility in mind and thinking.

Mentioning that wars in the world begin when communication breaks down, he said Yoga creates skills in communication related to people. The purpose of Yoga and meditation is to unite hearts and minds of people and to unite religions and cultures of the world.

Indian Embassy will collaborate with Yoga organisations, practitioners, and community organisations for a day-long event at the Mall here on June 21.

"Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment, harmony between man and nature, a holistic approach to health and well-being," Charge d'Affaires Taranjit Singh Sandhu quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as saying at the UN last year.

"It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change," he added.

The United Nations General Assembly had on December 11 adopted an India-led resolution declaring June 21 as the 'International Day of Yoga'. It was passed within a record time of 75 days with 177 countries becoming co-sponsors.

India is planning to celebrate the International Day of Yoga in all the countries around the world, including the U.S.

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