New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green OAM, called Yoga one of India's gifts to the world and noted that the practice is gaining prominence in Australia.

Envoys of various nations performed Yoga including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, performed yoga in Delhi's Nehru Park on the occasion of International Day of Yoga on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, Philip Green stated, 'Yoga is one of those features that Australians think about...core to India's culture and frankly, Yoga is one of India's gifts to the world, and this is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves of that, but also to recall how valuable yoga can be in one's everyday practise. It's growing in prominence in Australia, and I think this International Day will only serve to cause it to grow more.'

Japan's Ambassador to India, Ono Keiichi, called for celebrating the day across the world.

'I would like to congratulate you, India, on organising this big event. The International Yoga Day should be celebrated all over the world. So, that's why I'm enjoying this,' Keiichi told ANI.

UN Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, said that India has brought the practice of Yoga to the world and recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of declaring International Day of Yoga at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.

Speaking to ANI, Sharp said, 'I think every year on this day, we come together, the world comes together. Actually, it's a course of an ancient practice here in India that has been brought to the world, and it's about physical and mental health and balance and being the whole people that we can be. Prime Minister Modi first launched the idea of an international day in 2014 at the UN General Assembly.'

'The International Yoga Day was unanimously agreed upon by all the world's governments, and so here we are in beautiful Nehru Park celebrating this special Indian tradition of balance between mental health and physical health, and I think you can see that the entire world community is out here today,' he added.

EAM Jaishankar said that he and the diplomatic corps performed yoga in Delhi's Nehru Park on Saturday. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks, he said the yoga session was a true reflection of Yoga for everyone, beyond boundaries, age, backgrounds or ability.

In a statement shared on X, he said, 'Pleased to join the Diplomatic Corps at the Nehru Park in Delhi this morning to celebrate #InternationalDayOfYoga. Like PM @narendramodi said today, the session was a true reflection of Yoga for everyone, beyond boundaries, backgrounds, age or ability.'

Every year, the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) is celebrated on June 21. This year marks the 11th International Day of Yoga with the theme 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', which echoes a vital truth that personal wellness and planetary health are inseparably linked.

According to a United Nations statement, yoga strengthens the body, calms the mind, and fosters a heightened sense of awareness and responsibility in daily life. This mindfulness allows one to choose healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

In 2014, the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131. The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. PM Modi first introduced the proposal in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly. (ANI)