Yoga enthusiasts perform yoga at an iconic location of Abu Dhabi.

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

The Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, will be celebrating 5th International Day of Yoga (IDY) at Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi, on June 20 and at Jahili Public Park in Al Ain on June 28.

UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan will grace the IDY celebration as Chief Guest at Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi, on June 20, where activities will begin at 7pm.

Free entry to the park, parking facility, yoga mats and yoga T-shirts will be provided to all the participants at the Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Addressing the local media persons in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Ambassador of India to UAE Navdeep Suri urged the Indian community members, Emirati friends and the expat population to participate in huge numbers.

He also thanked UAE authorities and the community for their support.

In the run-up to the event, photo shoots of yoga enthusiast performing yoga at iconic locations of Abu Dhabi including Emirates Palace, Etihad Towers and Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum were organised with the kind support of Department of Culture, Abu Dhabi.

During the celebration of IDY 2019, Common Yoga Protocol will be followed with other yoga demonstrations by yoga enthusiasts from different countries. The yoga demonstrations would be followed by a cultural programme.

Priyanka Sharma, a Yoga Consultant with The Yoga Studio, Abu Dhabi, said that she will be showcasing Yogasanas in her performance. This form of performance one needs to practice consistently and with the guidance of guru or teacher.

Sister Sona Bahri will lead a session of Raja Yoga meditation, which is a form of meditation that is accessible to people of all backgrounds. It is a meditation without rituals or mantras and can be practised anywhere at any time. Raja Yoga meditation is practised with ‘open eyes’, which makes this method of meditation versatile, simple and easy to practice.

Laughter Yoga session will be conducted by Emirati Yoga specialist Naser Al Riyami, who is a licensed psychologist, consultant hypnotist, laughter yoga leader and co-founder of Change Works AD.

A session of Yoga for spinal health, lead by Sundar Singh, will bring awareness to the common problems that arise due to sedentary lifestyle and its impact on spinal health.