Watch: Dubai Police join Indian expats to celebrate International Yoga Day in UAE

Dubai/Abu Dhabi: When the Dubai Police Band struck up its performance at the Dubai Police Officers' Club early on Sunday morning, it set the tone for what turned out to be one of the most spirited International Yoga Day celebrations the UAE community has seen.

More than 2,500 people rolled out their mats across two iconic venues, uniting yoga enthusiasts, diplomats, police officers and residents of all ages and nationalities to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21.

In a first for the annual celebrations, the Indian Consulate in Dubai joined hands with Dubai Police to host a collective yoga session at the Dubai Police Officers' Club.

Major General Dr Mohammed Essa Al-Adhab, Director of General Administration at Dubai Police and Consul General of India in Dubai Satish Kumar Sivan addressed the participants and took part in the sessions.

More than 1,500 people attended the Dubai session, which brought together Dubai Police officers, members of the Dubai Police Positive Spirit Council, yoga practitioners, students and community members from across the city, many of them up before dawn for a 5.30am start.

While the majority of participants were from India, yoga enthusiasts from some other countries were also on the mats, making it a truly multicultural gathering.

In Abu Dhabi, more than 1,000 people gathered under the iconic dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi for the Indian Embassy's IDY event, which ran from 8am to 9am.

Ambassadors and diplomats from different countries joined the celebrations, adding a strong diplomatic dimension to what was also a deeply community-driven occasion. People of all ages and walks of life took part, reflecting yoga's universal appeal.

Both events were held under this year's global theme, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing". Sessions included asanas, pranayama and meditation, with experienced instructors guiding participants through practices designed to promote physical fitness, mental well-being and inner harmony.

The consulate said the celebrations underscored yoga's transformative power in fostering vitality, resilience and independence across all age groups, while reinforcing its role as a pillar of preventive healthcare and holistic wellness.

Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal used the occasion to trace the rise of yoga as a global movement, noting that just over a decade ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi put the idea to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014, describing yoga not as mere exercise, but as an ancient gift from India that unites mind and body, thought and action.

He pointed out that the global response was extraordinary: 175 member states co-sponsored the resolution, making it one of the fastest-adopted declarations in UN history, and June 21 was proclaimed the International Day of Yoga. What was once a spiritual and physical discipline rooted in the Indian subcontinent has since grown into a universal language of health, peace and harmony, practised by millions on every continent.

On this year's theme, the Ambassador said the world had made great strides in extending human lifespans, but that the real challenge now was ensuring those extra years were lived with vitality, independence and dignity. Yoga, he said, offered a time-tested, holistic answer: through its postures, breathing practices and meditation, it builds physical resilience, sustains cognitive health and nurtures emotional balance. The goal, he emphasised, was to expand not just how long people live, but how well and yoga, he said, proves it is never too early, nor too late, to begin that journey.

The events also highlighted the deepening cultural and people-to-people ties between India and the UAE.

Not all the highlights at Louvre Abu Dhabi came from the guided session itself. Jitendra Vaidya, president of the Indian People's Forum UAE, who is in his mid-fifties, drew gasps from the crowd when he held an unsupported headstand (Shirshasana) without any assistance for about five minutes, wowing fellow participants gathered under the iconic dome.

Vaidya, who has been practising yoga since childhood and can hold a headstand for up to 10 minutes, said the discipline goes far beyond physical fitness. " I have been practising yoga since my childhood, and even today it helps me maintain the flexibility and strength to perform advanced postures such as Shirshasana," he said.

He pointed out that in today's fast-paced world, mental well-being had become one of the most valuable assets a person could have, and yoga offered a powerful path to inner peace, balance and emotional strength. " Yoga is not merely a form of physical exercise: it is a holistic discipline that nurtures both body and mind. It is India's timeless gift to humanity, promoting health, harmony and holistic well-being for all," he added.