In pictures: Thousands participate in largest-ever yoga event in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: On the occasion of the International Yoga Day, scores of yoga enthusiasts participated at Abu Dhabi’s largest-ever yoga event held at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

The massive event was organised by the Indian Embassy and the Indian People’s Forum (IPF), in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC).

Over 5,000 people took their positions on colourful yoga mats, they were joined by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, who participated in the International Day of Yoga Common Protocol, a set of simple and effective yogic postures for healthy living.

June 21 is celebrated globally as the International Day of Yoga, and this year, the theme is ‘Yoga for Humanity’. This highlights the possibility of using yoga – an ancient practice that combines postures and fluid transitions – to pursue a sustainable lifestyle in harmony with the planet.

Attendance at the yoga event was free, and participants received free t-shirts, yoga mats and certificates of participation. Qualified instructors from Heartfulnes Institute, Abu Dhabi, demonstrated the postures and their variations in a bid to ensure that everyone attending could participate with ease.

The ADSC also supported a number of other yoga sessions to celebrate the day, including a morning practice under the dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi, a session amidst the massive Bu Tinah zone tank at The National Aquarium, and a session at the Jubail Mangrove Park.

A health enthusiast takes a picture with Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE.

People participate in a Yoga session at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.