London Yoga Day event spotlights healthy ageing and India-UK people-to-people ties

London,UPDATED: Jun 21, 2026 19:04 IST

The 12th Day of Yoga was celebrated in London on Sunday with a special yoga and mindfulness event organised by the High Commission of India. India’s High Commissioner to the UK, P Kumaran, joined members of the Indian diaspora and other UK-based yoga practitioners for asanas and meditative breathing exercises at Holland Park in central London.

Hundreds of people followed experts and instructors on stage on a particularly scorching hot day in the UK capital. The event was part of this year’s Day of Yoga celebrations, themed “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, which underlines the importance of yoga for people of all ages.

“It is heartening to see that the reach of yoga is spreading gradually,” Kumaran told PTI. “We just wanted to underline that the reason for our regularly celebrating Day of Yoga in many geographies is that we want yoga to become a part of healthy lifestyles all over the world,” he said.

“It is something that can adjust to age and capability, and we want people to adapt it according to their ability; to do some of the difficult poses or otherwise, so that it becomes not just an annual occurrence but also a regular part of their day-to-day routine,” Kumaran added.

Reflecting on the significance of the day, weeks before the India-UK Free Trade Agreement is due to enter into force on July 15, the envoy said the occasion also highlighted the cultural side of a strengthening bilateral partnership. “The focus of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is, of course, trade in goods and services (but) people-to-people connections form the bedrock of the partnership; it is therefore important for us to strengthen this living bridge between the two countries,” he said.

Holland Park is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which has a history of India-UK links. “There is a long historic connection between the borough and India, with former residents in the area such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and it’s an honour to bring yoga to Holland Park,” said Councillor Aarien Areti, the British Indian council representative of the area.

Heartfulness UK, Isha Foundation, the Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Iyengar Yoga and SRMD Yoga were among the organisations leading the gathering in yoga and mindfulness practices. The Sunday event followed another major yoga gathering organised by the mission at the Strand, near India House in London, on Friday.

The London celebrations brought together diplomats, community members and yoga groups to mark the 12th Day of Yoga, with organisers highlighting both its health benefits and its role in strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the UK.

With PTI Inputs

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