Yoga postures light up UN headquarters ahead of Int'l Yoga Day

Several striking images of complex yoga postures today illuminated the UN headquarters here as the world body geared up to host the second International Yoga Day tomorrow to celebrate the ancient Indian spiritual discipline.
"Yoga lights up UN, To celebrate #IDY2016, Yoga postures light up @UN headquarters in New York," India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
The UN building was illuminated with striking images of various yoga postures, including from the 'Surya Namaskar'.
The words 'International Day of Yoga' and '#Yoga4SDGs' were projected below the images, some of which were in the colours of the Indian tri-colour. One of the images projected showed a woman doing the 'Parvatasana' or the 'inverted V' posture.

India's Permanent Mission to the UN in association with the UN Department of Public Information will commemorate the day on June 21 at theworld body's headquarters.
The event will be attended by General Assembly President Morgens Lykketoft, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach and Isha Foundation founder and spiritual leader Jaggi Sadhguru, who will lead a simple Yoga practice.

The event will include a musical incantation on yoga and British singer Tanya Wells will recite Sanskrit shlokas.
Akbaruddin last week said that this year's celebration of the International Yoga Day will lay special emphasis on enhancing awareness that yoga is a holistic approach and not just a physical activity and how it can help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said a huge and diverse turnout is expected at the Yoga Day gathering at the UN Secretariat Circle, with participants from 100 nationalities having registered for the event so far.
Ambassadors and diplomats from various countries will also share experiences of how Yoga has influenced their lifestyles.
In a precursor to Yoga Day, the Indian mission will host 'Conversation with Yoga Masters' that will "seek to enrich our collective understanding of the unique features of Yoga and its role for the achievement of SDGs." Sadhguru will participate in the event.
Indian peacekeepers were practicing to observe the Yoga Day in 13 peacekeeping operations where they are deployed, including in South Sudan, Congo and Lebanon, "tangibly demonstrating the role of Yoga in promoting peace and harmony," the Indian envoy had said.

A host of events are being held by the Indian Consulate in association with Indian community organisations in New York tri-state area in the run-up to the Yoga Day.
For the commemoration, the Consulate has partnered with more than 25 associations. The organisations will be hosting special Yoga sessions in schools, temples as well as at the J F K International Airport and Newark Airport.
In December 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution with a record number of 177 co-sponsoring member states to declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.